“Listen, we all have a past, babe, and mine is probably worse than yours.” She was able to work up a small smile. I threaded my fingers through hers, our hands united. “And when you’re ready to tell me more of yours, you will.”
“Chase.”
My heart raced at the hope I heard in her voice.
“I…I’m so sorry there is this dark cloud over us, to the start of us.” She finally found the courage to look at me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be the one to tell you. I hate that you learned about this from your father.”
I smiled at her. “Well, as far as my father is concerned, don’t worry about him. There was this look in his eye, even when telling me your story, that made me think he was quite happy with us being together.”
Her eyes widened and her hand went over her mouth.
“Are you serious?” she asked.
“I am. He saw something in you. He invested in you. Why wouldn’t he be happy for his son to end up with you?”
We were interrupted by Barb who put our plates of burgers and fries on the table in front of us.
“Thanks, Barb,” I said.
“Sure, hon. Can I get you two anything else?” she asked.
We looked at each other and shrugged.
“I think we’re good, Barb, thanks,” I said.
She nodded and walked away.
“Hey,” I whispered conspiratorially as I leaned over the table toward Maryellen. “I got ahonout of her, I think I broke through her tough exterior.”
Maryellen laughed, literally laughed out loud. She grabbed a fry and started eating. But as she did, I saw the shield go back up. The protective wall she was used to having in order to live her life.
Her own tough exterior.
I needed to help break through that now, too.
We stayed at the bar for one more beer and then decided to head out. Her mood had lifted enough that we were able to talk about things that didn’t matter to pass the time. Once we were back at the house, we walked around to the backyard and noticed a gas firepit. Neither of us could find where to turn it on. It was too cold and windy, so we found ourselves back inside.
“I guess I should let Tommy know I don’t need him to bring me back to the city,” she said. “He’s been down here waiting for me to call him.”
Another sign that made me feel good about our future. She obviously planned on returning north with me.
“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” I said. “I’ll light the fire.”
I took off my suit jacket, tired of having it on for the past twenty-four hours. Pulling the shirt from my waistband felt amazing as I flipped off my loafers and undid my belt. The wood was still smoldering from earlier, so restarting the fire wasn’t too difficult.
She joined me on the couch, and we sat quietly, staring at the bouncing flames. Other than a small lamp by the entrance, they were the only source of light in the house. She curled her legs under her and pulled a blanket to her chin to ward off the chill from outside. It created a serene atmosphere as we both got comfortable after an emotionally exhausting day.
For the first time today, our silence didn’t tighten my chest.
As I sat against the other end of the couch, watching her, I knew what I had to do.
“Mare,” I said.
She turned to look at me. The glow of the fire bounced off the side of her face as she did. Her eyes sparkled in the dim light. And I knew this moment would forever be ingrained in my mind.
“I love you.”
The muscles in her shoulders relaxed, her face softened. Her head tilted ever so slightly to the side.
