Page 71 of Burden to Bear

Mia

“So, what did you think?”

Things had returned to normal.

Despite the awkwardness of our interaction following my parents’ departure a few days ago, Brock and I had gotten back to normal.

Or, technically, I guess it was even better than normal.

It had been several days since that uncomfortable encounter, and I was almost convinced I’d made up the tension from days ago in my head, because nothing else made sense.

Brock and I were here at the neighborhood block party, and we’d had the best day together. I had suspected we’d spend some time talking to one another throughout the day, but I hadn’t anticipated he’d wind up spending the entire day by my side.

Sure, there were moments when we wound up talking with other neighbors individually, but Brock was never more than a handful of feet away from me whenever that happened. If I didn’t know better, I might have fooled myself into believing Brock and I were something more than we were. In fact, there had been several moments when I noticed we were getting odd or curious looks from the other neighbors, and I wondered if they had questions or thoughts about what was happening between us. Would they be as disappointed as I was now if they learned the truth?

Although I was disappointed when I allowed my mind to drift to all the things I wished I could have in my life, particularly as they related to Brock, the reality was that I didn’t spend much time in that space throughout the day. Instead, I’d focused on enjoying myself at my first block party.

And I’d had a blast.

Everyone in the neighborhood had put in the effort to help make the party a success, and there was something for everyone to do.

Not only was there mingling with neighbors, but there was fun and games and food. Nobody was left out of it, either. Someone had organized a scavenger hunt for the kids while someone else had a hula hoop contest for them as well. Nearly everyone had joined in for the water balloon fight, splitting up into teams where one half of the block played against the team made up of individuals and families who lived on the opposite side of the street. Throughout the water balloon fight, I noticed the way Brock had stepped in front of me on several occasions to block any of the balloons from hitting me. It was incredibly sweet.

I laughed.

All day long, I hadn’t wiped the smile off my face.

Not even the heat of the summer sun could put a damper on my day.

Then again, outside of all the activities that had been planned, there was more food than anybody knew what to do with—burgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken, potato salad, macaroni salad, fruit salad. It seemed to go on and on.

In the end, I’d truly had the best day. I’d met new neighbors I hadn’t had a chance to yet, and I was able to spend time with others I’d met but never been able to converse with at length before.

It was nice.

It was fun.

And I found myself thinking about what this block party event would feel like when I had my child here to experience it with me. I couldn’t wait and felt grateful I’d moved into the house I had.

Best of all, even though I often found myself feeling exhausted at the end of a long day, that wasn’t the case today. As the day wore on and the party died down, a wave of discontent washed over me.

I didn’t want the day to end.

So, now that Brock had walked up and asked what I thought, I didn’t hesitate to tell him as much. “I’m so sad.”

“What? Why?”

“This was such a fun day,” I confessed. “I kind of wish the party wasn’t over.”

Seemingly amused, Brock inclined his head to the side as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Really? I would have thought you’d be ready to crawl into bed by now.”

“It’s not that late,” I said, defending myself. “The sun hasn’t even gone down yet.”

“Summer sunsets are always much later, but fair enough. I’ve had a great time today, too, and I’m also a bit bummed that it’s time to pack it in. If you’re not ready for the day to be over, I’m happy to continue celebrating with you. What would be the perfect way to end this day for you?”

I narrowed my eyes, thought about what I wanted to do, and had an idea pop into my head. “Well, I feel a bit gross after being in the heat all day long. I’d like to grab a cool shower quickly, then have a big bowl of ice cream out on my deck. If you would rather do that instead of going home, I’d love some company.”

His stare turned fiery, like I’d just set something ablaze in his mind. “I think that sounds like a great idea. In fact, I was kind of hoping you might not want to just have the night end, because I’ve been thinking about something I’d like to talk to you about.”

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