Page 18
Story: One Night
“The massage parlor looks great,” my buddy says as he lands a kiss on top of Nora’s head and hands her a pie box from the shop downtown. She’s been addicted to the butterbeer pie since the night we made things official on the dining room table. “Must have taken you months.”
“It’s nothing. I worked here and there as I could. Thanks for taking Ellie out today. She loves spending time with you.”
“It’s good havin’ her around.” My buddy kicks the dirt with his boot, and glances toward his daughter as though our interactions are still shaky.
I can’t blame him. I’d feel weird, too. There’s no doubt about it. That said, he’s handled the whole thing much better than he could’ve. He supported the wedding we shared here on the farm a few months back, he spends time with Ellie, and he’s gone out of his way to bring gifts for baby Jack who’s due in the next couple of months. I’m impressed with how well he’s accepted everything.
“Well,” he clears his throat and stands straighter, “I better head home. You two call if you need anything.”
“Love you, Dad.” Nora holds her father close. “Thank you for everything.”
“Love you more, kiddo. You call me if you need me to kick this guy’s ass, okay?”
She smiles wide and glances toward me. “You got it, Dad.”
As he pulls away, I’m left standing with the girl of my dreams. A woman I thought about in ways I shouldn’t have been, though I’m glad I did. It’s moments like these, when the gravel crunches beneath my boots and the sun catches the curve of her smile, that I’m reminded how lucky I am. Sure, I have a gorgeous little farmhouse, fields that stretch out for miles, and a big red pickup truck I’m pretty proud of, but none of that would mean anything without Nora. I rub my hand over her stomach and lean into her lips, kissing them gently as Ellie comes running back out of the house with her pigtails flying back in the breeze.
Loving my life is an understatement. I love Nora’s lasagna. I love the way the horses trust me after a long training session. I love the way the sky turns red before a storm. My family, though, there’s a bigger word for what I feel about them. A word I’m not sure has been spoken yet. An emotion that might be too big for words all together. Whatever it is, it’s everything, and I’ll protect it with everything I have… forever.
“It’s nothing. I worked here and there as I could. Thanks for taking Ellie out today. She loves spending time with you.”
“It’s good havin’ her around.” My buddy kicks the dirt with his boot, and glances toward his daughter as though our interactions are still shaky.
I can’t blame him. I’d feel weird, too. There’s no doubt about it. That said, he’s handled the whole thing much better than he could’ve. He supported the wedding we shared here on the farm a few months back, he spends time with Ellie, and he’s gone out of his way to bring gifts for baby Jack who’s due in the next couple of months. I’m impressed with how well he’s accepted everything.
“Well,” he clears his throat and stands straighter, “I better head home. You two call if you need anything.”
“Love you, Dad.” Nora holds her father close. “Thank you for everything.”
“Love you more, kiddo. You call me if you need me to kick this guy’s ass, okay?”
She smiles wide and glances toward me. “You got it, Dad.”
As he pulls away, I’m left standing with the girl of my dreams. A woman I thought about in ways I shouldn’t have been, though I’m glad I did. It’s moments like these, when the gravel crunches beneath my boots and the sun catches the curve of her smile, that I’m reminded how lucky I am. Sure, I have a gorgeous little farmhouse, fields that stretch out for miles, and a big red pickup truck I’m pretty proud of, but none of that would mean anything without Nora. I rub my hand over her stomach and lean into her lips, kissing them gently as Ellie comes running back out of the house with her pigtails flying back in the breeze.
Loving my life is an understatement. I love Nora’s lasagna. I love the way the horses trust me after a long training session. I love the way the sky turns red before a storm. My family, though, there’s a bigger word for what I feel about them. A word I’m not sure has been spoken yet. An emotion that might be too big for words all together. Whatever it is, it’s everything, and I’ll protect it with everything I have… forever.