It’s okay if you do. We’d never judge you.
I give myself another moment to sit with the question. Do I like Claire?
She’s beautiful, that much is obvious. I smile and laugh every time I’m around her; plus, she’s been nothing but wonderful to Bea. And I find it so fucking endearing that she loves to eat the folded potato chips because they “feel better.”
Benji
???
Benji changed the name to The Grief Guys
Me
Maybe?
Zion
That’s a yes
Raymond
Go talk to her. She’s a doctor. It’s her job to be sensitive and understanding.
He’s got a point. I guess it wouldn’t be so bad to feel out the situation.
Benji
You’ve been here before. Two things can be true: You can miss Daisy and still move forward with someone new
Zion
What he said
Raymond
Ditto. Don’t forget: Being with another woman does not erase Daisy. Moving forward with your life honors hers.
My chest tightens as I reread their responses.
My boys are right.
I splash water on my face once more, then pad into the hall. It’s dark, but a sliver of light shines from beneath Claire’s door.
If I don’t knock now, I may lose momentum.
“Claire?” I whisper.
When she opens the door, I nearly swallow my tongue. She’s removed her leggings, and her oversized tee hits her at mid-thigh.
“Yes?” she asks, halting me from envisioning those bronzed legs wrapped around my waist.
“Can we talk?”
She steps to the side and welcomes me in. Her bed is messy, like maybe she was already settled in for the night. I take a seat on the wooden bench at the foot of her bed, and she leans a hip on the side of the mattress, her hands pulling at the hem of her shirt like she’s trying to make it longer.
“I want to apologize,” I begin.
She peers at me from behind her glasses, but she doesn’t say anything in return.
