I balled up my dirty clothes and carried them back into the bathroom, where I tossed them in a ball on the floor in the corner. Then I looked at myself in the mirror above the vanity sink.
My hair was damp, and my face was bare.
So different and so much the same.
I wondered what he thought when he looked at me. If there was…anything. If anything remained.
A screech echoed from out in the main house. Definitely not from the bedroom where I instructed them to stay until I was finished showering.
My kids were amazing, but they were kids, and they weren’t above a shenanigan or two.
Blowing out a sigh, I hung my towel and hurried back out into Cash’s room, where I curled my hand around the doorknob.
I paused as I inhaled deeply, gathering a little courage, reminding myself of my mission.
Why I was here.
Goal One: Make sure my kids weren’t tearing down the house.
Goal Two: Convince Cash this reckless endeavor was actually a brilliant idea.
With one more breath, I turned the knob and opened the door.
From across the main room, Colin’s voice carried. “Do you got bears in the woods?”
“Yeah.” It was a single word grunt of an answer. Unsurprising since that seemed to be the man’s only mode of communication. That and the glare of those unforgettable eyes.
“Will they eat me?” Colin asked. Knowing him, he’d been peppering Cash with a thousand questions.
A beat of uncertainty held in the air. Dread, if I could read the emotion right.
“You shouldn’t go in the woods by yourself,” Cash finally said without actually answering the question.
“But I can go with you, right? Because you’re a giant, and I bet you won’t be scared of the bears a bit. Would you punch ’em right in the face? One, two, three, kapow!” Colin acted out the motions.
I eased out into the main room as Cash released another grunt.
He was on his knees in front of the fireplace, adding kindling and paper to the hearth. Back rippling with strength under his white tee as he bent over.
Colin was right beside him, head inclined and fully in his business.
“Last thing you want is to confront a bear. When you come upon one, you stand up straight while slowly backing away and to the side. But like I said, you shouldn’t be in the woods by yourself, so there’s no reason for you to find out.”
Cash gave him the explanation in that deep, growly voice.
He might as well have been a bear himself.
He struck a match and held it to a piece of paper. A single flame consumed the paper and quickly spread to the kindling.
A fire igniting.
It might have been the beginning of summer, but I knew from experience it got chilly here at night.
“But would you protect us?” Colin pressed in his adorable voice.
Sighing, Cash sat back on his haunches and gave my son another single word answer.
But it was the one that meant everything.
