Page 56 of Like A Daydream
“Hey,” she says, lamely, “I have news, and I thought you guys should know, even though I don’t think you can hear anything I’m telling you.”
She pauses for dramatic effect.
“I also think I need permission,” she says with a shrug, “because this news doesn’t just affect me, it affects Harper, too.”
The breeze ruffles her hair, and she decides to suspend her disbelief for just a minute as she takes a deep breath.
“I met someone,” she says, finally, “and I know it’s only been a few weeks, but he loves Harper, and I really like him. He’s a hockey player, like professionally, and he’s kind.”
She looks up at the rest of the cemetery, and around at the mountains. It really is beautiful.
“I like him,” she says again, “and I’m trying to get over the guilt of that, so if you could help me out, that would be great.”
She stands.
“I don’t know how to keep moving with my life when every inch of this place is filled with memories,” she says, looking out over at the rows of stones. “I’m trying, but I don’t know how to do this without you. I know the world keeps moving, but mine is going in slow motion and at lightning speed at the same time, and I’m not sure how that’s possible.”
Danielle shoves her hands in her pockets, looking over the neat rows of tombstones with a sigh.
“I don’t know how to do it without you,” she says again, “but I also know that I need to have my own life. You’re always going to be there, and it’s weird that I can’t just call you and tell you about Andy when I so desperately want to. I think he could be the one, Em.”
She laughs. “We aren’t even officially dating yet, and I’m saying he’s it. You would have called me crazy and then told me to go for it.”
Her hand comes to rest on top of Emerson’s stone. “I guess I’ll have to. Go for it, I mean.”
She kicks the ground with her foot, turns on her heel, and starts to walk away.
It’s not everything she wanted to say, but it’s a start.
Andy is leaning against his truck in blue-gray board shorts and a well-worn gray, long-sleeve Met Division Championship shirt when she gets to the boat launch. She parks her jeep next to him, and as soon as she cuts the ignition, he’s at her door to open it for her.
“Hey,” he says, grinning, extending a hand for her like she’s getting out of a limo at a red carpet, not just a dock. She takes it, smiling softly.
“Hey,” she says, hoping her eyes aren’t still red from the few tears that she’d shed on her drive over. His brow furrows, and he pulls her into a hug.
She hides her face in his chest and breathes him in, pretending for just a minute that this is a normal, everyday occurrence and she can call him hers.
His arms tighten around her slightly before he pulls back to look in her eyes.
“Are you okay?” he asks.
“I went and saw Emerson and Jack,” she says, looking away, “I’m okay now, but I wasn’t an hour ago.”
“Well, if it helps you feel any better, JT and Ainsley are trying to get the jet skis in the water and it’s been its own special brand of disaster.”
She bursts out laughing, and she feels lighter. “Now this Ihaveto see.”
“He had one tire on the ramp and the other tire on the dock as he was backing up and I thought for sure it was all over,” Andy says, grinning. “Come on, let’s see If they’re surviving. Or if Ainsley is looking up how to get a divorce.”
He holds his hand out for her to take, and she lets their fingers slide together, even though they haven’t talked about whatthisis. The smile on his face as he leads her through the parking lot to the boat launch is worth it.
“No, left!” Ainsley shouts, as Jet presses the gas and backs up. “Jamie, left!”
“I’m going left!” he yells, sticking his head out the window. The trailer is about an inch away from hitting the wall on the right of the boat launch. “This thing is too touchy!”
“You’ve lived by a lake for your entire life, and you can’t put a trailer in a boat launch?” Ainsley asks from her spot on the dock.
“It’s not as simple as it sounds, hot shot,” Jet says, putting the truck in forward again. They’re lucky that most people have homes on the lake with their own private docks, so the boat launch is relatively quiet. Even for a Saturday.
