I really want to dig deeper into that last bit. Has she never truly been in love?
I’m not exactly one to talk. At seventeen, I thought I was in love with Denise. Little did I know I had zero clue about what love really was. Until the day Christian was born. It never even occurred to me why I didn’t feel connected to Denise the way I felt connected to my son. Not for over a decade. Until last week, that is.
But this woman sitting to my right, pumping her legs to make herself go higher, her long hair flying wildly in the breeze,her eyes closed like she’s a child enjoying her very first ride… this woman has somehow brought that feeling back. The feeling I got in the delivery room when Christian was first handed to me. The feeling that I’d literally lay down my life to protect his… and nowhers.
Her eyes open and she comes to a halt, looking over the horizon. “I think it’s going to be an amazing sunset.”
I hop off my swing. “Wait here. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
She seems confused. “Seriously? You have to go to the bathroom?Now?”
“Just wait here. Don’t go anywhere.”
I turn and race off across the wintery brown grass, then across the street, and down McQuaid Circle. Entering Gigi’s Flower Shop, I quickly pull the nearest bundle of roses out of a bucket and take them to the register.
Maddie Calloway looks up. “You seem in an awful hurry.”
“I am.”
She wraps the roses with florist paper and rings me up, and I’m out the door within minutes and darting back to the park.
Out of breath and pleased I haven’t missed the best part of the sunset—when the sun is down and a myriad of colors grace the horizon—I walk around the front of the swings and hold out the flowers. “Beautiful flowers on a beautiful night for a beautiful woman.”
Kenna’s hand sprawls across her chest and she sighs.
Then she chuckles. “I really thought you just had to pee.” She takes the bundle from me. “They’re amazing. Thank you.” She brings them to her nose and inhales. “I’ve never gotten flowers before. I mean, once in the hospital after having Amelia, a girlfriend brought me some. But never from a man.” Her gaze lowers. “Gosh that makes me sound pathetic, doesn’t it?”
“Not at all. It only proves you hadn’t met the right man.”
Our gazes collide and we look deep into each other’s eyes as I try to exude every single feeling I’m having.
A dog barks, and Kenna looks away, ending the delicate, emotional, almost spiritual moment.
Colors spread up from the horizon. Red, orange, brown. I even see a hint of purple. Kenna was right. Itisamazing. But the most amazing part of it is being here with her.
We sit in silence, both of us gliding gently back and forth as we take it all in.
Ten minutes later, the colors dissipate, leaving only the glow of dusk in their wake.
Kenna turns to me. “Well, that’s that.”
A horrific premonition flashes through my head of her saying the exact same thing as she drives away from my house. This town. Me.
Shaking it off—I refuse to let the time I have with her tonight get derailed by tomorrow—I stand from the swing and hold a hand out to her. “Shall we?”
She looks down at the flowers. I really hadn’t thought this through. She’s probably wondering if I’m expecting her to carry them around all night. Because it’s not exactly practical.
“Here,” I say, reaching for them. “We’ll leave them on that bench over there and get them on the way home.”
“But what if someone takes them?”
“If they do, I really hope it brightens their day.”
She smiles as if that pleases her. And I could swear I hear her mumble,“Stop it.”
Putting the flowers down, I ask, “Where to next?”
She shrugs. “It’s your town. What do you suggest?”
