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“Sure.” Quinn pushed herself off the doorframe. “Around seven?”
“Perfect.”
“Okay. See you then.”
As Quinn left, Emily was coming back inside.
“Thanks for today,” Emily said as Quinn held the door open for her.
“I feel like I should be thanking you.” Quinn held Emily’s gaze. “You were really good. A lot of people find it awkward to talk to older people. Strangers. They don’t know how to make conversation, because they’re worried about maybe triggering them by bringing up the holidays or their family when maybe they don’t have any left. You were really good.”
Emily inhaled a sharp breath. “Thank you. That’s a really nice thing to say.”
“I mean it.” Quinn felt an unexpected tug towards Emily, her gaze connecting with Quinn’s in a way that was both mysterious and electric. They looked at each other for a moment and there was something between them, like a silent understanding. Emily’s eyes were full of emotion as she looked at Quinn, and it took her breath away. Could she feel it too? Was this older, more mature version of Emily still interested in her?
“I was just following your lead,” Emily said, her voice soft and warm. “You clearly have done this for years so…” Emily’s lips curved into a smile. “Anyway, I’ll see you around, Quinn.”
As Emily went inside, Quinn’s eyes trailed her with an unmistakable attraction. She stood in the doorway, mesmerized, for a few seconds longer as she watched her go before finally closing the door.
What a strange day.
Quinn had not expected to see Emily, and then they ended up spending most of the day together.
Nora had whispered in her ear, telling her that this young woman would be an excellent option if she was finally ready to put herself out there. Thankfully, none of that was said with Emily in earshot. Quinn had simply smiled, telling Nora that Emily was too young for her.
It was true. And it looked like Quinn was going to have to keep reminding herself of that fact.
Quinn had always appreciated Nora’s open mindedness although as the years went by, Quinn was starting to think that maybe Nora was gay too, and perhaps she hadn’t lived the life she’d wanted to. Maybe, she wanted to live vicariously through Quinn now, and that was why she was so interested in her dating life.
Then Emily was throwing it out there that she was gay. Just in case Quinn didn’t already know.
And if that wasn’t enough, she had Rebecca’s comments about Emily’s history of being interested in unavailable, older women.
Was that her? Was she the professor?
She had to be.
Quinn definitely could do with going out tonight and having a few drinks, otherwise she’d just keep overanalyzing everything that had happened today.
11
Emily arrived back at her parents’ home and spotted her sister’s car in the driveway. Emily knew there was no point in explaining why she’d been late today. Rebecca probably wouldn’t have appreciated the fact that she’d nearly backed out at the last minute, sitting in her car outside the community center, debating driving away. She knew her grandfather would have been on the list, and she also knew that there would be a pretty good chance that they’d drive by the cabin.
She’d been spending a lot of time up there, so it wasn’t really about the cabin, but she knew it would feel different, delivering meals to other elderly people, knowing that in the past, volunteers had stopped by and spent a few minutes talking to him. And she had felt that twinge of grief earlier, with Quinn.
Emily stepped out of her car, the cold evening air brushing against her warm cheeks as she climbed the three steps to the porch. The house was illuminated in a festive glow. White Christmas lights twinkled around the windows and outlined the eaves.
Pushing open the door, an inviting burst of warmth and mouth-watering aromas poured out into the hall. The heavenly smells of roast chicken and mashed potatoes drifted through the air, and Emily really hoped there was buttery corn on the cob to go with it. She heard voices in the kitchen, Rebecca’s infectious laugh intermingling with that of her parents, and as Emily hung up her coat, she promised herself never to leave it this long again without coming home.
She’d been feeling that way all week, but there was something about today, visiting those older folks in the area that made Emily promise herself that she actually would come back more regularly. Her parents weren’t getting any younger, and she knew it was a privilege to get to the age of some of the people they met today, like Nora.
Emily wandered down the hall, still thinking about that interaction between Quinn and Nora when Emily had already gone back to the car. It was better to think about what Nora had been telling Quinn than to think about how much Emily had enjoyed spending those hours with Quinn.
It had been so different from any of their previous interactions. Back in college, there was the student-teacher dynamic, so Emily had never said more than a few words to her about an assignment or some general comments about something going on at college or the weather. They’d never actually had a real conversation.
The coffee shop encounter didn’t count. That was more awkward than anything, with both of them trying to place the other. And as much as Emily had wanted to wait outside the yoga studio on Wednesday night to catch Quinn, she forced herself to keep walking to her car, not wanting to appear as desperate as she felt.
“Hey,” Emily said to Rebecca after she’d greeted her parents. Her father and Rebecca were pulling out chairs at the dinner table while their mother carved the chicken. “Shouldn’t you be at home taking care of your sick husband? You are a doctor after all,” she said as she sat down.
