She shakes her head, and her eyes soften. “Miranda was there. Hope said you were a family, which I realize now was a misunderstanding, but at the time, I didn’t want to interfere and cause any trouble for you and your kids.”
I swallow back bad choices and their domino effect. “Miranda. She’s like a bad penny. She needed a place to stay when she moved back and took it upon herself to claim my couch. I was desperate. I wanted my kids back, so I let her stay for a few weeks.”
She nods, understanding shining in her glassy eyes. “I get it, Seamus. You don’t need to explain. You did the right thing. Everything worked out, you have your kids again.” She blows out a breath and wipes her cheeks with her fingers. “And Miranda isn’t as bad as I first thought. Benito likes her. Hope likes her.” Even though I’ve known about Hope being Faith’s mother for a few weeks now, it’s still shocking to reconcile their relationship in my mind. “Miranda was the one who convinced her to take a job cooking in the kitchen at the shelter. It doesn’t pay much, but it’s the first real job Hope’s ever had. She loves it.”
“I’m glad you found your mom and got some answers.”
“Me too.” She smiles slightly. “Life blooms in second chances.”
I can’t help touching more of her, stroking the outside of her calves just to reinforce that this is happening. That she’s real. “It certainly does. You’re here with me.”
Her eyes are thoughtful when she opens her mouth to say something. Hesitation steals it away momentarily before she asks, “Do we get a second chance, Seamus? Knowing about my past, does that change the way you feel about me?”
I stand with the aid of my cane, brush the sand off my jeans, and offer her my hand. “Come with me. I can’t answer that question here.”
She takes it, and I pull her to stand in front of me. “Why not?” she asks as she brushes the sand off her dress and legs.
“Because you’re wearing clothes. And I’m wearing clothes. And my body is begging me to answer that question…in great detail…and at great length…with touch instead of words, behind closed doors in the privacy of my bedroom.”
Her lips part in response, and I watch the rise and fall of the swell of her breasts increase as arousal floods her being. “Seamus, do you have any idea how sexy you are?”
Those were the last words spoken that night, with the exception of Faith panting out, “We,” between kisses on the W…E mat.
As promised, I led her to my bedroom, closed the door, and removed every stitch of clothing between us. And for the next several hours I laid bare my soul in every touch…every kiss…every connection. I took away her doubts, quieted her fears, and promised a never-ending second chance.
All without a word.
And as we lay tangled up in the darkness, exhausted, but sated in all ways, Faith breaks the silence. “Seamus?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you, too.”
I smile because she heard every touch loud and clear.
Magic sounds delicious
present
I’m armpit deep in horrendous, yellow, rubber gloves, scrubbing the inside of the oven. I attempted a soufflé for the first time without Hope. It threw up over the sides of the dish before burning to a crisp. The bottom of the oven paid the price, and brunch is in the trashcan. I hope this isn’t an indication of how this day is headed.
The doorbell rings.
I pop my head out of the oven and check the clock on the stove. They’re fifteen minutes early. Damn, I was trying to hide the evidence. I strip off the gloves and throw them in the oven, I won’t be using it at this point anyway.
When I open the door, Rory hands me a bouquet of flowers, an assortment of different varieties. He’s surrounded by Kai, Kira, and Benito.
“Thank you,” I tell him. And I mean it. It’s the first time I’ve ever received flowers and genuinely thanked the other person for them. That makes me feel a little shitty, because with Seamus I just expected them. The thank you was obligatory, if given at all. It should’ve been heartfelt like the one I just delivered. But, on the other hand, this one was heartfelt. That’s a huge step for me. The past six months since Kai’s accident, I’ve been going through an awakening while he’s healed. The evolution was already in progress before that, but everything changed that day. I’m a different person. Not completely different, I mean, I’m still pushy, and impatient, and driven. But I finally figured out what’s important in life. My kids, my friends, the people I serve at work. People are what make life worth living. Sacrifice. Love. Compassion. It’s pretty goddamn beautiful. Who knew?