Jake was still laughing as they walked up to the first stall, which just happened to be the fudge one. Brad saw the bags and his mouth started watering.
“Watch the kid, we’re going in.”
Jake elbowed someone aside, and when he came back he had six bags of fudge. He handed one to Brad.
“I only get one?”
“You’re single, you still need your teeth.”
“I'm hoping none of that is for our daughter, Jacob McBride.”
“Hey, honey.”
Brad straightened as Branna, Annabelle, and Macy arrived with Billy.
“Your daughter has her first boyfriend,” Jake said, kissing his wife. “She held Brad's hand the entire way into town.”
Branna sighed. “The first is always the hardest.”
Macy looked a little lost, her eyes moving around the carnival slowly. He wondered what she was thinking, and figured most of her thoughts would be centered on her father, and the firsts she would be doing without him in her life now.
Her dress was yellow and reached her knees. She wore a short white thing over it, and looked young and vulnerable, a look she wore often.
“Hi.” He went to her side.
“Hi.”
“Hi, Brad, I’m going to buy some fudge.”
“Nice work, Billy, I’m just about to try some. You want a piece to test it before you buy?”
The boy shook his head and left in a hurry.
“How are you?”
“Good… okay,” she added. “It's a time thing, everyone tells me. Thanks for the calls.”
She had dark smudges under her eyes, which told him she wasn't sleeping.
“Grief doesn't have a timeline, honey. It takes as long as you need it to take.”
Her lip trembled, but she inhaled through her nose.
“I miss him, and yet he wasn't the best dad, but he was my dad.”
“We're taking Billy to ride with Rose. You take your time, Macy, and come on over when you're done.”
“With what?” She looked confused at Annabelle’s words.
“Whatever you want.”
The friends left with the children, and suddenly it was Macy and Brad alone, surrounded by a town full of people.
“He loved you, and you loved him. Nothing else matters, Macy.”
“Everyone is so nice,” she said, looking up at him, “but I just needed a few days to….”
“Be sad?”
