Rhett stayed through the whole thing, waiting us out. Once we parted, he stepped up and took over, not letting go of me once. He sat down on the couch, pulling me on his lap, holding me tight, the earlier distance gone.
“We have to talk. I have to explain. It’s not all true,” I said, desperately hoping he wasn’t done with me over what had happened at the courthouse.
He kissed my head. “I don’t care what happened. We all make mistakes. I won’t judge you for yours.”
Nobody said much for the rest of the day. We all stayed inside, barely functioning. Oma didn’t even cook and Rhett ordered pizzas that nobody ate.
Oma and Freddie went to bed early. I was lying on the couch with Rhett, staring at the TV screen. I was as close to Rhett as I could physically get without lying on top of him.
“Do you want to stay at the motel?” he asked, breaking the silence. I did. I really did. But I didn’t want to leave Oma and Freddie. They needed me as much as I needed them. But I also needed Rhett.
“I can’t,” I said.
“Then I’ll stay here.”
“I sleep in a single bed in a room with Freddie.”
“I’ll stay on the couch. There is no way I’m leaving you right now.”
I tightened my arms around him in response. We were going to be okay. We had to be.
