Even if I have to tie up North in the chair and spoon-feed him the pasta myself.
Cleaning up becomes a game—each of us armed with a sponge, pretending to be knights battling the evil forces of mess. Lio swipes his at invisible foes, and I can’t help but join in, our laughter echoing off the walls.
But once more, the surge of energy is quickly gone, and the laughter turns into coughing. A sheen of sweat builds on his forehead when I sit him down in a chair and get his inhaler, making sure he takes deep breaths.
“Here, you can watch some cartoons while I finish this up,” I tell him, handing over my phone with someCharlie Brownplaying.
Even though I texted North and Nash that Lio and I made pasta, neither of them showed up to eat. I can see how much it hurts Lio, and I’m ready to drive over to the shipyard and drag North home by his earlobe. Thankfully, Sloan comes home from work before I do.
“We made pasta, Sloany, wanna try?” Lio asks her with hopeful eyes.
And just like that, Sloan saves the day with her enthusiastic reaction to dinner. “Oh wow, you made pasta yourself? That’s amazing! Of course I would love to try if you have some left for me, bud.”
Sloan is not the motherly type. It’s obvious she hasn’t had much to do with kids. She doesn’t treat him like a child. She just talks to him like he’s a small adult, and it’s hilarious. And it’ssomething Lio seems to enjoy very much. Not to mention how much I like her company.
Dinner is fun and easy compared to the few tense and silent breakfasts we’ve had with Nash and North. It makes me wonder if I should talk to them again. It seems like they are making her uncomfortable.
And we can’t have that.
Did she sleep with Nash again?
The question haunts me.
Maybe she was drunk. She said she was last time.
But even her only fucking him when she’s drunk doesn’t make her magically wantme.
Sloan is putting the plates Lio brings her into the dishwasher, and I’m wiping down the table when the familiar tapping of rain on the windows starts. A shudder runs through me, and when I look outside, I notice how dark it has gotten, even though it’s too early for dusk to set in.
I tense up.
A storm?
Fear creeps up my spine when a thunderclap hits in the distance, and I wince, gripping the edge of the table. A warm hand lands on my shoulder, and I turn to look at Sloan, who is watching me with concern in her eyes. “You all right?”
“Sure, I just—” I start, but a second thunderclap interrupts me, and I nearly deflate. Sloan begins to stroke my back, and when I glance at her, she’s looking out the window.
She whispers under her breath, “The weather.” Letting go of me she walks over to Lio, asking, “Do you know what a thunder buddy is, Lio?” Lio shakes his head, eyeing her with curiosity. “Well, you know, I’m scared of the thunder because it is so loud, so grumpy.” Lio nods vigorously, making me smile to myself. “So, you know what I mean?”
“I do,” he tells her, and I haven’t even noticed he doesn’t like storms either. It seems I was too occupied with my own problems.
“So, a thunder buddy is someone who holds your hand when it thunders, who is with you through the storm, so you don’t have to be afraid. I think we all could use a thunder buddy,” she explains, her gaze finding mine, and a small smile spreads across my lips while I stand straight again.
This woman.
Lio reaches out to take Sloan’s hand and pulls her to me so he can take mine too. Another thunderclap hits, this one even louder, and we all wince before we start laughing. The panic subsides slowly, and only fear lingers.
It’s not a big storm, just rain and thunder.
I can handle that.
I think.
“What else do thunder buddies do?” Lio asks Sloan, who smiles at him.
“They get ice cream for dessert and watch cartoons until the worst is over,” she explains, and I shoot her a look. “What?” She feigns innocence. “I didn’t make the rules.”
Laughing, I want to let go of Lio’s hand to get the ice cream, but he beats me to it. “Here, hold Sloany’s. I’ll get us spoons.”
