“Uncle Carter to the rescue,” Anna says as I approach the porch. “Miles is inside if you’re interested in watching a hockey game.”
I glance at my watch. “Right now? There’s one on?”
“He’s rewatching the 2008 Winter Classic,” she says dryly. “He watches it at least three times a year.”
“Dude. Is that the one where Crosby wins the shootout in the snow?” Theo says from behind me. “Can I go on in?”
“Be my guest,” Anna says, then she looks back at me. “How are you? Congratulations on yourveryrealistic engagement.”
“Yeah. Thanks,” I say. “Everything went pretty well.”
“Griffin Knox had a lot of really nice things to say. That was well-played, going somewhere you knew he’d be.”
“I’m glad it worked out.” I push my hands into my pockets. “Is Sarah here?”
“Yeah,” Anna says. “Back in the pool house. Working, last I saw.”
“Do you think she’d mind if we went back to say hello?”
“Not at all,” Anna answers. “The girls have interrupted her fifty times already. You’ll probably be a welcome surprise.”
“I’m gonna steal Charlie for a minute and take her with me,” I say. “She’s been having a hard time getting used to her glasses.”
“Ohhh,” Anna says. “Good thinking. I’m going to sit right here and enjoy the tiny bit of winter sun we’re getting without moving a single inch in any direction.”
I laugh. “Sounds like a good plan.”
“Is Miss Sarah the lady who had the chicken nuggets?” Charlie asks after I explain where we’re going.
“That’s her.”
“She’s pretty,” Charlie says. “Is she your girlfriend? Is that why you want me to say hello?” Honestly, it’s nice to have Charlie’s barrage of questions as we make our way throughthe backyard to the pool house. I’m more nervous than I should be, and she’s giving me something to focus on besides whether I’m supposed to hug Sarah hello when I see her again.
Pretty sure that would qualify as the “friendly touching” we talked about, but is it what she would want? I don’t want to assume.
“She’s my fiancée,” I say, “which means we’re getting married soon. And I want you to say hello because Sarah wears glasses just like you do.”
“Really? I don’t remember her glasses.”
“She does. And she started wearing them when she was your age.”
We finally reach the pool house, and I knock, palms sweating, but then the door opens and…there she is. Looking more beautiful than ever. Her hair is up in some kind of knot on her head, and a pencil is sticking through it. Or maybe the pencil is holding it? Her fingers are tinted gray, and there’s a smudge of what I’m guessing is charcoal along her cheek, just below the frame of her green glasses.
“Carter!” she says, and then she’s leaning in to give me a hug.
Afriendlyhug, I remind myself, but I can’t stop myself from breathing her in. It feels so good to have her back in my arms. “Hey,” I say as she pulls back. “Welcome home.”
“Thanks,” she says. She lets her gaze drop to Charlotte. “Hi, Charlie,” she says. “Do you remember me?”
Charlie nods. “You gave me chicken nuggets. And Uncle Carter says you wear glasses just like me.”
“Sorry to interrupt your work,” I say. “I was just telling Charlie that you guys were the same age when youstarted wearing glasses.”
Sarah’s expression brightens as she looks at Charlie. “That’s right! Except mine were not nearly as cute as yours. You want to see a picture?”
Charlie nods, and the three of us make our way into the pool house. The space is tiny. A living room, a kitchenette, and what I’m guessing are two bedrooms on either side of the living room. It looks like Sarah has been sitting at the small table in the kitchen, working on some sketches.
Sarah grabs her phone off the kitchen counter, then makes quick work of pulling up a couple of photos. She and Charlie move into the living room and sit down on the couch, but I linger in the kitchen.
