Page 79 of Pitcher Us
At this point if you haven’t told her how you feel I don’t know if you deserve her.
You’re right, I probably don’t.
Lucie
Well yeah, but what does that mean? Like you don’t deserve her because you’ve done nothing, or you don’t deserve her because you have done something?
Reagan
Luce, I think you’re too invested in this.
Lucie
I’m a first grade teacher. I’ve seen my students be more upfront about their emotions than our twenty-eight-year-old brother.
Will has left the group chat.
“Hey, Will!” Miles yells at me from down the hall.
“Hey, bud. What’s up?” I ask as he races to me.
“I’m looking for Callie. Have you seen her?”
Me and you both.
I kneel in front of him. “Well, you’ve found the perfect person to help you look. Let me help, I’m sure we’ll find her.”
Walking back to the front, I shoot Callie a quick text asking where she is, but I don’t want to spoil the fun for Miles. I’m pretty sure he’s now turned this into a scavenger hunt, and Callie’s the treasure.
“Maybe she’s in here,” Miles says as he tries to open a locked janitor's closet. I chuckle as he shrugs when the door won’t open and we’re off to the next door. “Did you know that I’m going to marry Callie one day?”
“Oh, really?” Damn, little man’s coming after my girl. “Isn’t she a little old for you, bud?”
Miles rolls his eyes. “That’s what my dad said, but that’s silly because I’ll grow up one day and then I’ll marry Callie.”
“What if she married someone else by then?” The question kind of tumbles out of me before realizing it might crush this kid's dream.
At the beginning of all of this between us, I told Callie I wasn’t sure where things would go, and I guess part of that is still true. I don’t know what will happen, neither of us do, but it’s getting harder and harder to picture my life without her in it.
Miles hums while he thinks about my question. “I don’t think she will because she always says that I’m the best helper. That means she likes me too.”
“That makes sense.” I laugh. Even though Miles is staking his claim on my girl, I’m not about to ruin his first crush by telling him I might marry her first.
“Hey, you two. Were you looking for me?” Callie says, walking up to us.
Miles practically jumps toward her. “Yes! I wanted to talk to you before you left.”
Callie flashes me a smile before going back to Miles. “Well, you found me. What do you want to talk about?”
Miles starts with the first thought that pops in his head. I’d cut in with what he told me earlier but that might mess up hisgame. Don’t want the guy to seem too eager and fuck up his chances.
For now.
I stand by watching them intently. I love how into the conversation she is. It doesn’t matter that he’s five, Callie’s giving him just as much attention as everyone else. And she looks so happy to be talking to him. I hadn’t ever really thought about kids before. But here I am, picturing all sorts of ways my life could turn out.
Kids with Callie. No kids with Callie. Making a home in Boston. Moving to another state. The traveling. The experiences. All of the options.
After a few minutes Dex yells to Miles that it’s time to go back to the hotel. He protests for a second, but Callie kneels and gives him a goodbye hug and the kid’s back on cloud nine again.
