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17. Edgy

“Eve!” I called out, thrusting my arms into the sleeves of a knee-length sweater. “Where’s your jacket?”

“Um…I think I left it in the bathroom.”

As I tied the sash around my waist, she ran down the hall, and I called after her to hurry up. “The bus is going to be here any second!”

She returned thirty seconds later, trying to shove her right arm through a sleeve that was partially inside out.

“Here, baby. Let me.” Pulling the garment from her body, I tugged on the sleeves then helped her push her arms through. We rushed out the front door, and a misty rain fell, leaving tiny pin-sized drops of water in our hair and on our clothes.

“Did you get my Halloween costume yet?”

Shit.

“I’ll get it tomorrow.”

“Mom,” she whined.

I sighed, ill-equipped to handle her mood swings this morning. I was barely able to keep up with my own, and it didn’t help that what little breakfast I’d eaten sat lodged in my throat, just waiting to make an appearance.

“You’ll love it, I promise.” As soon as the bus pulled up, I bent and gave her a hug. “Have a great day at school.”

“Bye, Mom!” She stomped up the stairs, and as the yellow bus started to wheel away, she waved at me from her seat at the front. I waved back, then I stood for a few minutes, eyes closed, face upturned toward the falling mist, and just breathed. The cool air soothed the nausea, and the serene chirping of birds, combined with the gentle rustle of leaves, eased the tension from my muscles.

I sensed Gage’s presence before he touched me.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked, resting his hands on my shoulders.

“Fresh air helps the nausea.”

Wrapping his arms around me, he rested his chin on my shoulder. “Then we’ll stand out here as long as you need, though I’d hate for you to come down with a cold.”

“Cold weather doesn’t cause—”

“Illnesses, I know.” He let out a soft laugh into my hair. “Viruses do.”

“And bacteria.”

“That too.”

Standing in the rain with him like this gave me a sense of deja vu. He let me have my meditative moment for a couple minutes longer, then he tugged on my arm, and I followed him back into the house. The day held a weird sort of energy I couldn’t put my finger on. The air was rife with it as we settled in at the dining table again, where we’d gathered for breakfast before Eve had to leave for school.

Gage folded his newspaper and set it aside, and the way he scrutinized me made me edgy. I crossed my arms, suddenly chilled despite my sweater. The ball was tonight, and he’d taken the day off from work so we could…talk.

“You should try finishing your breakfast,” he said, nudging my partially eaten plate of pancakes toward me.

“I’m sorry. I’m just not hungry right now.”

“Do you want me to fix you something else?”

“I don’t know. Maybe in a while.”

With a sigh, he grabbed my hand. “Are you nervous about tonight?”

Avoiding his gaze, I darted my tongue out and wet my lips. “Which part?”

“The latter half of the evening.”