Me: If you’re awake, come to your front door.
I’m already waiting there when the door unlocks and the porch light washes over her.
She shuts the door behind her, still in her robe, with no makeup on her face, and her hair pulled back into a pony. She stands there, fiddling with her robe.
“Did you have a good time?” she asks.
“I missed you.”
The corner of her mouth twists up in a way that tells me she doesn’t quite believe me. “I’m sure you got on just fine.”
“I really did. I wish you could have been there. There were so many plants, and... I thought about you a lot. I wanted to ask you what each plant was.”
“Jonah, I’ve seen pictures of that place. That would have taken all night.”
I can’t stop the little smile on my face. “Okay. Another time then.”
Renée studies me for a moment. “What is all this?” She nods at everything I’m carrying.
“Oh,” I laugh. “I brought you leftovers. I got the pasta that you ordered, and some cake slices. Then I made some care packages for Delta and Lo and your sister. What was her name again?”
“Amber...”
“Right. Amber. I hope that’s okay. I felt bad that I was... well, I felt bad. The pasta is still warm. It wasn’t sitting outor anything.”
“Thank you,” she says. “That’s really nice.”
“How is everyone feeling?”
“The vomiting has stopped for now, but Delta and Amber are still running mild fevers.”
“But Lo and you are okay?”
“So far.”
“Well, I don’t want to take up the rest of your night. I just wanted to stop by and give this to you. Do you want me to carry these inside?”
“No, I got it. Thank you, though.”
“Sure.” I let a soft smile linger before I step away. “Have a good night. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”
“Okay,” she says tentatively and gives me a small wave. “Goodnight.”
Renée
I’m on autopilot when I shut and lock the door behind me. The care packages make their way in—they’re somewhere now—but all I can think about is what just happened on my front porch.
When I first stepped outside, all I could hear were crickets chirping and the engine of that big black SUV. Somewhere between then and now I lost myself.
I flick on the living room lamp before poking through the care packages. The children’s medicine isn’t for the right age, but that doesn’t stop my chest from cracking in half at just how thoughtful this gesture is. Art supplies, hair accessories, chicken noodle soup with the little stars...
Part of me expected him to get college-level wastedat the wedding. Instead, he thought of my daughters. He thought of Amber, and he hasn’t even met her yet. Maybe I had Jonah all wrong.
With an unexpected smile, I pluck the Squishmallows from each basket and carefully open the door to the girls’ room. A soft purple light casts low from the unicorn night-light, just enough for me to see two sleeping beauties, one with a sick bucket next to her twin-size bed. I gently lay a stuffie next to each girl.
Delta sleeps like the dead when she’s sick, so she doesn’t even stir when I scan her forehead with the thermometer. Ninety-nine. Better. I check Lo for good measure, and she’s still holding strong.
Her eyes crack open as I pocket the thermometer, and she reaches for me. Her little body is warm against mine, and the scent of watermelon shampoo stirs something tender and fiercely maternal in me.
