Page 39 of The Sound of Forever
There are questions I want to ask, but they hover at the edge of my thoughts. Maybe I should wait for him to open up more. Will he ever tell me about it all? Who he was?
Maybe that’s why I haven’t pushed. Because I know he’s not his mistakes. Whatever he’s been through, whoever he was before, he’s working to be here now. And maybe that’s enough for today. I see it every day.
“Falling five times while trying to hold a pose isn’t . . .great,” he says with a mocking tone. “But I’ll take it.”
Rayne’s sitting on the porch swing, her feet kicking lightly against the wooden frame, her bunny tucked securely in her arms. I’m not sure when she came outside. I was too focused on my breathing while watching Keane falling on his face. She’s still very quiet, though it’s safe to say that she’s beginning to warm up to me. She’s still reserved, though, watching more than speaking.
The teachers at her school say she’s starting to make friends. That’s a good step. I’ve been doing everything I can to help her adjust, but it’s been slow going. I offered to take her to a therapist, but she ignored me, her selective hearing working in full force.
I even had Nat, a pediatrician and one of Nydia’s friends, check on her to make sure everything was okay physically. Nat recommended a few new therapists, and Nydia’s husband even offered to fly someone in if it would help. I might take him up on that soon because I’m running out of ideas.
But she’ll talk to Keane. Every day after dinner, she’ll go out and take a walk with him. I watch them from the lounging chair, pretending I’m reading, when in fact I make sure she’s safe.
Once Keane finishes rolling his mat, he glances at Rayne. “Good morning, Ray.”
“Morning,” she responds quietly, her voice muffled as she hugs her bunny tighter.
“Were you enjoying watching me fall?” he asks, his tone light.
Rayne grins and nods, her feet swinging a little faster.
“It’s early. Have you had breakfast yet?” he continues, his tone casual, though I can’t tell if he’s stalling or genuinely curious.
Rayne shakes her head.
“We should invite you to breakfast, Keane,” I say, glancing down at the grass, my voice hesitant. I’m trying not to scare the child or the man. They’re both pretty fidgety and easy to spook. “A consolation prize for trying so many times, even when you kept falling. We’ve got eggs, bacon, and some really good maple syrup for pancakes.”
Rayne’s face lights up, her eyes wide with excitement. Even Keane looks like he’s considering it.
“I could use some breakfast,” he admits, though he shifts his weight like he’s not sure he should stay. “But I can have it at home.”
“Hey, you’ve already survived yoga,” I tease, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Might as well stay for pancakes.”
“Hard to argue with that logic,” he replies, glancing at Rayne. “You’re cooking with us, Ray?”
She presses her lips together for a moment, considering, before nodding.
The three of us head into the kitchen. We wash our hands and start gathering ingredients. Rayne pulls a stool closer to the counter, her bunny now perched on the chair beside her.
“Alright,” I say, tying an apron around my waist. “Do you want to whisk or flip?”
“Whisk,” Keane says without hesitation. “Less chance of me ruining breakfast.”
“Fair enough,” I reply, handing him a bowl and a whisk. “You can start with the pancake batter.”
He rolls up his sleeves and dives into the task, his focus surprising me. There’s something unexpectedly endearing about the way he carefully measures the ingredients, double-checking the instructions I give him as though pancakes are a high-stakes mission.
“You’re taking this seriously,” I comment, cracking eggs into another bowl.
“Cooking isn’t my strong suit,” he says, glancing up briefly. “But I’m good at following directions.”
“Good to know,” I tease, earning a small chuckle from him.
He glances at Rayne, who’s watching him intently, her head tilted as if she’s trying to figure him out. “What’s your favorite breakfast food, Rayne?” he asks, breaking the silence.
“Pancakes,” she says softly, her fingers fiddling with the edge of her bunny’s ear.
“Good choice,” he says with a warm smile. “Can’t go wrong with pancakes. Though I like crepes too. Especially the kind filled with chocolate.”
