Page 51 of Sparrow

I OPEN THEdoor to my parents’ house, letting myself in to pick up Cadence. “Knock, knock,” I say loudly, so they know I’m here.

“In here, Daddy!” I hear my little one shout from the kitchen.

I take off my hat so my mother doesn’t scold me for having it on the house. I wish I could take off my feelings as easily as this hat.

I stayed at Amelia’s house until she finally returned from the beach. She’d been crying, I could tell, but I didn’t push her. My time in therapy after my injury taught me that. Pushing only leads to frustration.

She wrapped her arms around me and told me she was sorry for freaking out, then told me she had a nightmare and it shook her. I kissed her lips and soothed her as best I could, cuddling and holding her until I had to leave to be where I am now.

Leaving her wasn’t easy when I could see how off she was, but she insisted she was fine. Women always say they’re fine when they aren’t.

“I smell bacon,” I say, as I round the corner into the kitchen.

“Yeah! Mamaw is making BLTs! But I don’t like the L or T’s so I’m just having the B,” Cadence declares.

“I’m trying to get the girl to ingest a vegetable or two, but it’s no use. She’s as stubborn as they come,” my mom says with a laugh. “Are you hungry, Grayson? You must be. Have a seat. I’ll make you one too.”

She doesn’t even give me a chance to decline. I just say, “Yes, ma’am.” I park it at the kitchen table next to Cadence as she colors.

“Who’s that?” I point to the page.

“That’s Melia. Duh, Daddy. She has red hair,” she says with all her four-year-old sass.

“She’s been talking about this woman a lot. Am I to believe this is Amelia, Amelia? Your Mills?” my mother asks.

“The very same,” I admit. “She’s back in town. Living out on Tybee. We’ve been seeing each other a little.”

“I knew it. I always said it, don’t you remember? I always said you two were as destined to be together as Romeo and Juliet.”

“Uh, that’s not a very good comparison, Ma. Their story didn’t exactly end happily.” I shake my head.

“Well, fiddlesticks on that. You know what I mean. I’ll just say I told you so.” She places the plates on the table in front of us.

“Thank you,” Cadence and I say in unison.

“You two are just alike, I swear.” She takes her seat across from me. “Did you just come from seeing her?”

“What makes you think that?” I take a bite out of my sandwich.

“Well, for one, there’s lipstick on your cheek. And for two, you look very, sad.” She sips her coffee.

I wipe my cheek with a napkin and sure enough—red lipstick. “I did just leave her house, yes.”

“Then explain to me my second point.”

“I don’t know, Mom. It’s complicated.”

“Love always is.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself. I don’t—” I can’t even finish the sentence before she’s cutting me off.

“Don’t you lie to me.”

I glance down at Cadence, who isn’t paying us any mind at all. She’s enthralled in her picture and her bacon.

“She’s married.”

“Grayson Aldrich. Tell me you’re not doing what I think you’re doing,” she scolds.

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