Page 68 of Finding Us

“No, I’m good. Sean and I already ate.”

“How’d it go with your parents last night?” As soon as I ask it, Garret’s eyes dart across the table, giving me a look to butt out.

Harper tries to maintain her smile but I can tell it’s a struggle. “It was fine. The restaurant was great. It was a little Greek restaurant that’s right on the water. They had people playing music and doing Greek dances. And the food was really good. You guys should try it. It’s only like a half hour up the coast.”

“So what’s Sean doing today?”

She smiles. “Making your wedding cakes. Not the real ones. He’s making some practice ones to make sure they come out right. Then he’s getting stuff prepped for Saturday. He wants to get everything set up now so he doesn’t have to worry about it. That’s why my mom and I are going shopping. We need to stay out of his way. You sure you don’t want to go shopping with us? Or you could meet us for lunch later.”

“I can’t. Lilly’s coming over.”

“Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting that.”

“What time is your dad done with his um, meeting or whatever he’s doing?”

Garret nudges my foot under the table and gives me that look again.

“My mom said he’s not having dinner with us, so I guess that means he’s having dinner with whoever he’s meeting with. I don’t ask him about work stuff. It kind of stresses him out to talk about it.” She checks her phone. “My mom just texted. She’s on her way over. I’ll see you guys later.”

She gets up and hurries out the door.

“Jade.” Garret’s staring at me.

“What? I was just making conversation.” I take his plate and mine to the sink.

He meets me over there. “Stop thinking about that meeting today. It doesn’t have anything to do with me. Or us.”

“You don’t know that,” I say, putting the plates in the dishwasher.

“Hey.” He turns me toward him, his hands on my upper arms. “Idoknow it. So get it out of your head right now. We’re going to have a great day. The weather’s perfect. Lilly and Grace are coming over. And of courseI’llbe here, so that alone is enough to make it a great day.” Cue the cocky grin.

I laugh. “Okay. I won’t think about it anymore.” I hug him. “I love you.”

He kisses me. “I love you, too.”

I go around him to the laundry room. “Grace will be here soon. I’m gonna get the beach towels. What do kids play with at the beach? We don’t have any toys or anything for Lilly.”

“She just needs something to scoop sand with.” Garret goes through the kitchen drawers and takes out a measuring cup, a mixing spoon, a plastic bowl, and some tall plastic glasses. “There. That’s all she needs.”

I look at him, confused. “Is she making a cake?”

“Sand castle. Or princess castle as she likes to call it. She’ll spend all day doing that. And I’ll take her out in the water. She won’t be bored.”

A half hour later, Grace and Lilly arrive and we find a spot on the beach and set out some chairs. For the rest of the morning, Garret and I help Lilly build a giant sand castle while Grace reads her gardening magazines. She seems happy and content spending time with us. She won’t admit it, but I know she’s lonely without Arlin around. She has some friends she does things with, but she mostly spends her time alone in her house.

Around 1, we go inside for lunch. Then we return to our spot on the beach and Garret takes Lilly out into the ocean to play in the water. They bob up and down with the waves. She’s laughing and smiling. She’s so happy being out there with Garret.

“He’s good with her,” Grace says, gazing out at them.

“Yeah, he is.” I watch Garret bring Lilly to the shore, setting her on the sand. He grabs a beach ball and tosses it to her.

Grace sets her magazine down. “You think you’ll wait a while to have children?”

“I’m not sure if we’re having them.”

“Oh, I guess I just assumed. . .” Her voice trails off.

“Yeah, everyone assumes that. I’m just not sure that’s what I want.”

---