Page 12

Bloom – The Paper Kites

Declan

A soft fall breeze moves through Deon and Nathalie’s large, manicured backyard, filling the air with the scent of lilacs permeating from the large bushes lining the house. Deon spared no expense with his new patio—one side home to a small herb garden, a massive built-in fireplace in the center, and the opposite side equipped with a grill and a ten-person outdoor dining table.

It’s the perfect place to host, which is how I know Nathalie chose the design. He would never select something that encouraged people to visit.

Sawyer drops a beer on the table in front of me before sitting in an open deck chair. Nathalie sits on the small loveseat beside me, curled beneath a thin blanket, and Maren lies back on a reclining chair, the picture of bliss.

The best part about having a Thursday night game, like we did this week, is the few days we get off on the weekend. Even though this get-together is an obvious check-in to make sure I’m surviving, it’s a beautiful day outside, and I’ve already seen a Stellar’s Jay and two Black-capped Chickadees.

Deon and Nathalie have prime bird-watching real estate.

“Where’s my husband?” Sawyer asks, “He said he would bring out the cheese tray ten minutes ago.”

“Well…it was sitting right next to a batch of cookies,” Nathalie says. “And he’s in there with no supervision.”

“Oh, no.” Sawyer groans. “He ate three on the way here.”

Henry is a lost cause, and so are the cookies. On the opposite end of the patio, Deon and Jack work to set up the temperature probe connected to the grill. Deon threw in the towel and now sits and watches while Jack explains the function of each knob and button.

“Have you guys finished the book for Book Club?” Nathalie asks, sipping on a seltzer.

Maren lifts her sunglasses onto her forehead. “No. And don’t spoil it.”

“That happened one time,” Nathalie grumbles.

“Yeah, but you spoiled the plot twist no one was expecting,” Sawyer adds.

“Fine. I won’t talk about it.”

“I finished it,” I admit, “ So good . We can discuss later.”

I wink, and Nathalie shoves my shoulder.

I finished the book last week, trying to keep my mind occupied instead of straying to thoughts of Addie. It worked until she texted me.

There’s no playbook for what’s happening between us. It’s confusing and unclear, but I crave her presence and laughter, and every time I see her, I feel the zap in my chest. When I was a rookie, there was no pressure. I dated because I could, and because, for the first time, I felt wanted.

And it went to my head.

I made poor decisions, and hurt people, and it took a long time to reconcile who I was with who I wanted to be.

When I started dating again after some time speaking with Sharon, it was purposeful. Each date was meant to discover if I had a connection with someone. But there was no pressure because there was never any zing.

With Addie, there’s an undercurrent of electricity every time we’re in the same room. My pulse races, and my stomach fills with nerves. It’s like I’m sprinting downfield, arms stretched out, hoping a Hail Mary falls into my awaiting palms.

“What are you thinking about?” Sawyer asks when I’m quiet for too long.

I pause for long enough that my silence is the answer.

“We like her,” Maren says. “And Nora.”

“I do, too,” I admit.

More than I should, only having spent a short time with them.

Since our game this week was in New Orleans, I’ve barely seen Addie. Between traveling and our days off, I’ve had nothing more than a passing glimpse of her as she helped Ben load the bus heading to the airport.

Thinking about her doesn’t hold a candle to spending time with her, and I’m greedy for more time.

I miss the way the light shines on her hair, the copper strands bright, like a new penny. And her giggles—god, do I miss those. The way they start soft and low, then grow boisterous over time.

Nathalie stares at me with a mildly concerning smile. It’s all teeth, and she blinks far too often than is natural. I poke her with my foot.

“Stop looking at me like a deranged demon.”

She gasps. “I’m not.”

Deon appears in front of her, picks her up, and then sits back down with her in his lap.

“I was banished from grill duty,” he grumbles.

Her odd behavior washes away as Deon rubs a hand down her back, clutching her tightly.

“Why?” Maren asks, but I think we all know why.

“Your husband is very particular and told me I was ruining the meat.”

“Then you probably were,” Maren says, then turns in her chair toward Jack, who is guarding the grill. “Looking hot!” she yells, wolf-whistling.

Jack waves, then turns back to the grill, focused on his task.

“What are we talking about?” Deon asks, pulling Nathalie’s left hand into his and playing with her engagement ring.

