Page 147 of Voices

He starts bouncing around like a bunny, his ears flopping like crazy. Then he stops, wiggles his butt, and jumps into my arms, making me fall to my ass. He licks my face as I pet his soft fur, chuckling.

“Don’t let him get too comfortable or you’ll never be able to sit without him jumping into your lap whether you want him to or not.” Shane’s dad winks as he walks past with our luggage.

Shane squats down behind me and wraps his arms around me to pet Tucker. “Want to go inside and look around? There’s something I want to show you that I think you’ll love.” He kisses the side of my neck before standing up, pulling me with him.

Tucker whines at our feet as we walk into the spacious living room. It’s an open-floor concept that has tons of natural light coming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows and leads into the kitchen at the back of the house where his mom is making sandwiches at a large counter.

As we walk up to the counter, I see it. I have tunnel vision as my feet lead me to the door that opens to their backyard. Only it’s not a typical backyard. There’s a big inground pool and a large pool house in the back corner but that’s not what’s caught my eye. Just beyond the white fence is a clearing of sand and a lake that goes out as far as the eye can see.

Strong arms wrap around my waist from behind. I drop my head back onto Shane’s shoulder as we watch the waves crash onto the sand.

“It’s even more breathtaking at night,” he says softly next to my ear. “We aren’t by any major cities, so no lights or pollution is blocking the view of all the stars.”

I tilt my head up to look at him. “Can we watch the stars tonight?"

He kisses my nose before spinning me around. “We can spend every single night out there, baby. It only drops to about sixty at night, so we won’t have to worry about freezing.”

I stand on my tiptoes and kiss him, feeling emotions I can’t even explain. I drop back down, still looking into his gorgeous eyes, wishing I had the strength to tell him how much I love him. He must see it in my eyes because the sweetest smile lifts his cheeks as he lightly traces under my eyes with the pads of his thumbs.

“Okay, love birds,” his mom interrupts, “this is beyond adorable, and as much as I don’t want it to end, I have lunch ready. I know you two have had a long morning with only airport food in your bellies so come eat!” She shares the same bright smile as Shane.

She has a spread of two types of bread, five different meats, three types of cheese, and all the condiments, along with an array of fruits and vegetables. Not wanting to be rude, I start making a sandwich with the three cheeses, even though I only recognize cheddar.

A plate with golden grilled cheese slides in front of me. I look over my shoulder and see Becca.

“I figured this is more up your alley,” she whispers, then winks before making her own sandwich.

I stare down at the grilled cheese. Shane is the only person who’s ever thought of me when it comes to being a vegetarian. And now his sister, who I’ve just met, has made me a sandwich. It’s something so small and it shouldn’t make me feel like crying but the back of my eyes start burning anyway.

“Told you they’d love you.” Shane wraps his arm around my shoulder and kisses the top of my head.

I blink back any tears that try to slip out and lean into his side. We stop and get some fruit before sitting at the table. I sit quietly and eat while listening to their conversation. His dad is a huge hockey fan and loves the Chicago Blackbirds but has settled for cheering on the Tampa Bay Thunder. He also has an eight-year-old husky that’s named Stanley, which apparently is the name of the NHL trophy. And he’ll be retiring next summer.

His mom exudes happiness. She has this aura that makes me feel safe and welcome. I noticed she always has a small smile like she truly enjoys being surrounded by her family. It’s a strange thing to witness when my mother only seems annoyed when I’m around. Becca is what I presume most older siblings are like. She pokes fun at Shane and brings up childhood memories that have his cheeks turning pink. Their back-and-forth banter is bittersweet though. I love watching Shane laugh with his sister, but it makes me sad that Benji and I never had this. I do my best to push those feelings into the back of my mind and enjoy the moment.

After lunch, Shane brings me up to his room. It’s similar to his room at his condo with the light walls and dark comforter on his bed. I walk to the wall closest to the door and look at the three shelves overflowing with trophies. Most are from hockey, but he has a couple from football and basketball. Walking further into his room, I go to the massive bookcase that lines the far wall. I run my fingers along the spines until I reach his window and I’m floored by the view.

The bright blue sky meets the dark water of the lake in a backdrop to the vividly green palm trees that line the light-colored sand. It’s breathtaking.

Shane stands next to me as we watch the light breeze move the palm leaves as the waves crash to the shore.

“There’s a beach on Lake Michigan a few miles from my house,” I say, still looking out his window. “During the summer, I’d find myself climbing up the dunes with only the moon and stars as my light. There’s this one flat spot that’s perfect to lie back on and look up at the stars. The waves helped calm me when I was having a hard day, and that, combined with thestars, became my safe place. I’m pretty sure I’ve spent more time sleeping on that beach than I have in my bed.”

Shane laces his fingers through mine as he pulls me into his chest. I take in a lungful of his addictive scent.

“You can go down to the beach whenever you’d like while we’re here. You can even lay spreadeagle right in the middle of the sand and no one will bother you. The closest neighbor is five miles away, so this part of the beach is all ours.” He hugs me tightly. “I’m sorry you had to sleep on the beach to feel safe.”

I bury my face into his hard chest and hug him back.

We spend the rest of the afternoon hanging out with his parents and sister. They show me around their quiet neighborhood, including Shane’s elementary and high school which prompts more teasing between him and Becca. For dinner, we meet up with his younger sister, Liz. She’s a spitting image of their mom with long flowy light brown hair and blue eyes.

Afterwards, we say goodnight to Becca and Liz then head back to his parents’ house.

“You boys want to watch a Christmas movie with us?” His mom asks as we walk into the living room.

Shane looks at me and I shrug, not really caring what we do as long as I get to sit before I explode from eating so much.

“Sure, Mom. We’re going to go change first, then meet you guys in the basement.”

---