Page 22 of This Heart
“Smells good,” I said with a smile. Glancing around, I asked, “Where is Winnie?”
He motioned toward the family room. “Crashed on the sofa. We went to the park, and she rode her little tricycle, but she was exhausted. I put on a movie, and she was out in five minutes. She didn’t nap this morning, but I can’t let her sleep too long or she’ll be up late.”
I smiled and followed him into the kitchen.
“How have you been?” he asked, taking the pie out and putting it into the fridge. “I know we just saw one another.”
“Good. The bookstore has been busy, so that’s a plus.”
He smiled. “That is good.”
We stood there for a moment, unsure of what to say next. It didn’t take long for Liam to speak.
“Aurora, I just want to apologize for what I said to you the last time you were here. I wasn’t myself with…the grief, guilt, and the confusion, and… Hope wasn’t herself at the end either, and I was just…scared. I was scared and didn’t mean anything I said.”
I swallowed and looked down at the floor as memories of that day reappeared. I looked up and met his blue eyes. His dark hair was trimmed short on the sides and top, and I could see a few streaks of gray appearing. Liam wasn’t old by any means, thirty-four. But I’m sure the stress of the last year and a half had put most of that color in his hair.
“I can’t begin to understand how you’re feeling, Liam. But I need you to know that I never, not one single time, ever thought of taking anyone’s place. I miss Hope more than you could ever know, and it killed me to watch her get sicker alongside you. If I ever gave you or Hope any indication I wanted something for you—”
He held up his hand. “No! You didn’t, Aurora. I swear you didn’t. That whole thing was between me and Hope. It had…”
Pausing, he looked down, then said, “It was an issue between her and me, and you got caught in the middle.”
“So you believe me when I said I never had any feelings for you other than friendship?”
He nodded and looked away for a moment before focusing back on me. “I’m sorry, I will never treat you like that again. I’ve…I’ve missed your friendship.”
“I’ve missed yours as well. And Winnie.”
A smile broke out on his face. “She asks about you all the time.”
I returned his smile.
“Speaking of, let me make some noise so she wakes up. If I wake her up, she’ll become a little monster.”
Before he had the chance, Winnie called out for him.
He motioned for me to go first. “She’ll love seeing you.”
I headed out of the kitchen, and the moment Winnie spied me from her sitting position on the sofa, she cried and ran toward me. I dropped and caught her right in time as she launched at me.
“Hello there, little angel,” I said, kissing her. “Look at how big you’ve gotten just in a couple of days!”
Winnie grinned and stood up tall. “I’m a big girl!”
“You are!” I said, pulling her in for a hug.
“C’mon, see my new toys!” Winnie said, pulling me up and trying her best to drag me toward the steps. “In my woom!”
Turning to Liam, he smiled and nodded. “I’ll be down here if you need anything. I’m sure she wants to spend some time with you.”
Winnie and I headed up to her room and played for the next forty minutes. We played house, we played cats and dogs, and then she settled down with a book for me to read to her. She must have dragged every toy out of her box to show me, like she hadn’t seen me in years. After we read her story, we cleaned up her room. I glanced up to see Liam standing in the doorway, smiling.
“She’s missed you.”
I turned to Winnie and said, “I’ve missed her as well.”
“Winnie, I’ve got pot pie for dinner!” Liam said.
