Page 36 of Stay With Me
“Honestly, I’m just happy she seems comfortable with everyone around, and I’ve noticed Penny hasn’t left her side,” I tell them.
“I’m not surprised. Sometimes, I feel bad that I don’t want children of my own. Penny is so good with kids. It’s like she knows if they’re nervous and just knows what to do. I’ve been thinking about getting her certified as a therapy dog. I think she would do so well with that,” Am says.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Abby tells her.
I look at the clock and realize that it’s almost time for Jess to go to bed. I’m sad we’ll have to end the night soon. Turning back to the guys, I lock eyes with Noah, and the smile on his face makes my heart skip a beat.
Regardless of what he tells me, I feel like Jess and I have taken over his life, but in moments like these, I know in my bones he enjoys us being here as much as we enjoy being here with him.
His eyes flick back to the clock, and he stands from the couch. “Alright, everyone. It’s time to wrap things up. Jess, it’s almost time for bed.”
Jess looks sad for a moment before Sam says, “It’s okay, kid. I have to go home and practice so I can beat you.”
Jess laughs. “Yeah right, Mr. Sam, you’ll have to practice an awful lot to beat me from the looks of it.”
“Because you cheat! I know Noah taught you how to cheat because he’s a cheater,” Sam says and sticks his hand out for a high five.
“We do not cheat. You’re just a sore loser who can’t admit that you aren’t the best,” Luke says as he puts the controllers back on the charging dock.
“Says the king of cheating,” Sam grumbles.
“Alright, Jess, say goodbye to everyone. We’ll see them all soon,” I tell her.
“Thank you all for coming over. I had a lot of fun,” she says to everyone.
No one forces a hug from her, but as they all start to hug Noah and me, she starts to walk up to them for a hug as well, and my heart expands. Penny sits patiently and waits her turn, and Jess bends to hug her as well. In The Family, contact with anyone other than your husband was forbidden. Looking back now, I see how isolating that could be. I remember falling down and just wanting a hug, but it wasn’t allowed.
Am leans in. “I wouldn’t be shocked if she asks for a dog one day.”
“Let’s take on one thing at a time.” I laugh.
Noah says, “Whatever she wants.”
I whip my head to the side to look at him, and he just winks at me.
Pam laughs as she walks away. “Bye, guys. We’ll plan another get-together soon, but first, a girls’ night.”
“Totally! We’ll talk soon,” Am says, putting the leash on Penny and grabbing Luke’s hand.
“See you guys later. Thanks for having us,” Luke says as he leads Am and Penny out of the house.
“Bye, kiddo. Next time you see me, I’m gonna beat you inMario Kart,” Sam says as he walks out the door.
“Let me know if you guys need anything. See you later, Jess. Make sure you keep your skills up so you keep beating the guys at their own game,” Abby says as she follows Sam.
“See ya later, Jess,” Carter tells her, then looks at Noah and me and waves over his shoulder.
Once everyone’s cleared out, I turn to Jess. “It’s time to start getting ready for bed. If you aren’t super tired, you can read in bed with your reading light.”
“Okay! Thank you for letting me meet all your friends. I had a lot of fun tonight,” she says and hugs us.
“They’re your friends now too. If you ever need something and, for some reason, you can’t get a hold of us, you can ask any of them for help,” Noah tells her.
“But they don’t know me well enough to be my friend. What if they get to know me, and they don’t like me anymore?” Jess asks, looking down at her feet.
I kneel in front of her and put my finger under her chin so that she looks at me. “Hey now. None of that. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that real friends don’t just not like you becauseyou’re different or aren’t the same as them. They welcome you just as you are.”
“Okay,” she says, “I’m kind of tired.”
