Page 54 of The Summer We Mended
Lily accepted the food with a smile.“Thanks.I didn’t realize how hungry I’ve been.”
They sat on the porch steps, the new boards firm and even.The smell of bacon mingled with the sweet scent of jasmine from the front bushes.
“Funny thing,” Tom said between bites.“You spend so long trying not to feel the pain, you forget what it’s like to feel anything else.”
Lily nodded.“It’s like I was waiting for someone to tell me it was okay to move again.”
He looked at her with kind eyes beneath thick brows.“You don’t need permission, Lily.You just need momentum.”
She stared out across the lawn.“I think I’m starting to believe that.”
A breeze stirred the wind chimes David had hung years ago.The notes danced through the air, high and tinkling.She closed her eyes and let them wash over her.
“Why do you keep showing up?”
Tom tapped the rim of his glass.“Because I know what it’s like to lose someone and feel like the whole world stopped spinning.And because I saw you looking at that step like it held the answers.”
She laughed, the sound surprising them both.“It kind of did.”
It felt nice to be seen by someone, someone who understood and had been through the loss the same as her.Tom got it and knew how to broach it without making her feel like she was messing everything up.She needed that gentle grace right now more than she had ever realized.
Lily heard a noise behind her, and her head turned just in time to see the screen door crack open just an inch.Two small faces peeked through the gap: one with a mop of dark curls and wide, inquisitive eyes, and the other with a sandy ponytail and a look of contained excitement barely held at bay.
She giggled to herself, trying to keep the smile off her face as she looked back at them.The twins leaned into the opening with identical expressions of awe as they spotted Max in the yard.Their eyes lit up.
“Can we come outside and play with the dog?”Nora asked, her voice soft and polite, but brimming with anticipation.
Tom turned to her with a broad smile and called back, “Max wouldlovethe attention.”
That was all they needed.The door flung open wide, and the twins bolted out like small, laughing hurricanes, their feet barely touching the ground.Max’s head popped up in surprise and wagged his tail harder, before he got up and bounded toward them.
Anna followed more slowly behind, stepping out onto the porch with a sheepish look as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.“I’m so sorry,” she said, glancing at Lily first, then Tom.“They’ve been cooped up all day.Too much learning, not enough running around.They’re bursting at the seams.”
Tom chuckled.“I can see that.Don’t worry, Max can keep up.”
“I’m Anna, by the way,” she added, stepping forward and extending her hand toward Tom.“Lily’s daughter.”
“Tom,” he said warmly, shaking it.“Nice to meet you.”
The sound of laughter erupted across the lawn as Max raced in circles around Blaze and Nora.Blaze chased after him, while Nora giggled and dropped to her knees, trying to lure the dog in with a gentle whistle and a waggle of the stick Max had abandoned.
Anna watched them for a moment before turning back.“They’re really excited about pottery class tomorrow, Mom.It’s all they’ve been talking about all day.”
Tom raised his eyebrows, turning to Lily with new curiosity.“Pottery studio?”
Lily flushed slightly, as if she’d been caught in the middle of something she hadn’t planned on explaining.“It’s nothing fancy,” she said quickly.“I just have a little setup in town.I do small batch work, mostly for the local market.And… I teach, sometimes.”
“She has a class for kids tomorrow,” Anna added helpfully.“Which these two are very much looking forward to.”
“I’m not remotely prepared,” Lily admitted, glancing down at her bare feet against the warm planks of the porch.“I said yes before I really thought it through.”
Tom grinned.“Can I sign up?”
Lily blinked.“What?”
“I’m serious,” he said, leaning on the railing beside her.“I’ve always wanted to learn how to throw clay.I mean, it looks relaxing… like messy therapy.”
“I’m not sure I’m the right person for that kind of responsibility,” she said with a crooked smile, still trying to wrap her head around the idea of him sitting at a wheel, covered in clay.
