He lifts his shoulders and lets them fall. “Everyone does. What actually matters is how you show up after. Are you going to fix it? Will you keep trying? Will you show up for her, for both of you, and refuse to give up?” He tips his head to the side. “That’s what really matters.”
My lips part to argue, but I shut them, swallowing back my words as I slowly nod. “You’re right.”
Annoyingly right.
Liam comes wandering back into the room and straight up to Harrison, who sits back in his seat so Liam can crawl into his lap. Liam looks over at me. “Do you have any snacks?”
I blink, his question rattling my brain. “Uh, yeah. What do you want?”
He hums while he thinks. “Do you have pretzels?”
“I think I might.” I smile, pushing up from my seat to walk over to the pantry. There’s an open bag on the shelf and I grab it, bringing it over to the table. Liam moved from Harrison’s lap to sit on the seat next to him. “Here you go, bud.”
He takes them from me with a thank you as he unclips the top and unravels the back. My mind is still tangled in the conversation as I sit back down next to Harrison.
Harrison grabs a handful of pretzels and pops one into his mouth. “You know, you’re already talking like she’s yours to lose.”
My entire body falls rigid as his words seep into my veins. An ache builds inside my chest, festering beneath my ribcage, wrapping itself around my heart. It’s the same sensation I’ve felt every day since I let her walk away.
The fear and the hope. The way I just want to hear her voice or feel her in my arms again.
My eyes widen, the muscle in my jaw tightening. “Shit,” I whisper.
Harrison cocks his head to the side. “What?”
“Shit,” I breathe out, whispering the word a little louder this time. I swallow. Hard. “I’m in love with her.”
Harrison’s face softens and a slow, tender smile creeps across his face. “There it is. Took you long enough to realize.”
My heart hammers again in my chest. “I love her.”
Liam lifts his head, looking over at me as he scoots closer to Harrison and rests his head on his arm. “Are you talking about a girl?” he asks, not missing a beat.
“Yeah, bud,” I say, letting out a quiet laugh.
He stares at me for a moment. “Is she pretty?”
Harrison chuckles, shaking his head.
“Yeah,” I nod, my voice quiet. “She’s really pretty.”
He’s quiet for a moment, his eyebrows drawn together as he looks past me, like he’s deep in thought. His concentration breaks after a few seconds and he looks at me with a confident stare. “Then tell her.”
Harrison’s face cracks and he breaks out into laughter, the somber expression that’s been on his face for the last few weeks cracking. He moves his arm, wrapping it around Liam to pull him close. “You’re a smart kid, you know that?”
Liam looks up at his father, his lips stretching wide as he beams. He hugs him back before pulling away to head back to the container of toys.
Harrison’s laughter fades as a ghost of a smile dances across his lips. “Damn kids and the things they say.”
Dragging a hand down my face, I shake my head. “Maybe he’s right. Maybe I should tell her.”
“There’s no maybe about it,” he says, his voice losing its teasing edge. It falls quieter, steadier. “Life is short, man. Some people leave even when they promised they wouldn’t.” He turns in his seat, glancing over to the living room where Liam is just inside the doorway. There’s a heaviness that hangs in the air as he turns back to look at me. “If you think you’ve got a shot at something real with her, don’t waste it.”
Something catches in my throat and I swallow hard over it. “I’m afraid.”
“Good,” he says slowly, dipping his chin. “That means that to you, it is something real.”
I sit with his words, a lightness drifting through the room, mixing with the heaviness of the moment. His words sink in and I finally nod. “Okay, I’ll tell her.”
