“It’s going to be pretty chilly upstairs, so let me go up and get the heating started, we might be better off camping out one more night down here.”
“But …”
“The power’s back now but who knows if it will last. I think we should ride it out one more night with the fire to keep up warm, then reassess in the morning,” Chris suggested.
It sounded like the smart thing to do but … “Can we still have coffee?” I practically begged.
“I’m on it.” Chris shot a wink in my direction before grabbing his coat.
While he was gone, I ate my sandwich, and Noelle and I packed.
“Mom?”
“Yes, sweetie?”
“Chris is really nice,” she commented innocently.
“Yeah, he is,” I agreed.
“He played games with me and helped me read my book.”
“That’s great. I’m glad you had a good time,” I told her, patting the couch beside me.
Noelle came and sat down, and I pulled her to my side. “I’m sorry I’ve been sick,” I apologized.
“It’s okay, Mom,” she replied, snuggling even closer.
It was moments like this that reassured me that I wasn’t doing everything wrong. I knew I wasn’t a perfect mother, and I wasn’t trying to be, but at least I wasn’t making a complete mess of it either. Noelle was a happy, polite, fun, independent little girl, and even though I knew she’d grow up before I wasready, I wanted to treasure these moments and make memories we could hold on to.
“I’m glad you had fun with Chris,” I offered.
Chris. I owed that man a debt of gratitude I’d never be able to repay. He’d quite literally been my savior to my damsel in distress. Without him, I didn’t even want to think about where we’d be right now.
“He had fun with you, too,” a deep, gruff voice answered, but it was what he carried in his hands that had me practically salivating. “Here you go,” he said, handing me a steaming mug.
The first sip soothed my soul.
I didn't even care that it was too hot, and I almost burned my tongue. I didn’t care that it was stronger than I liked it. I was drinking it, and I was going to enjoy every sip. I hadn’t realized how strong my addiction was, but functioning without my daily cup was probably the whole reason I’d ended up curled in a ball wanting to die.
“Noelle, this is for you,” he said, handing Noelle her own mug.
“What is it?” she asked, accepting the cup and peering inside.
“Hot chocolate with marshmallows,” Chris told her with a wink.
He was spoiling her, and she was loving it. He was giving her not only things that would make her happy, but also his time, and she was glowing under his attention.
Chris sat on the edge of his desk and chuckled over the rim of his cup.
“What’s so funny?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“Uh-ah. Come on. You’re over there laughing and it’s probably at me,” I called him out, trying again to finger-comb my hair only to get my finger caught ona knot.
“I’m not.”
“Chris …”
