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“I’ll go get him.” I headed to the back of the house and found Shabba propped up on Maple’s bed in the center of her other stuffed animals. Returning to the living room, I handed over the rabbit. “What do you have planned for your child-free night?” I asked.
“Grabbing some takeout and settling in to watch that one movie series where the creature pops out of that man’s chest.” She mimicked the horrific scene, animated creature sounds and all. “There’s a marathon of all the movies tonight.”
A smile crept over my face. “That one?” I pointed to the TV screen with the movie cued up to play.
“I forgot you were also a fan.”
Dial’s locs were piled atop her head in a messy bun. A pencil was still stuck in her bundle of hair. Instead of her cowboy boots, she was wearing green Adidas, rounding out her look with a tank top and basketball shorts that hit mid-thigh, and a stack of necklaces. I spied the necklace I’d gifted her as a present after she gave birth to Maple.
I scrubbed the back of my neck. “I introduced you to that franchise.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I did. It was summer—we projected the movie onto the side of your house. We all had lawn chairs and paper cups filled with popcorn. And your mom kept fretting, concerned it would give us nightmares.”
“Like I said, I put you onto that movie. Summertime at my house.”
“You didn’t pick the movie, sweetheart. That was Cy and me.”
“Agree to disagree.”
“When have we ever agreed on disagreeing?”
She broke into a laugh. For Dial that was rare, and I was honored to witness her cupping her hand to her lips as infectious fits of mirth escaped. “You got me on that one.”
If I could slow time and stay locked in this moment, I would. Not forever, but long enough to memorize every freckle, laugh line, and the rise and fall of her chest.
Dial shook the bunny and said, “Well, I’ll leave you to it.”
Clearing my throat, I pushed through my fear and made a suggestion. “If you’re not opposed to homemade pad thai, you’re more than welcome to hang out here.”
“Uhm…” Her eyes darted to the kitchen and then back to me.
“I mean, I got more noodles than I can eat. And if you don’t stay, Maple will be forced to suffer through remixed Thai food for days.”
“What do you know about pad thai?”
“Truthfully, not a damn thing.” I chuckled, and she laughed along with me.
I lied. I need this woman in my life. The thing about experiencing true love is that once it’s gone, everything else pales in comparison.
“I was just gonna wing it,” I continued.
“I thought we’d agreed you’d stick to the grill and leave all other meals to me.”
“Well, since I’ve been single, I’ve had to get resourceful. I know how to make all kinds of things.”
Her body floated closer as she let her guard down. “Like?”
“Shepherd’s pie, tacos, and pizzas with smiley faces.”
“You’re a veritable Julia Childs,” she teased.
“Plus, you know I’m a big scaredy cat. Don’t have me in this house watching a horror movie alone with all the lights on.”
“Okay. I’ll drop off the bunny and come back.”
If she left, I was certain she’d change her mind and head home. “Let me.” I tugged the bunny from her hand. “I’ll drop off Shabba, and you make yourself at home.” Slipping into my Crocs, I didn’t give her a chance to object. “There’s drinks in the fridge.”
