Page 26 of The Lake House

“Hmm?” I say, but my attention is on my daughter. I take in the sight of Lily doing a spin on stage with all her little friends. She’s laughing as she sings, having the time of her life, and it just melts my heart.

“Giuliana is single.”

I almost think I don’t hear him correctly. His words catch me off guard and I turn to face him as soon as they register in my brain. “What?”

Rog chuckles again. “Yeah, you heard me all right. I said Giuliana is single. She’s no longer married.”

I think for a few moments before saying, “How’s that possible?”

Immediately, I realize this is an idiotic thing to say. It’s possible. Marriage is not the end game for lots of people in this day and age. But what I meant was, how is she no longer married? She’s always been with Todd.

“It’s possible. People get divorced every day.”

I shake my head. I know what I said, but I can’t believe he took my words in such a literal sense. “I know they do… I just meant that I thought she was happy.”

Roger shrugs. “Maybe she was, and he wasn’t… or maybe she wasn’t and she just didn’t tell anyone about it, so people wouldn’t be in her business. You know how it is. Small towns gossip. A lot. Everybody is in everybody’s business.”

“Yeah.”

He shakes his head. “Whatever, that doesn’t matter. The important thing is that she’s now single, and you should totally talk to her.”

His words baffle me, like he just asked me to do the unthinkable and jump off the George Washington Bridge or something. “Talk to her? Talk to her and say what?”

He facepalms himself, which causes Rachel to turn her head and look at him. She whispers something in his ear and he says, “Yeah, I’m okay.” Then, once she turns back around to watch Lily, he faces me once more. “Ask her how she’s been or what she’s been up to all this time - even if you kind of already know. Let her know she’s got a friend in you if she needs someone to talk to.”

I’m about to protest once more, letting him know she’s got Olivia who she can talk to, but before I do, I see Lily following her classmates and going to stand around the podium. Their little faces light up as they hold hands and start singing another song. They are all so cute.

Bringing my attention back to Rog, I begin saying, “You’re absolutely cra—” but instantly, I freeze. From the corner of my eye, I see someone waving at me. I turn my head slightly to the right and see Ms. Nicki trying to get my attention. And that’s when I realize my best friend is absolutely right. Roger is completely right. I should totally go for it with Giuliana.

I mean, honestly, what am I supposed to do? Ask out these women whom I really have no desire to? Is that fair to them? Fair to me? Do I want to be single for the rest of my life? No way. I want someone to love, and who will love me. I want, if possible, to find a mother figure for Lily. Not because she doesn’t have enough women role models around, because she does and they are the best I could ask for. But Lily deserves a mom who will love her and be there for her, so she never feels like she missed out growing up.

I want someone, but I don’t want to settle for just anyone. I feel nothing when I think of the women who’ve shown interest in me. I don’t feel what I feel for Giuliana. That woman does something completely different to me. I want to spend time with her. I want to get to know her these days. I don’t want to waste my time with these women. Nothing against them. They’re beautiful and I’m sure any man would be lucky to have them, or even just be in my shoes right now, with their eyes glued to me.

They’re just not the ones I want.

There’s only one woman I want.

And that’s Giuliana Harris… or, as I used to know her, Giuliana Bianchi. If she’s divorced like Rog just told me, did she legally change her name back to her maiden name?

Whatever. It doesn’t matter. To me, she’ll always be Giuliana Bianchi.

I suck in a breath just as I’m about to speak again, but Rog cuts in first. “I’m absolutely crazy, am I?”

I shake my head. “Yeah, you’re absolutely crazy if you think I’m not going to take this chance and ask out Giuliana.”

Roger smiles from ear-to-ear. “That’s my boy.”

* * *

Two days later, I find myself making my way down the street, heading toward Abner’s Convenience Store. Is it wrong of me to go to her place of employment to ask her out? Maybe I should wait until she’s off work. Maybe I shouldn’t put her on the spot in front of Mr. and Mrs. Abner or other customers.

I put both hands in the front pockets of my jeans and lean against a pole, thinking over what it is I should do right now. I don’t know how to go about this. Usually when I go on a date with women, I never feel like this about them.

But this is my one shot with Giuliana and if she’s even thinking of dating, I don’t want to mess my chance up because I was an idiot.

Maybe she’s not even looking to date right now. Maybe she hasn’t been divorced that long. Maybe she’s not ready.

Or maybe I’m just stalling because I’m a nervous wreck right about now.

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