Page 99 of Chasing Dreams
“You know what I mean. You’ve fallen for this guy. Now it’s over? Just like that?”
“I don’t have a whole lot of choices, Maya. I went to him for help. He warned me from the beginning that he’d…”
“He’d what?”
That he’d enjoy our relationship for a time. “That if I wanted a commitment, he wasn’t the man. He never pretended anything more than what this was. An interlude. I accepted the conditions.”
“I can’t believe this is you talking.”
“Why not?”
“You’re not an interlude kind of person, Shaine. We both know that. When you love somebody, you love them forever.”
Her words brought the sting of tears to Shaine’s eyes, but she blinked them away quickly and stood. “I have a lot of laundry to catch up on.” She emptied her suitcase into a basket and carried the basket to the appliances in her kitchen. She twisted a knob and scooped in detergent.
These unfolding events all boiled down to the fact that she’d gained one person she loved, but was losing another.
“I didn’t mean to make it worse,” Maya said from behind her.
“You didn’t,” she replied, shoving clothes in the washer. “You couldn’t possibly.”
“Well, I won’t bring it up again unless you want to talk about it.”
“Deal.” Shaine turned around.
“I’m so happy for you that you found Jack. What am I saying? I’m so happy for him!”
Shaine stepped into her impulsive hug. “Thanks.”
“What have we here?” Craig came through the door, followed by Austin.
“Where’d you guys go?” Maya asked.
“We thought we needed to celebrate,” her husband replied, and held up two bottles of champagne.
“I can’t drink that,” Maya said with a pout.
“Sure you can,” he replied. “I thought of that.” He displayed the label on one of the bottles specifying nonalcoholic.
“Not near as much fun, but that’s okay,” she said, and turned to Shaine. “Glasses?”
Shaine rinsed stemmed glasses that hadn’t been used since she could remember, and they toasted the arrival of their boys.
The Pruitts left shortly after, and Shaine checked on Jack.
Austin entered the tiny bedroom behind her. She sat gingerly on the bed’s edge and stroked her nephew’s hair back from his forehead.
At her hesitant touches and cautious manner, Austin realized that Jack’s return still hadn’t struck her as reality yet. He wished he could see her with him in the coming days and weeks. He wished their worlds weren’t so very different and far apart. He wished he could be certain he had the capability to let someone into his life without seeing when they’d be taken away from him.
“He needs new toys,” she said softly. “Maybe you could help me pick out little-boy things.”
There was no way to say it except to say it. “I’ll be leaving in the morning, Shaine.”
She drew the hand caressing Jack’s hair to her lap. Slowly she stood and stepped past Austin. Once he followed her, she closed the door gently. “Do you need something washed for tomorrow?”
She headed for the kitchen.
He came up behind her and caught her arm.
