Kristadidtext him back right away, but it was just a few emoji hearts and the wordsCall me tonight?, to which he responded with a thumbs-up.
Then, because he needed to keep himself busy, he stood back up, grimacing at the aching pain in his leg, and hobbled down the hallway to peek in on Rye. Rye hadn’t moved since Jake had left, and that made Jake feel somewhat better. He returned to the kitchen, opened up the fridge, and stood there for a few minutes staring blankly at the contents.
Maybe he’d cook lunch. Shirley might be hungry when she arrived, and Rye...
Jake swallowed back his unease. Maybe Ryewouldbe okay enough to eat. Maybe he’d even be hungry. And that possibility was enough for Jake to want to have something ready for him, just in case.
Scanning the contents of the fridge one more time, Jake got to work.
Atexactly12:20p.m.,Jake finished cooking, and then, not more than ten minutes later, there was a knock on the front door—three raps that sounded both urgent and tentative. Jake set down the dish he’d been washing, dried his hands on the dish towel hanging on the handle to the oven, and hurried over.
Shirley stood on the other side, looking maybe more disheveled than Jake remembered ever having seen her. Her hair was haphazardly thrown into a messy bun at the top of her head, and strands stuck out this way and that. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and her shirt was tucked into her pants only on one side. She wrung her hands together as she looked up at him and then past him, and when she didn’t find whatever she was looking for, he saw what little color was left drain from her face.
“Is he okay?” she asked, her voice sounding raw and uncertain.
Jake smiled tightly and nodded, then stepped out of the way and motioned her inside. “He’s still sleeping.”
“Still?”
“Um, yeah. About an hour now,” Jake answered.
Shirley walked past him, and he closed the front door softly, then turned around and watched her stop just next to the kitchen table, her eyes trained down the hallway and her arms now crossed over her chest. Her gaze shifted back to Jake, and he nodded.
“He’s in the first room right there on the right. The door’s open, if you wanted to check on him,” he explained quietly.
A single tear slid down Shirley’s cheek, and she reached up to brush it away as she nodded. “Thank you, Jake.”
She didn’t hesitate, though her steps were careful and silent as she made her way down the hall. Jake stayed back, giving her space, but he watched her stop in the doorway, set one hand on the doorjamb, and gaze into the room. Her small frame seemed to tremble a little as she stood there, and when she lifted one hand up and covered her mouth, maybe to stifle a sob, Jake tore his eyes away, feeling like he was intruding on a private moment.
He limped back into the kitchen and started heating water for tea. Minutes later, after the tea had steeped, he heard a quiet sniffle, and he lifted his eyes to see her stopped at the end of the hallway, looking up at him. She had a tight smile now, and she blinked and seemed to reset herself, then she started forward again, walking in his direction.
He held up one of the mugs. “Tea? It’s lemon balm and honey.”
“That’s Ryan’s favorite,” she said softly, and Jake nodded.
“The, uh, very first night he was here, actually... that’s what he had,” Jake told her.
Her smile tightened and then faded as she accepted the mug. She didn’t take a sip right away, but set it on the island and stared down at it, her hands wrapping around the warm ceramic. “He’s... been through so much. I can’t believe I wasn’t here with him today. What does he know?”
She lifted her eyes, and Jake gave her a small smile and tilted his head toward the table. “Do you want to sit, and we can talk? I’m not much of a cook, as I think you know by now.” That made her smile a little more, and Jake laughed lightly and shook his head. “But Icanmake pretty decent chicken soup, and I just finished. Are you hungry?”
“That sounds lovely, Jake. Thank you.”
She took her tea over to the table, and Jake took a bowl out of the cupboard and added two ladles full of the steaming-hot chicken soup for her. A moment later, he set the bowl on the table in front of her, along with a spoon and napkin, and then took the seat across from her. When she didn’t immediately move, Jake let out a quiet laugh.
“It’s quite edible, I promise. Not everything I make is, but this one is pretty foolproof, even for me.”
She smiled and shook her head gently. “Oh, I’m not scared to eat it. I’m just tired. The drive was stressful, and all I wanted to do was see my baby. I was so worried. I know—” Shirley cut herself off and shook her head again. “I know I shouldn’t have been worried. I knew he was with you, and... and I trust you. You... care about him, a lot.”
Jake’s cheeks felt warm, and he dropped his gaze to his own tea. “I do,” he admitted, his heart stuttering.I love him.He almost said the words, but he had the sense Shirley maybe already knew. “And I was right here with him when he saw. It was a news article. On his phone.” With a grimace, Jake looked back up. “He, uh, saw Hirsh’s picture. I wish he hadn’t, but neither of us knew, and we’d just come up from the beach. He, uh, had a panic attack. But I was there with him. I think... I think he’s okay. But it was a shock—to see Hirsh.”
Shirley wiped another tear away before it could fall. She nodded and sniffled and then looked back down. “I’m glad you were here with him. Honestly, it’s maybe even better that you were with him than if I’d been here. He has this trust in you. That connection is...” She trailed off, but Jake saw the soft smile on her face, and when she looked up at him again, her eyes were shining. “It’s something very, very special, isn’t it?”
Oh, yeah. She knew.
He gave a small nod. “It is, and I cherish it very much.”
Shirley was quiet then, and she blinked and lowered her eyes to her soup. “You aren’t having any?” she asked.
