I feel like I’ve learned so much more than what should be possible over the course of two hours.
“So, how long is this meeting you’re supposed to go to going to last?” he asks, as we’re pulling into the parking lot with seven minutes to spare.
“Not long. Maybe twenty minutes or so.” I shrug. It’s hard to say. “Depends on how many first timers we have. If it’s mostly moms who do this every show, it won’t be long at all.” We know the drill, it’s just a matter of details then. Which kids. What numbers. Matching costumes up accordingly. That sort of thing.
“Will Sloan stay inside with you?” He parks and turns off the engine. Both our windows are down from the drive over. There’s been a beautiful breeze the whole way here.
“Doubt it.” I smirk, thinking about my kid’s current fascination with the man beside me. “I’m sure she’ll want to tell you all about rehearsals tonight.” I lean my head back until it hits the inside of the door. “I think she really likes having someone other than me to share that with.” I twist my mouth a little. “Someone else who’s interested in hearing about it.”
“He’s an idiot, Kenley,” Knox sighs. It’s heavy, weighted down by a quiet anger I know all too well.
I could agree. But I don’t want to go down that trail of thoughts. It’s bitter and only leads to a maze of dead ends. “If you wanted to, you two could head home when she gets out. I’m sure I could get a ride after the meeting is over.”
He shakes his head. “We’ll go home together.”
“Okay, but you should know Sloan will have no problem filling that window of time with conversation which will probably veer away from dance related things about halfway through and go off on some tangent you’ll likely find entirely unrelatable, and you’ll have no means of escape in a parked truck.”
He grins. “I’ve had a conversation or two like that with her already. We’ll be fine.”
“I suppose you will.” I check in with my face. I think I’m smiling, but I’ve been doing so much of that lately, I can no longer tell when it’s happening. Maybe it’s just my permanent expression now.
The second it occurs to me, I think of Arizona. She’d get a good laugh out of seeing me walk through life with a dopey grin etched eternally on a mouth that used to be home to a resting bitch face situation.
“There she is.” Knox points at the open door and the first girl in bun and tights flinging herself through the opening.
“Guess that’s my cue to go in.” I reach for the handle letting myself out.
Knox meets me on the sidewalk where we both greet Sloan who’s practically barreling her way toward us. “Oh, my goodness! I nailed the turns and she put me in the part with the seniors!” she squeals the second she’s close enough.
“Check you out!” Knox is the first to respond.
I wait until she hurls herself at me and I can squeeze her with a hug. “I knew you’d get it,” I whisper against the side of her head. “Congratulations. Can’t wait to see it on stage.”
She beams up at me. Then over at Knox. “Can we go get food while Ma is at the meeting.”
“It’s amazing, it’s like our brains are linked.” He grins at her. “I saw a Cuban place that looks good on the way, thought we could go grab takeout from there. Thoughts?”
“My thoughts are ‘yum’ and ‘yes, please’.” She starts for the truck, eager to get in. “Oh, can we get dessert too?”
“We do have twenty minutes to kill. Almost wouldn’t make sense not to.” He leans in toward me, pressing his lips to mine. “See you soon.”
“Real soon.” I kiss him back. Then I take a few steps up the sidewalk to be in Sloan’s line of vision again. “Don’t go crazy ordering desserts.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She knows exactly what I’m talking about.
I shake my head and wave. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I start for the door to the dance studio.
“Hey!” Knox draws me back one more time.
“What?”
“I love you, too.”
Is it possible for your heart to smile? The back of your head? Your hands? Every inch of you? “You’re insane.”
