Page 22 of Forever Focused

Michael threw back his head and laughed easily, feeling freer than he had in years. It was like he’d shrugged off the weights, slaked off his shameful secrets, and found someone who just accepted him for him.

“Excellence in Failure, huh? I like that…”

They both sat there in the dark, shoulder to shoulder, holding hands, unsure what to say next – and then he heard her speak.

“I’ve missed your laugh.”

“I’ve missed yours.”

“I hate that we are both so scared sometimes of what this is, but can’t let go either… or it feels like that to me, at least.”

“It’s the same for me.”

And he heard a faint shaky breath followed by a hushed sob that nearly broke his heart. He reached for her blindly with his free hand, cupping the side of her face and bringing her head back to his shoulder, smoothing back her hair and holding her close.

“I’m sorry I’m such a jerk,” he whispered and then kissed her forehead gently. “Forgive me? I’ve always wanted to be the best, to succeed, so I could make you proud.”

She jerked back slightly and touched his cheek.

“You do make me proud,” she breathed. “I think you are the most incredible person I’ve ever met.”

“Excellence in Failure?”

“It’s my favorite thing,” she chuckled tearfully and he felt her breath brush against his lips, knowing somehow that she was trying to kiss him in the dark. He leaned forward, drawn, and gently kissed her. It wasn’t a grand passionate kiss or something leading to more, but rather a first tender true kiss of love, a silent promise between them. Neither deepened the kiss; this innocent connection was enough for now.

A moment later, he heard the softly spoken words he’d longed for, tickling his lips as he pressed his forehead to hers.

“Do you think we could try this one more time?”

“I’d like that,” he admitted and chuckled softly, not moving.

“What?”

“You know, if we make it somehow, my parents are never babysitting our kids…” he began, referring to them being locked in the pantry and treasuring her precious tiny giggle between them in the darkness. “I am not going to give them the satisfaction of admitting this worked.”

“Nope,” she smiled against his lips. “Let’s pretend it didn’t – and meet for coffee tomorrow?”

“Sounds like a date.”

“I can’t wait.”

“Me neither… wait. Do you hear that? What is that?”

Blinding light flooded the pantry, making Michael wince as he looked up at his mother’s frightened face. He felt Poppy tense beside him, realizing she also recognized something was terribly wrong.

“Mom, what is…”

“GO GET YOUR FATHER!” his mother yelped frantically, reaching forward with both hands, grasping him by the shoulders, and yanking him up bodily. The sheer panicked strength of the woman was alarming, and he knew the amount of adrenaline running through her had to have given her superhuman strength.

“What’s going on?” Poppy said from behind him.

“Mom… what happened?”

“Your father is in the yard about to kill Emmett Wilkes!”

“WHAT?!”

Michael shoved past his mother to go rescue his best friend from whatever was happening, only to see Emmett step into the house. His father’s grim face was right behind him, glaring at the back of the man’s head as he held up a cell phone and heard him bark, ‘Go.’

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