“Almost,” I said, offering her my extended hand. Giselle took it, and even after the weeks that we had been dating, her touch was still electric. “I can smell things are getting close to being done. We can go get you an Ensure and have you drink that before getting in line.”
The smile she shot me could have abolished a level-five hurricane. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
“I’d like that too.”
TWENTY
GISELLE
A Leap of Faith
God, I was full.
So, so,sofull.
“Dad, I wanna take a nap,” Benny said, head dipping. Veronica was already out for the count, her head resting on Ben’s broad chest. I knew exactly how warm he was, so she had to be incredibly cozy now that the air had turned colder as the sun began to set.
Unsurprisingly, the food had been utterly delicious. I’d had quiche, some sort of silken tofu dish, musubi—not of the spam variety, unfortunately—hot dogs, brats, cheeseburgers, schnitzel, and little bites from Ben’s plate when he wanted me to try something. I learned that Ireallyliked vermicelli rice noodles as well as samosas—specifically the vegetarian kind. I was stuffed to the gills in the best way and just soaking up my contentment.
“It’s getting late, buddy. Do you want to head home with Natalie and sleep in the car on your way back?”
“Yes, let us go home,” Natalie said, putting down the bowl she’d brought for herself and standing. She’d been eating some sort of boiled vegetable dish that she’d explained was made from amaranth, bitter greens, chard, and other leafy veggies I didn’t recognize. I’d never seen someone so thrilled about chowing down on hot leaves.
Yeah, horse shifters liked foliage. Who knew.
“Ready to dip already?” Ben chuckled, gently patting Veronica’s back. He looked so incredibly relaxed, so unencumbered by everything that tended to haunt him. For a brief moment, I had a snapshot of what it could be like in the future if things kept going well: Ben being a dad to his growing children, and Natalie as their loving but somewhat introverted aunt.
Was there room for me in there?
I hoped so. God, did I hope so.
I’d never really thought I’d have children of my own, since I interacted with twenty of them five days out of the week, but the idea of waking up each morning to Benny and Veronica, seeing them grow up and go through all the different stages of life, was actually quite a welcome one.
“I have greeted the people I like and avoided people I don’t. And I have eaten all the food I want.” Ben and I both gave her a look. “Most of the food that I want. It is best I go while my record is so pristine.”
“That’s my Natalie,” Ben said with a chuckle, shaking his head, and the tiniest sliver of jealousy rose up in me.
Girl. This is not the time.
Ben and Natalie had a very special bond that I would never have, and honestly, I didn’t want to. It was a completely unromantic connection born out of losing everyone they loved. That was a pain that I would always empathize with, alwayssupport both of them through, but I never wanted to experience on my own.
“I am no one’s,” Natalie said firmly.
I thought Ben was going to apologize, but then Veronica lifted her sleepy head and made a vague gesture with one of her pudgy arms.
“Nawewe…”
“Correction. I am Veronica’s.”
That was too cute to be real, but I felt that same teary sort of happiness rise up within me just like it had at my house with my own family.
“Fair enough,” Ben said with a laugh before Benny was also up and walking beside Natalie as she went to extricate his sister from his father’s hold.
“But I, like, have partial custody of you, right?” the first grader asked, and for being so cheeky, there was an air of uncertainty in his voice.
If it were me in the situation, I would have crumbled immediately and pulled him into a hug. But Natalie was Natalie; she and the kids had their own love language.
“You are too young to know of partial custody,” she said, ruffling his hair. “Have you been watching Divorce Court again?”
