Page 80 of A Me and You Thing
“Shall we stop in at your parents’ home too?”
“They’ll be at the house tomorrow,” Sawyer tells me. “You can see them then.”
“Okay.” I’m anxious to see my daughters again, and I’m ready to be in my home, so I’m content to see Claire and Walter tomorrow. I don’t think I can handle more today anyway. I guess I’m not as fine as I keep insisting.
We pull up in front of our home and I feel peace wash over me at the sight. “I love the white picket fence. I love that you did that for me. Our American dream is complete.”
His gaze is troubled. “Yes. Yes, it is.”
“Sawyer... please be happy. I am.”
“Make no mistake, Quinn, I am the happiest man on earth right now.”
“You are?” He seems so... anxious and tentative. But then, there are no hard and fast rules on how to behave when your wife returns from the dead. Of course, he’s acting strange. He’s still in shock.
“Oh yeah,” he says, taking my hand in his. “I get a second chance with the love of my life. That doesn’t happen very often.”
“Am I the love of your life?”
“Yes, no one can replace you. It’s just not possible.”
His eyebrows knit, the line between them a deep crevice. I hate that he’s so subdued. I can’t begin to imagine what he’s been through. He might be happy, but he’s clearly shell-shocked. I reach out and smooth the spot between his brows. My hand wanders down his face and he turns his lips into my palm, kissing it several times.
“I love you,” he whispers.
Happiness surges through me, making me feel like I could run a marathon and win. I glance back at our home. Bree is standing at the front door, ready to greet us. Her eyes are wide, and she looks unsure.
I sort of feel like a freak of nature. A curiosity. A peculiarity. I’m not supposed to be here. And it’s making everyone around me act weird. I feel like everyone thinks I’m going to sayjust kiddingas I fall down dead at any given second. Oroops, my time is up. I have to go back now.
“You’re home,” Bree says as Sawyer escorts me inside, holding my arm as I walk. “You’re actually home.”
“I’m home,” I say, looking around at the familiar sights. “Where are the girls?”
“In the living room,” she says, but her eyes are on Sawyer, not me. When her eyes return to me, her expression is a bit... hard.
But then she smiles, and I think I imagined it. She hugs me and says, “I’ve missed you like crazy, Quinn.”
While she’s hugging me, she says, “Sawyer.”
“Bree,” he says.
I detect a bit of tension between them. She’s been taking care of my babies. I’m sure she’s wondering where her place is now that I’m back. The change will be hard on the girls, something I’m well aware of. Doesn’t she realize I still need her to help me through the transition?
Actually, I need her, period. I feel so strange.
Josie and Jordyn are sitting in the living room, cuddled up on the couch with their favorite blankets. They’re glued to the TV. They look happy and relaxed. Secure. I’m eternally grateful to Bree. She’s been a mother to my daughters. That means the world to me.
I sit down in between them. “Hi, girls.”
They switch positions, and to my surprise lay their little heads in my lap. Distracted as they are, I think they don’t realize I’m not Bree. I don’t care, I’ll take it.
My hands shake as I rest one on each tiny head. I let my fingers sift through their soft hair. They’re so beautiful, I can hardly breathe. I look up and see Sawyer and Bree standing shoulder to shoulder, watching us.
Sawyer has a soft smile on his face, but Bree looks a little upset. I hate that I feel as though I’m intruding on her space.
They all thought I was in heaven, but I’ve never been there until right now.
Sawyer sits on the couch with us, and Bree sits on the recliner. I want Sawyer to cuddle up with us, but he doesn’t. He sits on the other side of Josie, his hands in his lap. I reach out and he responds, clasping my hand with his. That merits another shared smile.
