Page 47 of A Me and You Thing
Perhaps. I don’t know yet. Time will tell.
“I know you do. If Quinn were here, she’d throw her arms around you and thank you.”
But she’s not here. And you are. And so am I. I’m suddenly tongue tied and can’t say a word.
“Uh, how about we remove a layer or two so the girls can bend their arms?” He chuckles forcefully, as if it’s releasing without his permission.
I kind of want to punch him in the gut. Instead, I give him a friendly push, but then feel horrible when he momentarily loses his balance because he doesn’t expect me to do such a thing. I grab his arm to keep him upright. We’re both laughing a little breathlessly as I maintain my hold on his arm.
All at once, his smile dies as he looks down at my hands on him. His eyes slowly travel back up to mine. He holds my gaze for several moments.
“Let’s get going,” he says, pretending as though nothing is happening between us.
But I know differently. He feels something, but he’s fighting it. I’m sure of it.
Maybe. I think.
He kneels down to peel a layer off the girls and I join him. “No Red Ryder range-model BB guns for you two. You’ll shoot your eyes out.”
My stomach starts to hurt from laughing. Sawyer’s in rare form today.
When we’re done, I have to admit they look more comfortable. They were actually starting to sweat underneath everything. I give them some juice. They both gulp it down quickly.
“Do you want me to push?” Sawyer asks.
“Sure.” I enjoy pushing the stroller as I jog. It’s a little extra work-out all on its own. But I’ll let him have a turn. See, I am becoming more maternal. I’m learning to be a martyr. Isn’t that part of the job description?
Ha! If so, I will fail. Miserably.
We take Sawyer’s ocean-side paved pathway and it’s absolutely incredible. I didn’t know this existed. From here on out, this will be my new route when I take the girls for a jog.
“This is nice. We should do this every evening, Sawyer.” I hold my breath as I await his response.
He doesn’t answer right away. As a matter of fact, it takes him much too long to respond.
“Yeah.”Super long gut-wrenching pause. “I think I’d like that.”
It’s another breakthrough, another pierce in his grief armor. Actually, it feels like a major victory.
When we arrive home, his mother’s car is in the driveway. She has used her house key and is in the kitchen, piling several dishes onto the table.
Sawyer and I stand side by side, inhaling the delicious aroma. We’re both breathing hard, cooling down from our jaunt.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I forgot you were bringing dinner over tonight. Thank you. It looks amazing.”
“Looks as though you’ve been working up an appetite.” Claire Denali looks above the rim of her glasses directly at me. I feel like she knows everything that’s in my heart. She’s always been kind to me, and has expressed how thankful she is that I take such good care of her granddaughters.
However, I don’t know how she would feel about me stealing her son’s heart. That’s another thing altogether.
She needn’t worry. If love is blind, Sawyer is a bat.
She hurries over to the girls, who are still happily sitting in the stroller saying, “Nana!”
“Oh my,” she says. “I don’t think they’re bundled up enough for this chilly evening.”
Sawyer bursts out laughing.
Claire pauses, and looks at him with surprise. I join her. It’s so foreign to hear him laugh, to see him smile, to realize that he’s finally coming back to life. It’s been a slow process.
