"Do you still like witch hat gummies?They used to be your favourite," she said, holding out the packet of sour sweets.
"Yes!"I grabbed the packet, touched that she'd remembered something small like this.I didn't think Agatha ever knew or bothered to ask.Agatha was never a small-gesture kind of person.She liked grand declarations and making a big deal about dates, banking on them to revive intimacy instead of keeping it alive with daily actions.
It had taken me far too long to realise that we didn't actually enjoy each other's company or that our wants and needs were badly misaligned.
I pushed the thoughts of my ex away, not wanting to let them drag my mood down when I was out with Faye.My relationship with Agatha had already impacted my friendship with Faye once, I couldn't let it happen again.Agatha, whether it was the real her or the ghost of my past, wasn't allowed anywhere near this.
"Wine?"Faye asked, holding up the bottle.
"I'd love some wine," I said, enchanted by how beautiful she looked under the twinkly lights."This is all lovely, by the way.I love the lights and the pillows.It's so cosy."
"This is where we first met," Faye said as she wrestled the cap off of the bottle."We were seven, I think?We played on the swing and the seesaw."
I smiled at the memory."We were best friends by the time we had to go home.Luckily, Gran knew how to reach out to your pawpaw to arrange a playdate and twenty years later, here we are."
Faye gave me a soft smile in return."Yes, it's been a wild ride and it's all thanks to us meeting here in this park.It kicked off our friendship so I thought it would be the perfect spot to start something new with you."
My throat got tight with emotion."I couldn't agree more.Thisisperfect."
There was affection in Faye's gaze, the kind that couldn't be cultivated overnight.No, there was a bond between us that had been forged over the years, thousands of small moments folded together to create the perfect stable base to build a relationship upon.
She held out a glass of wine, a small smile playing around her pink lips."To us?"
I took the wine, deliberately catching her hand with mine."To us."
EIGHT
Faye's shriekechoed through the night followed by the most genuine cackle as she flew off the swing and landed in the sand on her hands and knees.She rolled a little too, and looked like an absolute fool, but a fool having the best time.
I laughed so much, I almost fell off my own swing.Instead, it came to a spluttery halt and no matter how much I wobbled myself, I couldn't get myself back in motion.I blamed the swing, the wine, and the childlike euphoria coursing through me.
"I'll push you!"Faye said, darting over to me with sand all over her knees and jacket.
She brushed against me as she took the position behind me and I felt her hands pressing against my shoulders, the touch firm and gentle at the same time.I couldn't remember the last time I'd been so aware of someone's presence but it felt like my senses were in overdrive when it came to Faye.
I rocked back and forth, enjoying every time her hands came in contact with my back.
"You need to kick your legs," Faye instructed between carefree chuckles.
"I am!"
"Do it more!"
"I'm trying!I haven't done this in...forever," I said, giving up on moving myself and just enjoying the light swaying back and forth.The park was entirely ours and it only added to this feeling that we were the only people in the world.It was just me and her, reliving our childhood while creating new memories together.
A chuckle came from behind me."I come out here to think sometimes.It's nice when the world is dark and quiet, I can actually hear my own thoughts then."
"And what kind of thoughts have you been having recently?"I asked, realising the swing was coming to a stop.I leaned back and tipped my head up, getting an upside down view of Faye.She looked cute even from this angle, especially because she was lost in thought.
Faye scratched her face, putting some sand on her cheek."All sorts of things.Business plans for the antique shop, and places I want to visit someday, and umm..."Her gaze darted down at me and she looked startled to meet my eyes.Her ears got red again as she looked away."Maybe I've been thinking a little about you and me too."
Warmth spread through me."Oh?What about us?"
"Being here with you feels like a dream come true."She cleared her throat."But then I started thinking that it might be only my dream."
"What do you mean?"I asked, frowning at the sudden turn this conversation had taken.Faye was no longer smiling and the timbre of her voice had lost all its usual playfulness.I could maybe blame it on the wine but we hadn't even finished the bottle.This wasn't the alcohol speaking, this was the serious side of Faye that she didn't show all that often.
Faye's hands tightened around the chains of the swing and she was still not looking at me."I know this date is nothing fancy.I know it’s not the capital.”She swallowed hard, gathering up her courage.“But this is me.This is what life will be like with me.I’m not after glamour or a high-powered career.I want a relaxed life in the Cobblestones selling old junk.And if that's not enough… if it’s not good enough for you, and I would understand if it's not, then I'd rather know now before I get my heart broken.Again.”
