Page 58 of Light Up The Night
"You are kind to say so."
"How'd you two meet?"
“Oh, well…I was upset and he comforted me. And now he is assisting me in raising the funds I need."
"Can you tell me about that?"
"Certainly."
I explain the situation, Riley's involvement, and the efforts made so far.
"Wait, so…this all happened in the last couple of days?"
“Yes."
"So you met him when he left our wedding?"
I blink. “Your wedding?"
She smiles. 'Yes. Felix and I were just married two days ago. Riley left the reception early."
"Oh. My goodness. Well, please, allow me to offer my most sincere congratulations. You are not embarking on a honeymoon, I take it, so close to your due date?"
"We went on our honeymoon a couple of months ago, when my doctor was still okay with me flying."
"A logical arrangement, to be sure."
She sniffs a laugh. "To be sure."
Riley is visible through the doorwall, standing and talking to his brother while sipping his beer. He glances at me through the glass and smiles at me. And yes, my stomach flutters.
"Honestly, I wasn't sure we'd ever see the day," Ember says.
"What day is that, may I ask?"
"The one where Riley Crowe catches feelings."
My stomach drops away. "I…I am uncertain what you mean."
"Oh, I mean…" she sighs. "Ah, shit. I've stuck my foot in my mouth, haven't I?"
"I…" I consider my answer. "I do not know about catching feelings. It is an unusual situation we have found ourselves in."
She looks at Riley, then at me. "He's never brought anyone around like this. He's had a few girlfriends in the time I've known him, and I've never met one. Never even knew their names, and he's dated a few of them for weeks, if not months. Yet you've known him, what, barely forty-eight hours, and here you are, in our home? That ain't nothin', honey. For that man? Introducing a woman to his friends and family is a big deal."
Panic swells in my chest like an inflating balloon. “I…I…” I suddenly cannot breathe. "Oh. Oh my."
She frowns at me. "Whoa, hey. You okay?"
"I am going to Africa. I will be there for several months, at least. I…he…we…" I go still, staring at nothing and trying to find the calm space within myself.
I hear her talking, but cannot find the mental acuity to tune into her words.
He cannot think that this is…that we could…withme? Feelings? It was one thing to kiss him and feel cared for and seen. I know my own feelings for him are complicated and growing by the moment, but I did not consider the future until now.
"Cadence?" I hear his voice low and quite close to my ear.
"I don't know, Rye," I hear Ember saying. "She just…froze up. We were talking about how you guys met and whatever and she just…"
