Page 71 of Mayhem
“Where to, Maly?”
“Washington Park.”
Erin hadn’t wanted them to go to the same park since she wanted the dates to be different and tailored. Washington Park was also large and open and would be perfect for what she had planned. Soft music filtered from the radio as they drove, and she looked out the window at the passing scenery. She didn’t think she’d been to this part of town yet. None of it looked familiar, but she made a mental note to check out several shops they passed.
When they pulled into the crowded parking area, finding an open space took them a minute. She wasn’t surprised. The weather was nice, and she hadn’t expected anything else for a Saturday afternoon.
Erin grabbed her backpack and blanket from the backseat after getting out. Cruz took her hand, and Erin led him to the park. Even as packed as the parking area was with cars, theexpansive park made it seem like hardly any people were there when that wasn’t the case. It would give them plenty of room to do the first thing on her agenda.
She found a spot close to one of the ponds. The closest people to them were several yards away. She grabbed one end of the blanket, handing the other side to Cruz, and they spread it out. She sat down, and he sat beside her as she placed the backpack between them. Erin opened it, pulled out everything inside, and put the bag on the other side of her.
“We’re flying kites,” Cruz observed.
She nodded. “Yes. We have to put them together first, but it should only take a few minutes.”
In planning both dates, she knew she wanted to take advantage of the nice weather. She hadn’t flown kites since she was a kid, but she thought it would be nostalgic to do so. They put their kites together, Cruz helping her with the nose of hers since it was a tight fit. They were ready to let the kites fly once they’d tied the strings on.
She’d opted for two easy-fly kites that they could essentially toss into the air, and the wind would catch them. She hadn’t known how much space they would have, even with as large as the park was, and didn’t want them having to run all over the place for the kites to take off.
It took a few tries, but the kites soon caught on the wind, and Erin spooled some of her string out to allow it to go higher. She was backing up, walking around their chosen area, when she bumped into Cruz. He wrapped his free arm around her waist as their kites flew side by side.
“I haven’t done this since childhood,” Cruz informed her.
“Me too. I was twelve the last time I did this. My dad was home on leave, and the whole family went to the park. We flew kites, had a picnic, and did paint by number paintings.”
“You sound sad about it.”
“Six months later, my sister made plans to relive that day with me. Our dad wasn’t going to make it home for New Year. He’d already missed Christmas, and our mother had to work that day. I was bummed about it.” She paused for a moment. “Rhyin died the day before we were supposed to go, and I steered clear of those things for a long time.”
Erin wasn’t sure why; to some, it would sound unreasonable, but she’d steered clear of doing everything they’d done that day. It brought up so many sad memories for her. However, she knew that a part of healing was facing fears and looking at things that caused you certain emotions head-on. So, she’d decided to put her best foot forward and engage in some of those activities with her men to change those memories.
Cruz kissed the back of her neck. “I think she’d be proud to see you’re facing those emotions.”
Erin leaned back against him, grateful he hadn’t apologized for her loss. While she knew people were offering their sympathy, and many genuinely meant it, the apology never made it sting less. It never took the hurt away.
Silence sat between them for several long minutes, and Erin knew she needed to get the mood back to where it needed to be. She hadn’t meant to tell him that, but it was a testament to how comfortable she felt around him in their relationship. She didn’t talk about her sister to others often. She didn’t hide Rhyin, but she’d give vague answers or change the subject when asked. Few people knew the pain she felt that stemmed from losing her sister and her mother, and she had given him a glimpse unprovoked.
“How’s the software coming along?” she asked, wanting to return the tone to where it was before. It wasn’t that she thought the date’s mood had shifted, but she knew hers had and didn’t need that while spending time with him.
“We’ve finalized it, and a software update for all affected systems will be rolling out soon.”
“It’s for the business systems, right?”
“Yes. The first of two planned to release this year.” Cruz released her waist, attempting to grab the kite’s string and maneuver it away before it crashed into hers. He hadn’t been fast enough, and they fell to the ground.
They picked up their kites, getting them flying again, and this time, they staked the handles into the grass to let them free fly. Cruz pulled her to sit between his legs on the blanket, and Erin took one of his hands, flipping it over and using her free hand to trace her middle finger over his and his palm.
“I’ve discovered that I have this weird obsession with your hands,” Erin informed him absentmindedly.
“It’s because you know what I can do with them,” he responded, and she smiled while shaking her head. “Tell me how the shop preparation is going.”
“Really well. I’ve got appointments to meet with sign makers, and I hope to place an ad for artists.”
For the next several minutes, Erin told him her plan for opening and how she wanted to have an event to display her work in person. That way, those interested could see her portfolio and how her work would stand out on their skin.
“If all goes according to plan, I hope to open mid-July.”
Cruz hummed. “Are you busy tomorrow?”
