Page 100 of This Life and All the Rest
“Okay,” I whisper.
He nods his head toward the grill.
“Make sure you eat something, okay?” He smiles playfully. “We don’t want leftovers.”
I watch him walk away until he disappears into the building, and I swear, every mom here had their eyes on him, too. They all see that he’s gorgeous.
A community staple, Casper said.
Damn it. Why can’t he be a little less attractive?
A little while later, Andrea shows up with Evie, Claire, and Eric. Claire and Eric break off before they get to my table, and I’m grateful for that. I smile at Andrea when she plops herself down in my chair with Evie on her lap.
“I think we’d like our faces painted,” Andrea says, then looks to Evelyn. “What do you think, Evie?”
Evelyn claps and giggles, reaching out her chubby little baby fingers for me. I boop her on the nose and she squeals, making me and Andrea both laugh.
“Okay, Drea, what would you like?” I ask, then look up to find her eyes wide with surprise. “What? Is everything okay?”
She nods quickly and smiles.
“Yeah, of course,” she forces out with a laugh. “Sorry. It’s just…you haven’t called me that in a long time.”
My brow furrows as I think it over. I called her Drea. And she’s right. I haven’t said that since...before I left. I don’t know how I feel about that, so I simply nod and change the subject.
“I’m thinking matching hearts,” I say, “for Dad.”
“That sounds wonderful.”
I paint red hearts on Andrea and Evie’s cheeks.
Andrea’s is a little more detailed, with dimension and glitter. Evie couldn’t sit still, so hers is small, glitter-free, and kind of smudged. She giggles the whole time I paint, and I have to dodge her grabby hands more than once.
When they leave my tent to explore the rest of the event, my smile is huge, and my chest feels full.
“Well, that was adorable,” Sam says, and I look up to find her eating a red, white, and blue popsicle shaped like a rocket. “Look at you being allLennon Washington Golden Girl.”
She wiggles her brows at me, and I roll my eyes.
“Where have you been?” I ask, and she waves her popsicle in the air.
“I got sidetracked. You know Macon has a freezer full of these things? I’ve already had three.”
I do know, because I had to count them yesterday.
“You went snooping in the kitchen?”
She winks. “I was looking for some alcohol.” She rolls her eyes and shrugs. “No luck.”
I laugh out loud, and her smile returns, almost masking the concern on her face. She won’t bring it up again, but I know she’s worried about me.
“I think you’ve painted the face of every single kid here,” she says, gesturing to our nonexistent line. “Let’s go grab some food.”
Sam and I walk around, surveying all the activities and making small talk with people we used to know. I keep my eyes in a constant dance, jumping from person to person, scanning for a backwards ballcap and a blue tank top, khaki shorts and an arm covered in tattoos.
I see Macon three times.
Each time, our eyes lock and hold. Each time, my throat gets tight and my fingers itch to reach for him. Each time, someone pulls him away, and I’m left staring at his retreating back.
