Page 26 of Beachy Sweetheart
“Slow down, sweetheart.” I don’t want him to exhaust himself before we make it to the food.
“We’re almost there.” And he picks up the pace. Those long legs eating up the distance.
Sandie’s is a bright red building on stilts. The scent coming from the place makes my mouth water.
“Can you do stairs? If not, they have an elevator around back.”
“I’m good with stairs.” It’s so courteous that he thought to ask.
Instead of waiting for me, he takes two steps at a time until he’s at the empty host stand.
“Sorry, I’m hungrier than I realized. I’m doing better with eating now that my days aren’t full of rushing from one place to the other. Mom put me on six weeks of suspension.”
“Why?” I rub his lower back and he leans into me.
“I was a mess… after that night.” He shakes his head. “It wasn’t you. I want you to know that. I got overwhelmed with bad thoughts when Maddie abruptly woke me up.”
I turn him to face me and map out his face. “How bad was the bruise in the end?”
He cringes. “Bad. I don’t know if the stuffie just hit me at the right angle or what, but I was black and blue for like a week and a half. It’s only just started getting better.”
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
He waves me away. “It’s fine. I called Maddie and we’re good. Chatted with Bel and Evan, too. Evan wasn’t there that night, though. He got in trouble with his Mommy and she grounded him. I don’t think she’s a nice Mommy, at least not to him. Evan’s a good boy.”
“Do you think the club needs to investigate her?”
“Dunno. He never says anything. And?—”
“Table for two?” A host comes out to greet us.
“Yes, with a view. Please and thank you,” Trevor says. “And a coloring page with crayons.”
“Sure thing, sweetie. And grab what you want.” The host waves toward a wall with three different coloring pages and a box full of small boxes of crayons. I grab my own coloring page. Once we’re ready, the host seats us next to a huge window that overlooks the ocean.
“This is beautiful,” I say as I take the offered menu.
“Best view around,” Trevor says.
“We’re pretty proud of what we have at Sandie’s. Mindy will be over to take your order shortly.”
We both thank the host and I scan over the menu.
“So what’s good here?” I ask and lay the paper back on the table.
“Everything, but my favorite is the Southern cheese grits. So yummy. Or the nuggies. Or anything on the menu, really.”
“Want me to order for you?” I don’t know why I ask, but it’s something I’d like to do for him.
He nods. “Yes, please.” He drops his menu and rips open his crayon box. I don’t think his Little retreated, I think he just needed to have someone safe to tell him it’s okay again. He’s humming as he selects what colors he wants and starts coloring.
“Trevor?” I ask softly.
“Uh-huh?” His tongue pokes out as he presses a crayon to his coloring page.
“Do you realize how fast you went into Little space?”
He blinks up at me and giggles. Oh, that sound! “You fixeded me.”
