Page 123 of Our Long Days
She cradles the yellow ball of fuzz to her chest,cooingandawwingwhile sitting cross-legged in front of the unlit fireplace.
“Your brothers are going to love you,” she says and nuzzles her face into the downy feathers. “Don’t be scared if they faint. That’s their thing.”
“Maybe we wait until it’s bigger to introduce the goats.”
Angry, watery eyes shoot daggers in my direction. “It?”
“We don’t know the gender yet. Cassandra said it could be a while until we do.” I bend down from my spot on the sofa, running my knuckle over the duckling’s head.
Because yes, we are now the proud parents of a duckling. This one is the last in a brood rescued after they were found wandering along the highway, their mother presumed dead. Florence took one look at the bird and wept. Thank fuck she didn’t see the llamas first.
“They need a name. What are you thinking?”
Her lips corkscrew, thinking before smiling. “Duck Norris.”
The duck tweets in approval, and my deep laugh fills the room, triggering her sweet laughter. “Fucking A. Butt Head, Vincent van Goat, and Duck Norris.”
Florence rests her head on my knee, sighing happily. “So that’s the homestead ticked off our list…”
I crack my neck, easing the building tension of what’s next.
Arrange followup appointment with ENT.
“I can leave the room while you make the call.” She goes to stand, but I push gently on her shoulder.
“No, that’s not it.” I train my gaze on the charred logs sitting in the fireplace. “I want you to come with me.”
Her eyes bore holes into me. “You’re sure? I don’t mind waiting outside.”
“This is our future, Florence.” I twist toward her. She watches me closely, never pressuring, always patient. “Whatever the outcome at this appointment or the next impacts our future. It’s not just mine anymore. I’ll admit, I’d rather stick my head in the sand, but I’m trying. I want to discuss other options. I want to learn to live with my disability rather than pretend it doesn’t exist.”
I slide to the floor, maneuvering her until she sits sideways on my lap, the duckling snuggling between our bodies.
“You’re it for me.” I angle her face until her peach-colored lips are a whisper away. “I’ve spent so much time going at this alone. It doesn’t excuse how I went about things, but it was never because you’re broken, baby. You’re the one who made me whole.”
She covers my hand with hers. Those sparkling green eyes dance over my face, the cool metal of her ring pressing into my skin. “This past week… Dex, I was positive you’d go running for the hills after I found the resumes and had a full blown meltdown. This isn’t what you signed up for. I’m sorry for?—”
I press my thumb to her lips, silencing her apology. “What are you sorry for, Florence? Sorry for being human? It’s okay tomake mistakes. To cry, to shout, to get angry. It’s okay to feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, but only if you let me carry the load with you. Life is chaotic, but that’s exactly what I fell in love with. Your beautiful chaos. It belongs in my life.
“Yes, I’ve missed you in my bed and kissing you whenever I want. I’d already spent months doing that, but I understand the importance of space and time to recuperate.” I replace my thumb with my lips in not quite a kiss. “If this is what you need, I’ll give it to you. Nothing will ever scare me off, not even your knack for butchering common sayings.”
Her laughter is bright. It tastes sweet, strumming through my veins, and when it tinkles in my ears, I don’t fear it, not anymore.
She breaks the kiss, voice breathy. “And the list?”
“I couldn’t let you leave the one you wrote with your dad incomplete, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make our own.”
“Ours,” she echoes wistfully, settling into my chest. “I like that.”
We stay like that for hours. Order pizza. Play Scrabble. Make out like teenagers.
Walking her back to the A-frame that night doesn’t get easier, but patience is a virtue.
I’d wait a lifetime for Florence. Soon, I’m hoping she’ll see what a lifetime together will look like.
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
florence
