“It was fun having you here today.” Trygve smiled. “We really enjoyed it, Page.”
“So did we,” she said softly. “You actually gave us a place to relax and have a good time, in the middle of this mess our life has turned into.”
“It won't be a mess forever,” he said knowingly, wanting to help her through it.
“It feels like it right now. I don't even know which way to turn. So much is changing so fast I can't even catch my breath anymore. And the things I thought were so important last week aren't even part of my life now. It's hard to know what to make of it,” she said slowly, and he took her hand in his and held it. He didn't want to frighten her, and he knew this was the wrong time, but something about her kept making him want to protect her.
“You're doing all the right things. You just have to go step by step and move very slowly.” But Page laughed at him.
“Believe me, I'm the only thing moving slowly right now. The rest of my life is falling apart so fast I don't even have time to pick up the pieces.” He laughed at what she said, and they sat together and watched the sunset.
“Life seems so simple sometimes, but it's never as simple as it looks, is it?” he asked as the sun slipped slowly behind the hills. “We think we have everything worked out, and then the whole damn thing falls apart. The only good thing is that when we get it all put back together again, it's usually better.”
“I wish I believed that,” she said, looking at him, and liking what she saw there, he was genuine and whole and incredibly decent.
“I'm much happier than I used to be,” he said honestly to her. “I never thought I would be, but I am. And I don't even give a damn if I get married again. I'd like to, I'd even like to have more kids, but you know what … if the right woman doesn't come along, I'm perfectly happy the way things are now. I'm happy with my kids, my work … I used to be half crazed all the time, trying to make things work with Dana …and I never quite could. She always managed to make it impossible, and I was always miserable and feeling like I'd failed. I don't feel that way anymore. I like my life. I feel good about myself and my kids. Pretty soon you'll feel that way too. You have wonderful children, you're talented as hell, and you're a great person. You deserve to be happy, Page, and one of these days, with or without a man, you will be.”
“Would you sign that in blood, please? It would be reassuring.”
“I'd love to. It'll get better, you'll see.”
“I can hardly wait,” she said softly, and he seemed to watch her for a long time. And then, he leaned toward her and suddenly she wondered if he was going to kiss her. But at that exact moment, the two boys exploded onto the lawn and wanted to play baseball.
“Nothing doing, you guys,” Trygve said firmly. The moment had passed, and Page wondered if she had dreamed it. “Bjorn, it's too late for baseball. Why don't you go inside and watch TV. Pretty soon it'll be bedtime.” And then he turned to Page. “Do you want to leave Andy here tonight? Are you going back to the hospital?”
“I thought I'd go home, Brad said he might come over and get him tomorrow. If he does, I'll spend more time with Allie then. Are you going back tonight to see Chloe?” Their whole life had been taken over by trips to the hospital, and it took a lot of rearranging and juggling to meet everyone else's needs at the same time. At times it was utterly exhausting.
“I'll go back in a while,” he said softly.
“We should go home,” Page said regretfully, and they sat side by side for a while, comfortable in the night air, and at ease with each other. He didn't make a move toward her again, and on the way home, she decided that she'd imagined it. He was very independent, and he had his own life. And as Allyson had said the week before, and he had confirmed since, he seemed perfectly happy without a woman in his life. Dana had burned him very badly.
But now Brad had burned her too. And it was odd to realize that she was actually attracted to Trygve. She had never even thought of it before, but after a week of being close to him so much, she had to admit that she thought he was not only good-looking, but appealing. She was thinking about him with a smile, in spite of herself, when Andy spoke up from the backseat and took her breath away with his question.
“Who is Stephanie?”
“What do you mean?” Her heart pounded at the question.
“I heard you shouting at Daddy about her the other day. And then I heard him call her.”
“I think she's someone he works with,” Page said, with absolutely no expression in her voice. Trygve was right. Kids knew more than one thought. She wondered just how much Andy had overheard the night of his nightmare.
“Is she nice?” he persisted.
“I don't know her.” Page's voice had no expression.
“Then why did you shout at Daddy about her?” He was pressing her and she was getting angry.
“I wasn't shouting at Daddy, and I don't want to talk about this.”