Page 17 of Handsome
She rocked on her feet and then gave me a bigger smile. “A teddy bear. I called him Mr. Teddy. He’s gone now.”
Sarah must have been adorable as a girl with her bear. I asked her, “What did he look like?”
She let out a small laugh, like she was lost in the past as she spoke, and then said, “Soft, light brown hair, about the length of your forearm.”
I’d have to find another for her.
My parents came together and then waved. I called out, “Bon voyage Maman, Pedar.”
“Be good to Sarah,” my father added, at the top of his lungs, so they probably heard him in town or across the bay.
Sarah had a cute blush, but she called back to them, “Aww, thank you both for your wonderful hospitality.”
“See you soon, okay?” I said and nodded to them.
Pedar unhooked the rope.
We waited and waved until they were underway.
Now we were alone.
She turned toward me and said, “I’m sure you’ll miss them.”
When Joshua chose that moment to start fussing, Sarah took out a bottle and I handed her the baby as I said, “They’ll be back in a few weeks.”
She let Joshua drink while she held him. I had no idea how she was able to make it look so easy. She said, “Let’s get Joshua home, because it’s getting to be time for his nap.”
“You know best,” I agreed. If he napped after food, he was lucky. As we walked toward the house, I winked at Sarah as I said, “And besides, you and I have a dance lesson.”
She straightened her spine and then blinked. “What about lunch on the beach?”
The staff could easily rearrange things. I shrugged, “We’ll have it in the garden instead.”
We were on our way home along the beach path when her phone rang.
I beckoned to hold Joshua. She put him in my arms and made sure he was still able to suck on the bottle. I held him as she directed, and then she let go and called back whoever called her.
They answered and her eyes widened, so I assumed it was my contact for burials, especially when she said, “You do?” More words were spoken to her, but then she nodded and said, “That’s fast… okay, please just do the normal one. I’ll be there first thing in the morning.”
She turned off her phone and then rubbed the back of her.
I asked, “Everything okay?”
She nodded, but then bounced on her feet. “I’m confused, but it’s fine. It’s good.”
I brushed her shoulder and asked, “What?”
She gazed at me and seemed so innocent. “The death certificate came in early. I told them to proceed with the cremations.”
I absolutely wanted to follow through on my plan. If I had her heart, then maybe we’d be forever. As we neared the front door, I asked quietly, “Do you want to be there?”
She glowed with the sunlight behind her, making her seem even more gorgeous than she already was as she said, “No. I want to be here with you and Joshua.”
I opened the door for her and said, “You mean you want to dance.”
Her nose wrinkled as she said, “I didn’t say that.”
I laughed and said, “You didn’t have to use words.”
