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“My Kevin has always had a soft spot for collecting lost souls,” Arielle mused.
Jess felt a pang in her heart. She snuck a glance at Kevin and noticed his flushed cheeks, his eyes on his plate.
The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur of sunshine, lawn games, and tall glasses of iced tea. Honey chased every Frisbee Kevin threw into the can at the opposite end of the lawn, attempting to intercept it with a jump and a swipe of her little teeth, only to tumble back down into the grass. His sisters squealed every time at “the cuteness” and willfully ignored Mr. Perkin’s pleas for them to help clean up.
Jess stacked plates in her hands. “Let them play, I can help.”
Arielle planted her hands on her hips. “Put those plates down, you are our guest.”
She gave her a warm smile. “And you are the birthday girl, so let me do this.”
Arielle loosed a resigned sigh, wrapping up leftover bread and pouring cold coffee in her potted plants as Jess carried dishes to the kitchen. She turned on the spigot and began washing, peeking a glance out the window every so often and smiling as Kevin teased Honey with a dog toy, making her chase him around the lawn to grab it. She liked his parents and the girls and this brick house covered in ivy.
Arielle stepped up beside her and dried the dishes she cleaned.
“He looks happy here,” Jess admitted. “I don’t really understand why he didn’t move back here with you after graduation.”
“He loved Haverport too much. The idea of leaving didn’t feel right to him. I couldn’t fight my son if his heart was connected with that place more than this one.”
“Yes, but…he’s so far from family. If my family was like this, I would never want to leave.”
Arielle rubbed a hand on Jess’s back. She noticed the way Kevin’s mother was constantly soothing with her hands and arms. It made it very clear where Kevin’s need for physical touch came from.
“Is everything okay at home?” Arielle asked, her tone even.
Her throat felt dry. She swallowed a couple of times before responding. “Not really. My parents and I…we’re not on speaking terms right now. Well…my sister and I are a little bit, but my mom and dad…”
Her voice caught in her throat as tears lined her eyes. She wiped at them with her wrist, sudsy water from her fingers dripping down to the floor.
Arielle kept rubbing her back. Jess flushed as she continued with the dishes, too embarrassed to look Kevin’s mom in the eye.
“No matter where I go or what happens in my life, I always seem to find myself with two options,” Arielle started. “Either live in fear and never try, or choose to be brave and live in your truth. Putting ourselves out there can feel scary because there’s always the chance of failure. But what would be worse? Living without knowing what could have been, or living knowing you gave it your all?”
She had the sneaking suspicion that these words weren’t only meant for her situation with her family. Jess’s gaze instinctively linked to Kevin outside the window, admiring the grin on his face and the sound of his laugh as he chased his sisters around the yard.
“Now tell me…has my son been brave with you?”
Jess whirled around and faced Kevin’s mom. “Huh?”
“Has my son shared his feelings for you?”
Goose bumps flecked her skin. “Did he tell you he has feelings?”
Arielle shrugged. “I have a sense for these things. I also know my Kevin. It’s written all over his face.”
It was practically identical to what Gram told her a month ago. The look. Were his feelings really so plain for everyone to see?
Arielle rubbed Jess’s arm, patiently waiting for her to respond, almost like she was waiting to see whether she needed to give her son a scolding.
“He’s made it…clear,” Jess murmured.
His mother smiled and tucked a strand of Jess’s hair behind her ear. “And how about you, my dear? Will you be brave with him?”
Her chest tightened to an unbearable degree at her question. She stared at Arielle with wide eyes, unable to speak, unable to take a full breath.
Arielle must have caught on because she gave Jess a reassuring smile. “Don’t make him wait too long, okay? He deserves your bravery, too.”
“I’m not very good at being brave,” she whispered.