“Addie,” Sawyer says with a smirk, “And how Declan likes her.”

“Ohhh,” Deon coos, “Declan has a crush .”

My nose twitches at his teasing, but I can’t stop my small smile.

He opens his mouth, but Henry’s head pops out of the back door. “I found some friends,” he says, before a head of dark curly hair and pink sparkles darts out the door. My breath hitches as Nora runs across the patio, a piece of paper in her hand and a tiara on her head, straight toward me.

A piece of paper flutters in her hand as she moves closer, and my heart races faster and faster.

They’re here .

A head of the most beautiful hair appears beside Henry in the doorway, but my attention is ripped away when Nora crashes against my chest, her small limbs wrapping around me.

“Decy!” She pulls away, then says, “I made this for you.”

Her cheeks turn pink, and she bashfully hands over the piece of construction paper. Emotion clogs my throat as I take in the drawing.

It's us.

Nora, Addie, and me at Olive Garden. She’s drawn crowns and tiaras on each of our heads and used glitter glue to add some sparkle.

A tear slides down my cheek as I admire Nora’s work, and my heart thumps in my chest. This is going right on my fridge when I get home. It will add some life to the dead space.

“Are you sad?” Nora asks, then adds more quietly, “Do you not like it?”

I crouch down to meet her eyes. They’re questioning and confused. “They’re happy tears,” I assure her. “I love it. Very much.”

“She spent all day yesterday working on it,” Addie says, standing behind her.

My throat dries at the sight of her—fucking stunning.

She’s wearing casual clothes today. A loose sage green linen top. Light wash jeans just tight enough that they curve her ass wonderfully. Her auburn hair is down in loose waves, and my fingers itch to run through the strands.

“It’s going right on my fridge when I get home,” I tell Nora.

Nora smiles widely and moves on to greet the rest of my friends.

“I didn’t know you were coming.”

Addie laughs as Nora begins to ask Deon about his favorite Disney movies.

“We ran into Nathalie at the grocery store yesterday. She invited us. I hope that’s okay.”

“Okay?” I step toward Addie until we’re sharing the same air. The rest of the world falls away. “This day just got so much better now that you and Nora are here.” I reach out to pull a piece of her hair. “I’ll take whatever time I can get with you.”

She blushes. “Are you flirting with me?”

“Is it working?”

“Maybe.”

Nora magically reappears at our side. “‘Maybe’ isn’t an answer,” she says. Exasperation slides over Addie’s face, and I bite my lip to prevent my laughter. “Can I meet Gordie? Deon said to ask you first because he’s a fluffy evil monster.”

I bark a laugh when Addie’s eyes bulge.

“Gordie is Deon’s cat. He loves everyone but Deon.” Addie looks to me like she’s handing off the decision-making to me. There’s something intimate about her deference, and my heart swells. “Be very, very gentle,” I say, “And listen to Nathalie.”

“Thank you!” Nora runs away and drags Deon and Nathalie into the house. Deon grumbles about his evilness the entire way and only stops when Nathalie swats him in the chest.

“She talks about you all the time,” Addie admits, her features softening. “She’s very fond of you.”

“And you?”

“What?”

“How do you feel?”

About me. About a potential us.

She gulps. “Fondness isn’t the only thing I feel when I look at you.”

I blink, and before I can dissect her words, she’s being pulled away by Sawyer and Maren. I start to follow, but Maren turns around and places a hand on my chest.

“Go away, Monroe. It’s girl time.”

“I’m always included in girl time,” I whine.

Addie cackles and looks over her shoulder as she’s dragged toward the chairs.

“That was before you brought a girl. Now you're banished. Go talk to your teammates.”

“I’ve brought women to things before,” I grumble, “and they’re boring.” I point at Henry and Jack, who are talking about landscaping.

“We heard that,” Jack calls out.

“You’re talking about lawnmowers!” I counter.

“None of the women were worthy of being invited to girl time. Now, shoo.”

Maren shoves me toward her husband and darts off to join Sawyer and Addie.

I peer over my shoulder as I begrudgingly join Henry and Jack and bear witness to a glorious smile from Addie. The nerves and tension radiating from her washes away when Sawyer says something.

It hits me when I sit down that maybe girl time is exactly what Addie needs.