Page 141 of Reeves

He still hasn't said anything and I can't help myself.

"I mean, if you want to see what mornings actually look like around here. Benjy would lose his mind if he got to ride to school in your Hummer."

The pause stretches longer. Long enough for me to wonder if I just crossed a line we weren't ready for.

This isn't just about an impossible situation that makes it make more sense for him to stay. This is me opening a door I've kept locked for six years. This is me saying maybe, possibly, we can figure out what this looks like day by day instead of visit by visit.

Reeves sets his bottle down on the table. The small sound echoes in the quiet.

“You sure?” he asks.

“About which part?” I glance at him. “You staying, or him loving it?”

A hint of a smile pulls at his mouth.

“Both.”

“The answer’s still yes.”

He watches me for another second, like he’s measuring what he says next.

“I don’t want to make this weird,” he says.

I let out a huff. “The only weird part is us acting like this isn’t already happening.”

“I’ll take you up on it, then.” He pushes to his feet. “I’ve got a bag in the truck.”

“Convenient,” I say, a small smile slipping out.

“Been at the Creston House some this week,” he adds, like that explains showing up with an overnight bag.

I nod. “I remember that place. Your dad’s bunker out there was wild.”

“Yeah,” he says simply.

"Want another beer?"

"Sure."

He walks back out with two beers in his hands. He screws off the top of one and hands it to me before sitting down. I notice how he protects that right shoulder.

"Would you mind if I take a look at your shoulder?"

At first he looks at me like I've crossed a line, then he takes a sip of his beer and agrees.

I stand and step closer, pressing lightly along the joint with my fingertips, checking for swelling or spots that make him flinch. He doesn’t pull away, but he straightens under my hand, like he’s bracing through it.

"Lift your arm for me."

He does, slower than he probably realizes.

"Have you been icing it? And you should be stretching it regularly, not just pushing through workouts."

"I did a lot of icing after surgery, but I don’t take the time anymore. Maybe I should."

"You’ll feel the difference if you do."

"Yeah, I’ll be better about it." He smiles and points his beerat me. "You’re good at this. Tell me more about what you do, Doc."