Page 93 of Watercolor Skulls

I bounce Jackson on my leg. “Oh, I don’t think I’m ready for that,” I answer hesitantly.

Raffe doesn’t push me. “Hey, that’s okay.” He rubs his hand over my shoulder. “They are interested in meeting you. But no rush. We can take it slow.” He leans back in his chair.

“I guess I hadn’t thought of meeting them.”

“Like I said, no hurry, okay?”

I nod, grateful he isn’t pushing this.

“One more thing.” He glances around as if he is making sure no one is listening to us. He turns back to me. “I don’t want you take this the wrong way. It’s just a suggestion. I…well, I was once where you were, on the bridge.” He tips his head, silently asking if I understand what he is trying to tell me. My eyes dip to Jackson before rising to his. I nod. I understand.

“Anyhow, I started seeing someone. You know to talk.”

“Like a therapist?” I wrinkle my nose, not liking the idea.

He takes my hand in his. “Could you go just once? If you don’t like it you don’t have to go back. Please give it a chance. For me?”

My eyes glide over his blue ones. Blue and still and genuine. Just like Jenny said.

My mind chants this is a bad idea as my head bobs a yes.

He smiles and suddenly it’s worth it. It’s just one time. It’s made him so happy. Just once. For him. For Jenny.

“Thank you. I’ll set it up. I’ll even drive you to your first appointment,” he says enthusiastically.

“My only appointment,” I reiterate, making sure he’s clear on the terms.

“If you don’t like it,” he adds before changing the subject. “Jackson did you tell Lily you’re going to the big city?”

Jackson turns to look at me. “Grandpa and grandma live there,” he tells me.

My eyes go back to Raffe. He answers my question before I ask.

“My parents have passed and so have Rachel’s so I’ve kind of adopted Jenny’s parents as my own.”

My heart swells and my thoughts leave my mouth without thought. “Jenny would have loved you keeping in touch with her parents, let alone claiming them as your own. You don’t know how happy that makes me,” I gush. Jenny would be ecstatic with this bit of news. She always worried that they would never get the chance to be grandparents, being she was an only child.

He taps his fingers over his heart. “Awe, Lily, it makesmehappy to hear that.”

Jackson’s little fingers turn my face towards him. I chuckle. “Grandma and grandpa don’t like bugs but they like birds,” he informs me.

“Birds huh?” I tip my head, an idea coming to mind. “How about you and I build them a birdhouse on Wednesday? We can paint it and everything,” I tell him.

He bounces on my leg. “Yes, I want to make a birdhouse.” He jumps off my lap, running over to Rachel to tell her all about our plans. She looks up and smiles at me.

“You’re amazing,” Raffe says.

I shake my head humbly. “I’m far from amazing, Raffe.”

I almost come out of my chair as the little vibrator erupts, torturing me at a lazy hum. My eyes dart to Raffe. He didn’t seem to notice, his focus on his wife and son.

My gaze slides to Dan. He points a finger at me. Shoot, he overheard me putting myself down. I grit my teeth as he gives me another warning buzz.

Raffe looks at me. “The fact you don’t recognize how amazing you are is something you probably need to talk to someone about.”

Well, I guess he has me there.

After we finish breakfast Dan and I rush upstairs. As soon as he closes the door to his room we are all over each other. “You are such an asshole,” I mumble into his mouth as we both fumble with our clothes, trying to get naked as fast as we can.

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