Page 105 of Someone to Remember
“I suppose that’s true, but I feel the need to continue paying forward what was given so generously to me at a time when I had zero hope that the future could be anything other than grim and depressing.”
“Which is fair, but maybe we dial it back a bit. We don’t have to attend every meeting and hear every terrible tale of loss and grief. I’m not sure it’s a good idea to dwell in that space indefinitely, you know?”
Nodding, I take back my hand to grab a piece of bread. “It’s something to think about, for sure. Just so you know… I think I’d need a twelve-step program to wean myself off regular doses of Iris and Gage and all their wisdom.”
“They’d still be there for us if we aren’t active members of the group. You know that.”
“They say I’m their proudest accomplishment.”
“You were a feral tiger when you first joined,” he says, grinning, “and look at you now.”
“Now I’m a domesticated house cat with two kittens. Meow.”
He fans his face. “You’re making me hot.”
I sputter with laughter. “Oh my God. Relax, will you?”
“I’m on a date with my best girl. I’m not planning to relax for hours and hours.”
Rolling my eyes, I say, “Thanks for the warning.”
“Love you forever, wife.”
“Love you longer cuz I’m so much younger, husband.”
Smiling, he raises his glass in a toast to me. “Well played, love.”
Kinsley
On Tuesday,I meet Luke for lunch in Georgetown, near his office. He has forty-five minutes between patients, so I get to the restaurant early and secure a table for us so we can make the most of every minute.
I’m as nervous as I can recall being since I lost Rory, which makes me feel foolish as a grown woman, a mother and a professional. My internal narrator has been working overtime as I debated every detail of this outing, from what to wear to how to do my hair to whether I’d put on too much makeup to what time I should leave the house. I ended up wearing jeans and a cute sweater and wore my hair up in a twist.
By the time I see Luke come through the door, I’m exhausted from the mental energy I’ve expended to get this far.
I wave to him, and when he spots me, his warm smile settles my nerves.
He’s wearing a light blue dress shirt with a navy blue tie and has an ID on a lanyard that he’s tucked into the pocket of his shirt. Even from a distance, I’m struck by how incredibly handsome he is with tousled dark blond hair and golden brown eyes. As he makes his way toward me, I notice female heads turning to take in the splendor.
Shut up, Kinsley. Just shut the hell up.
Still smiling, he sits across from me and exhales as if he’s completed a race to get there. “Everything ran late this morning. Naturally, that happens when I have an important lunch to get to.”
Our lunch isimportant.
You’re shutting up, Kinsley. Remember?
“Well, I’m glad you were able to make it.”
“I was gonna get here one way or the other.”
Do I still have to shut up when he says stuff like that? Yes!
“How was the traffic?” he asks.
“Not terrible, butit’s midday.”
“True. It’s a beast going home every night, but that’s my decompression time between one full-time job and the other. I don’t complain about the traffic.”
