Page 63 of Drifting Hearts
When the familiar sight of the town I’d only recently learned to call home came into view, I found myself smiling as the once foreign sights flashed by. Bennett’s diner. The Anchor. My physical therapist’s office. And a ton of places I had yet to discover. Even more memories waiting for me to make.
Kieran drove me past the recreation center to show me where I’d be working. From the outside, it was an unremarkable building. A single story constructed with white brick and wood. A playground sat at one end of the building and a parking lot at the other.
“It’s not much,” Kieran started to say, but I cut him off.
“It’s perfect.” I wanted to get inside and see the spaces I’d be working in. It didn’t matter to me that I’d be sweeping pencil shavings off the floor and stacking paper, or transporting art supplies to and from closets. I couldn’t wait to get in there and see if it was anything like the place that I’d gone as a teenager.
“We can go inside if you want,” Kieran said, slowing and flicking his turn signal on.
“Not today. I wouldn’t want to leave, and that might be awkward if they’re not ready for me.”
“Fair enough.” He flicked his turn signal off and kept going. “Did you know Mom invited us for breakfast tomorrow?”
“Yeah. Michael has been talking non-stop about how he wants to show me his progress.”
“She says all he’s done is draw, but he won’t use the sketchbook you gave him, so she went out and bought him other ones.”
“Ah, the curse of a new sketchbook. I almost didn’t want to use the one you gave me.”
Kieran looked at me, his eyebrow pinched in confusion. “Why not?”
“Because it’s gorgeous and perfect. When you have a sketchbook and it’s blank, all you can think about are all the things you want to draw in it. All the possibilities. But with every page you use, that’s like one less page you have, one less opportunity to create the most perfect drawing.”
“What made you use it, then?”
“Thinking of how excited you looked to give it to me. Michael will get over his block. He might have also been afraid that it would be the last one he’d get so he might have been wanting to save it. I wish I had money. I’d take him to the dollar stores and show him what’s good. Not all the stuff there is shit, you know. You just have to know what to look for.”
“I know I was funny about the whole money thing when we met.” Kieran looked ashamed and I squeezed his hand in support.
“It’s fine. You had every reason to look out for your family. I don’t have the best past. I’m aware of the trust I have to build.”
“I want you to know I don’t see you like that anymore. And I want you to be comfortable asking me for things. Even money. Especially money. I’d rather you come to me if you need something than to try and get it yourself some other way.” Kieran cut his gaze to me. “Promise me?”
It took every shred of willpower I could muster to make myself nod. “I promise.”
“Good. I know it’s hard, but it’s important to me. Now, if you’d like to take Michael to go shopping, I’d love for it to be my treat. Or I can sponsor Michael. We’ll get him some art supplies and enroll him in any of the age-appropriate programs that he wants to take.”
“You’d do that?”
Kieran smiled at me like it was no big deal. And for him, it probably wasn’t. A handful of money. A happy kid. A delighted boyfriend. It was easy for him to give because he had more than he needed and he knew what it was like to not have things you wanted, let alone needed.
“Of course.”
“Can we tell him tomorrow?”
“I think that’s a great idea.”
Kieran pulled into his driveway and I stared at the little blue house that waited for us. He turned off the engine and passed me the keys. “It’s the silver one. If you’ll open the door, I’ll get the bags.”
“I can help.”
Kieran rolled his eyes at me. “I know you can help, but I want you to get the door and I’ll carry the bags. By the time the next road trip comes around, you’ll be more healed and I’ll let you carry as many bags as you want, okay?”
“Ugh. Fine.” I climbed out of the car and went up to the side door. I unlocked it and then slid the keys into my pocket. I waited for Kieran’s approach before I stepped into the house, pulling the door open wide. He carried the bags inside and set them on the floor before pushing the door closed and toeing out of his shoes.
“God, it feels good to take those off,” Kieran said. “Are you hungry?”
“I could eat.”
