Page 104 of The Night We Lost Him

“It’s perfect,” she said.

Then she took her hand away.

He held out the ring, closer toward her. “For God’s sake, Grace, it’s been half a century, take the damn thing.”

She smiled. He never called her Grace, not when they were alone, except when he was starting to get mad.

“As tempting as it is to be wife number four, I have no desire to marry you, my darling.”

“Well, thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome.”

He closed his fingers over the ring, not saying anything. His childhood street was lantern-lit behind her. His past, his present. How easy to say she was wrapped up in all of it. How inadequate. She was all of it.

“I hated the idea of the reunion anyway,” she said. “So that’s not a loss. But you got me all dressed up, so let’s do something. Should we stop by Sheet Music? Get some dinner? I’d like to meet Jack.”

“You haven’t yet?”

“Just that time on the street…”

“You’re going to like him. He’s a good guy. He really is.”

She put her arm through his as they started walking back toward his car. “That’s some faint praise.”

“No, it’s not that. He’s the person for her, I don’t doubt that.” He shrugged. “I still just like Elliot a lot.”

“Hmm,” she said. “For Nora or for you?”

He laughed. “Touché.”

He opened the car door and Cory started to step inside. “Also, I need to try this strawberry pizza I keep hearing about.”

“So let’s go and get it for you.”

Liam went to put the ring back in his coat pocket. This was when she put out her hand. This was when she stopped him.

“I’ll take that, thank you.”

She took the ring from him, cupping it in her palm. She didn’t put it on, not in that moment, but she did take it. Then she smiled up at him. That smile.

“No wedding, that’s a nonstarter,” she said. “But, together, in the same house? We could do that.”

He nodded. “I think we have the house.”

Grace sat down in the passenger seat, pulling her dress in tightly around herself. “Okay, then.”

She said it so casually, he could have missed it. Okay, then. After all this time, like it was that simple.

Perhaps it was that simple. Wasn’t that what love could be, after all? Whether it takes you a minute to get there or a lifetime to make it so. At the end of the day, it’s still better when I’m with you.

He leaned down, held his nose against hers, breathing her in.

“Nice to know you’re not sick of me just yet…” she said.

“No. Not just yet,” he said. “Not ever.”

The Spring Menu

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