She nodded and motioned him in. “One of my favorite clients emailed me, and it’s stupid. There’s no reason for me to be this emotional. But there you go.” She took the mug he offered and curled her hands around the warmth. He set his own down on her desk and crouched beside her chair, brushing a curl behind her ear.
“I’m proud of you,” he said softly. “You’ve been through hell, and you’re still showing up. That’s kind of amazing. If I had to go through what you did, I’d probably be a huge mess, in a corner, hiding from the world.”
She ducked her head, cheeks pink. “Well... that was kind of what I’d been doing until now.”
“That’s alright,” he said, kissing her temple. “Even brave girls get scared. Taking some time to deal with everything doesn’t make them any less brave.”
There was a moment of silence, warm and grounding, as they sipped tea together. Then Roland set his mug aside and plucked Banana off her lap, holding the stuffie up like he was about to perform surgery.
“Banana, I need to borrow your seat for a moment. I promise I’ll return it with great care.”
Sydney laughed, and before she could protest, Roland had lifted her gently from her chair and settled her onto his lap on one of the large couches, wrapping his arms around her waist. Her head found his shoulder instinctively.
“I really missed this,” she murmured.
He stroked her thigh slowly, comfortingly. “Missed what, sweetheart?”
“This. Feeling safe. Like there’s room for me to be… all the versions of me. The business me, the scared me, the Little me.”
“I can’t tell you how glad it makes me that we’re able to give you that, little bird,” he whispered. “Because you, giving us you, it’s everything, baby.”
That made her heart squeeze. She turned her face toward his neck and kissed the soft skin there, then let her lips linger. Roland hummed.
“You keep doing that and we’re going to have to put your laptop in time-out,” he teased.
“I wouldn’t mind,” she whispered, smiling.
But just then, the front door opened and closed, followed by the familiar heavy bootsteps of Levi coming in. Sydney perked up as Roland chuckled and shouted, “We’re in here, Levi!”
The man in question appeared in the doorway a moment later, looking windblown and deliciously rumpled in his flannel jacket. He took one look at the two of them and arched an eyebrow.
“Well, well,” he drawled. “Did I miss something?”
“Not yet,” Sydney chirped.
Roland gave her a squeeze and helped her to her feet. She padded toward Levi and wrapped her arms around his middle, inhaling his woodsy scent. “Hi, Daddy.”
“Well, hello there, little miss,” he said, resting his chin on her head. “How did your work go?”
“It’s a slow start, but I’m settling in okay. Lost a few clients, but I’m not worried,” she responded, beaming at him.
“You’re amazing,” Levi said, pulling back enough to kiss her. “You feeling up for a treat, then? I was thinking of grilling tonight.”
“Ooh,” she said, eyes lighting up. “That sounds good, if a bit cold.”
Levi laughed, then watched her for a moment before he reached up to cradle her cheek. “You look lighter.”
“I feel lighter,” she admitted. Then, with a flicker of nervousness, added, “Actually, I was wondering if maybe… we could go into town sometime? Porter’s Corner, I mean. Just for lunch or something. Not right away, but… I mean, except for being born here, I’ve never been to the US, and all I’ve seen of it is the airport and the Ranch.”
Levi glanced at Roland, who gave a subtle nod. Then he looked back at her. “I think that’s a good idea.”
Sydney blinked. “Really? I mean, I know with Greg... It’s probably not safe, but I really would like to just get out a bit, you know?”
“We’ll take precautions,” Levi said. “I don’t want you worried about anything. But you taking your life back? Taking up space in the world again? That’s exactly what I want for you.”
“We could go during a quiet time,” Roland added. “Weekday morning, maybe. Fewer people. Just a short outing. Lunch and a walk, maybe peek in the bookstore.”
Sydney’s heart fluttered with hope. “That sounds perfect.”
