Sliding into the booth, I take my usual spot beside her, slipping my arm over her shoulder and tugging her into my side.
“Hi, baby.”
Her chin tilts, and she gazes up at me. “Hi, Coach.”
My fingers trail along the edge of her jaw, curving around her face as I bring my lips to hers and kiss her.
Immediately, she melts into me, her hands moving to the front of my shirt, fisting in the fabric, pulling me even closer.
I didn’t realize how much I needed this until right now.
It feels like I’m finally taking my first full breath since walking into the office earlier.
“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite people,” a familiar voice interrupts, and we both pull back to see Doris standing over us, wearing a warm smile, a pitcher of sweet tea in her hand.
We’ve become regular patrons at Big Easy over the last couple of months.
It used to be a place that held bad memories of the past, memories of my mother that I wasn’t equipped to handle, butthen it changed after the night I spent there with Maisie, sharing greasy fries and that damn milkshake.
A milkshake that no longer feels like a relic of what was but is now something that is just mine and Maisie’s.
We came here after my first therapy session, and then the second…
And now it’s become our thing.
We end up here, cuddled together on the same side of a booth, talking about life and our future, and also the normal boring shit that I’m guessing most couples discuss.
Sometimes we talk about my past or what happened in therapy that day, but Maisie never pushes. She never makes me feel like I have to do anything but just…existwith her.
It’s a balm to my soul, soothing wounds that are constantly threatening to burst back open.Wounds that are finally beginning to heal.
“Doris!” Maisie beams. “Thank you for the tea. How is your grandson?”
Doris’s eyes soften, and the corners of her eyes crinkle as she refills Maisie’s glass. “You darling girl. He’s doing great. Thankfully, no one else got sick but him. Thank you for asking.”
My heart kicks.
Fuck, of course she remembered Doris mentioning last week that her grandson had the flu.
Maisie’s goodness never ceases to amaze me, no matter how much light she’s shining on everyone around her.
She’s not asking out of necessity but because she genuinely cares.
Maisie nods. “Oh, good. I was thinking about him earlier this week. I’m so glad to hear it.”
“You’re an angel, my girl,” Doris murmurs with a soft smile. “Chocolate milkshake, I’m betting?”
When I nod, she gives us a wink, then saunters off to put our order in.
As Maisie puts the book away, I notice the tabs lining the pages, and I grin. “Light reading?”
Her cheeks blush furiously, and it makes me chuckle.
“Yes. This one is about a duke who falls in love with his captor, who is a woman that’s a pirate.Veryinteresting.”
I hum. “Bet so. Looks like you tabbed the hell out of it, Sunshine.”
That blush deepens into a furious shade of red, and she looks away, stuffing the paperback into the bag beside her before turning back to me. “I’m just glad that classes are done so I can catch up on reading. Oh, did I tell you that I found the cutest lamp earlier when I was with Len? I talked them down to ten dollars!”
