“What?” I almost yell. “No! He loves them.” Even being ready for it, understanding she is bating me, I go on the defense.
“Ah, ok.” Natalie sips her drink, appearing more innocent than she is. “Because he treats you badly.”
I narrow my eyes, glaring at her. “I know what you’re doing, Natalie.”
She shrugs. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Leaning in really close, I lower my voice so that only she can hear. “Listen. Henry is a great guy. He loves me, loves the girls, is successful, good-looking, and an all-around great guy. I just don’t think it’s right. It feels like it should be wrong.”
“But does it?” she asks. “Feel wrong, I mean. Does wanting him feel wrong?”
My eyes close, allowing the heat of the sun to bathe me in warmth. I think about Jeremy and how he told me to live my life and find love again.But would he be upset it’s with Henry?I wish I knew, but my feelings for Henry feel far from wrong. “No, it feels all too right.”
Natalie’s hand slapping the table startles me. “See then. Go for it.”
I shake my head while staring down at my lap. “I just don’t know.”
“Faith, look at me,” she commands. When I do, she continues, “You told me Jeremy wanted you to find someone else. Someone to care for his girls. Maybe he didn’t think Henry would be the one, but I know for a fact Jeremy loved and trusted Henry. Don’t you think Jeremy would rather it be Henry than some random guy? Someone he didn’t know? I think Jeremy would be thrilled that if it worked out between the two of you, Henry would be taking care of all three of his girls for the rest of their lives.”
For the rest of their lives.
That last sentence brings immediate tears to my eyes. What if I don’t have a long time before the rest of my life is over. The constant worrying about it consumes my days and nights.
Natalie gets out of her seat and wraps her arms around me. “I love you, Faith. You need to be happy. So, do what makes you happy.”
“I’ll try.” I sniffle. “I promise.”
Squeezing me tighter, she says, “That’s all I ask.”
* * *
Lucky me.Jeremy’s mom called about halfway through my and Natalie’s dinner and asked to keep the girls overnight. Seeing an opportunity for a hot bath and book before crashing, I took her up on the offer.
The house is eerily quiet when I walk in. The hallway light illuminates the stairs, and like a beacon, I ascend them, moving toward my bedroom. Turning each light on as I go, I make it into the bathroom and begin a bath, tossing some bubbles in before brushing my teeth.
Turning on the sink and running the water over my toothbrush, I feel it before I hear it. A gush of water bursting out from underneath my sink, blowing the cabinet door open, essentially soaking me from head to toe. I race down the stairs to the laundry closet and shut the water off to the house.
My chest heaves up and down with exhaustion and adrenaline as I run back upstairs, finding a burst pipe underneath the sink. I slink to the floor to process what just happened and how to fix it. Jeremy usually dealt with this stuff. I don’t know what to do.
* * *
“I’m sosorry to call you this late. I tried calling our home warranty company first, but they said they can’t get anyone out here until Monday.” I sigh heavily, opening the door.
Henry walks in, dressed black slacks and a blue dress shirt adorned with a tie. He kisses me on the forehead. “You don’t need to apologize.”
Brushing past me, he goes straight up the stairs, toolbox in hand, to my bedroom, and into my bathroom. I think this is the first time he’s been in here since Jeremy passed. I lean against the doorway and watch as he bends down and peers into the cabinet. After a moment, he stands and gazes at me. “This is actually an easy fix.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I drop my tense shoulders. “Thank God. I thought I was going to have to go and stay at Mom and Pop Jensen’s until it was fixed. I did shut off the water, though.” He doesn’t respond but continues to stare. I cross my arms over my stomach. “What?”
His eyes drift up to meet mine. “You should go change.” He croaks.
Glancing down, I find my soaked white top is now see-through, showing off my lace bra underneath. I hadn’t thought to change while I was cleaning the water up from the floor. I take in his clothes, too, and it dawns on me how dressed up he is. “Were you on a date?”
“No,” he rasps.
“Good.” I begin leave him to go change, but he calls my name, stopping me in my tracks. When I spin back around, I find he’s stepped closer to me. “Yes?”
“Good because you didn’t bother me, or good because you would be jealous?”
