Page 81 of Save Me

“And any man who would let you isn’t worth your time,” was his response.

“You know I can open my car door myself,” I tell Dae as he holds my hand as we get out.

He gives me an incredulous look.

“It’ll be a cold day in hell before I let you.” He brings my hand to his lips for another kiss. “Let’s go.”

“Why are we at the aquarium?”

“There are some people I’d like you to meet.”

I cock my head to the side.

“You want to know more about me.” He holds the arm that isn’t around my waist out toward the building. “This is more.”

“This place brings back memories,” I say, recalling the many trips I took here as a kid.

It’s Saturday afternoon, so it’s packed with parents and children ranging from infants to adolescents, running around.

“Mr. Kim!” a young voice shouts.

An adorable blonde-haired boy is smiling in Dae’s direction. The boy is wearing a light blue shirt that reads “Spring Days Community” across the front.

The boy is soon followed by a group of children and three adults wearing the same shirt.

“We didn’t know you were coming today,” one of the older women says. She looks over at me, and her light hazel eyes spark with interest. Her smile widens.

“Yeah, we thought you said you couldn’t come today, Mr. Kim,” the boy who first called him says with a pout and wrinkling his forehead.

“I couldn’t,” Dae says in a patient tone. “But my plans changed, so here I am.” He pulls me by the waist against his body. “This is Ms. Townsend,” he introduces me to the kids first, followed by the adults.

“You can call me Kennedy,” I tell the three adults.

“We just arrived about fifteen minutes ago,” the woman with the hazel eyes says.

Dae moves his hand from around my waist but doesn’t let me go as his hand takes mine.

“Then you still haven’t been to the stingray exhibit,” Dae says, his eyes lighting up slightly.

“No!” the boy, whose name is Steven, shouts.

“What are we waiting for?”

“Can we feed them?” a young Black girl who looks to be about five years old asks. Her excitement is written all over the broad smile on her adorable face.

Dae surprises me when he releases my hand to stoop down to get eye level with her.

“Not only can you feed them, Amelia,” Dae answers. “I got the director to give our group a special show with the stingrays today. If you’re really good, I’ll let him give you the special gift he has waiting for all of you.”

All the children jump up and down, yelling, “Yay!” and “We promise to be good.”

Dae softens as he looks at the cheering children. He doesn’t smile, not exactly, but that hardness that’s usually in the set of his jaw lightens.

When Amelia throws herself in his arms, he briefly closes his eyes before releasing her. I watch him watch the children laugh and high-five one another with glee. His look isn’t quite like a proud parent’s, but it’s not far off.

Peace.

That’s what I realize his expression is.

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