Page 13 of Love Me Like You Do

“I do.” The sharp wrench in her heart told her just how much she did.Well, let’s be honest.She wanted everything she didn’t have as a child.

She didn’t need a therapist to explain her difficulty making friends. It stemmed from moving so often growing up. When she saw a group of people talking in yoga class, she quickly left the studio. Afraid of rejection, afraid of breaking into a clique… A lifetime of being the new kid still impacted her.

It wasn’t all that long ago that she’d accepted her fate. She would be a single woman in this life.

And that was okay. She’d made peace with it.

Paisley got up on her knees to look more closely at her drawing. “What’re you making?”

“A robe. Do you like it?”

“What’s a robe?”

“Sometimes, when you wake up in the morning and it’s cold, you put a robe on over your pajamas. Or maybe it’s a lazy Sunday, and you want to lounge around the house drinking tea and watching movies. You don’t want to get dressed, but you don’t want to be in your pajamas, so you throw on a robe.”

“I don’t have a robe.” She was quiet for a moment. “My mommy doesn’t have a robe.”

An alarm rang in her body. Here was an opportunity to talk about her parents. “Oh, yeah? What did your mommy wear around the house?”

Paisley shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“I never used to wear robes, either. But then I started making them, and now I wear them all the time. They’re pretty, and they’re comfy.”

“How do you make them?”

“With fabric and a needle and thread.”

“Can you make me one?”

“I’d love to.”

“Yay. Thank you. Can you make one for Evvie, too?”

Ah, Evvie. Good to know her nickname. “You bet I can. Matching or different?”

Paisley gave it some thought. “Different.”

“You got it. So, first, you’ve got to tell me your favorite colors.”

The little girl sorted through the markers and pulled a blue and an orange. “I like yellow, too. And green. Green is like grass.”

“So, you like colors you find in nature Blue like a lake and yellow like the sun.”

“Yes, but do I have to choose just one?”

“Nope. My robes have lots of colors. Here, let me show you.” She pulled her phone out of the zippered pouch in her tote and opened her photo file, scrolling until she found the robe that hit all Paisley’s favorite colors. “See how it’s got blue, yellow, orange, and a little green? I could make that for you.”

“That’s pretty.” She scrunched her nose in disapproval. “Do you have purple? That’s my favorite color.”

“Yes, I do. Hang on.” She scrolled some more. “This one?” She’d used muted jewel tones, making the robes look like a favorite T-shirt that had gone through the wash a hundred times.

“Yes.” Paisley gave her a big smile. “I like that one.”

I’d give it to you, but I’d have to yank it off my mom’s new friend. “And what about Evvie? What colors does she like?”

“Evvy likes red.”

“Should I put other colors in it?”