Page 185 of The Infiniteness of Yesterday
I send him a confused look. “Said what?”
He grins, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “That you missed me.” I purse my lips, and he laughs. “It’s okay. Don’t say it. But I know you have.”
With a sigh, I admit, “I’ve missed you. A lot.”
“Good, because I’ve missed you.”
There’s something deeper in those words, something I don’t dare delve too far into.
“Monroe wants to stay with you tonight, so I have her stuff with me. I figure we can pick her up from school together and then I’ll take you home.”
He exhales a weighted breath. “I know it’s only been a few months, but I’m scared there’s going to be something different about her that I missed by being gone.”
I shoot him an understanding smile. “She’s the same. I promise. She does have a loose tooth, though, so you might be playing tooth fairy before you leave.”
I jolt when his hand lands on my knee and gives a gentle squeeze.
“I missed you,” he murmurs.
I glance at him in confusion. “You already said that.”
“I know, but I wantyouto know that I mean it.”
He pulls his hand away and I suddenly feel several degrees colder.
We make it to the school in time to get in the pickup line and not be too far back. I swear the people who are always first in line get there three hours early, which baffles me. What’s the point in waiting that long to get out of line quick when if you just waited in the regular line, you’d certainly be through it quicker than three hours? To each their own, I guess.
I spot Monroe running toward the car, her backpack slamming up and down as she sprints.
I told her that Spencer would be with me. She doesn’t show this much enthusiasm on a normal day I pick her up.
Spencer opens the car door and steps out, crouching down so she can crash into his arms.
“Daddy! You’re home!” she cries, wrapping her arms tight around his neck. “You smell funny.”
He laughs as he sets her down and opens the back door for her. “I’m sure I smell like an airport.”
“So, airports smell bad?” she muses.
“A little,” he replies, getting back in the car. “Mom said you want to stay with me tonight.”
She nods vigorously. “Yeah. You have to leave again soon, so I want to be with you.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I don’t miss Spencer’s frown.
“She’s been fine,” I whisper under my breath. “She just misses you is all.”
Monroe talks our ears off on the drive up to Malibu, but I can tell Spencer doesn’t mind one bit. He’s just happy to be with her.
He gives me his gate code, and I pull up to his house. He hops out and so does Monroe.
“Don’t forget your stuff,” I call after her. “Backpack and your other bag. And do your homework.”
Spencer pokes his head back in the open passenger door. “You’re not coming?”
“Coming where?” I ask dumbly.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. I thought you might want to stay for dinner or something.
