I spin in my place to look at her. “What was I supposed to say?”
Remi rolls her lips between her teeth and shrugs. “I don’t know, actually. That was good enough.”
“Auntie Remi!” Chloe comes bounding into the room and jumps into Remi’s lap. “Kitties?”
Iris walks into the doorway as she dries her hands with a hand towel. “I told her about the kittens you found behind the shed.”
Remi smiles down at my daughter and slides her hands under Chloe’s armpits to lift her into the air as she rises to her feet. Chloe squeals and wraps her arms around the back of Remi’s neck. “Of course, Clo. Let’s go check them out!”
My phone vibrates and my heart halts. Iris disappears back into the kitchen and my eyes widen as I stare at Remi.
“We’ll be back in a few,” she winks. “You’ve got this.”
I watch the two of them head out the door that leads to the garage. My confidence is weak and I wish I had an ounce of Remi’s. My gaze drops down to my phone. Cole’s name is on the screen with a message from him. Panic erupts inside me, my stomach fluttering wildly. I abruptly rise to my feet, staring at my phone like it’s a bomb about to detonate. The room begins to shrink, like the walls are closing in on me.
My feet immediately move and I make a beeline straight for the back door, letting myself out onto Iris’ back porch. You can’t see the rolling fields from here, but it’s close enough that you can smell the growing alfalfa and dust. The smell of lake water mixes with it, drifting through the night sky. I walk over to one of the chairs on the deck and sit down.
Cole
Hey.
I stare at my phone for a second and let out a nervous laugh. What the hell? He couldn’t give me a little more than that to make this easier on me? I guess I did text him, but now I am supposed to lead the conversation too? This was a stupid idea.
Ella
How are you?
He responds immediately and my heart betrays me, skipping a beat as I read his messages.
Cole
I’m good, better now that I’ve heard from you.
How are you, Ella?
I read over both texts twice before typing out my own response. My heart thumps harder and faster, thrumming to its own beat that I have zero control over. I refuse to acknowledge the butterflies that are trying to flutter to life in my stomach.
Ella
I’m doing well.
Cole
Good.
Is everything okay?
There was a point to me texting him and I suppose I should get to it sooner rather than later. I don’t know the last time I felt this frazzled from talking to someone. It’s just Cole and it isnota date. I’m allowed to get a meal with someone and make no commitment. He is a friend and nothing more. We can eat together and leave it at that.
Ella
Everything’s good.
I wanted to change the answer I gave when you asked if you could take me out to dinner.
Three little bubbles appear and disappear four separate times. I’m frozen. Paralyzed. My fingers move, but I can’t get them to cooperate. I can’t continue where I was going with this thought and now I’m wondering if I should have even entertained the idea.
Cole
