My shoulders slumped with relief, and I wrapped my arms around myself as another spray of water hit me, and the hiss of it filled my ears. I glanced around at the persistent sprinklers, at the yard they were watering and the ground they covered.
Including the rosebushes.
“Oh my God, the sprinklers are working,” I said, feeling ridiculous that I hadn’t registered it before.
Sully’s soft laugh filled allmy senses.
“And they’re hitting the rosebushes!” I exclaimed before looking back at him.
“Yep.” He somehow shoved his hands in the pockets of his wet pants and gave me a half-smile. “Finally fixed these suckers.”
He glanced around the yard at his handiwork, and I wasn’t sure why, but I’d never been so proud of him.
Or more sure that Sullivan London could fix just about anything he put his mind to.
And I suspected that was going to include us.
six years ago
ELLIE
“I can’t believe how big she’s gotten,” I said in awe as Natalie walked toward me across the backyard. Behind her, Sully was pushing Chloe on a swing he’d personally installed, looping it over the massive tree branch that stretched across the yard, before his sister had flown home for a visit.
It was a rare visit. These days, Natalie rarely came home, but it wasn’t like I could blame her, given that she was busier than ever. I couldn’t imagine working toward becoming a surgeon while parenting a preschooler.
“I know, and God, is she active,” Natalie said with a tired sigh.
“Good,” I laughed. “They can wear each other out.”
I nodded toward Sully and his niece, who wore almost identical grins. Chloe’s giggling laugh floated across the yard, bringing warmth to the slight chill in the air, and Sully’s soft coos as he talked to her made me want to melt into a puddle.
“He’s such a natural with kids,” Nat said as she followed my gaze. “I don’t know if this is a weird thing to say, but he’s more of a natural than her own dad is.”
My eyes cut to Natalie because, yeah, actually, that was a weird thing to say.
And she seemed to realize it, immediately switching topics.
“So, senior year, huh? Graduation’s certainly speeding toward you.”
A knot formed in my gut, one I was familiar with. One I felt growing tighter anytime anyone brought up the future.
“It sure is,” I agreed.
It was speeding toward me way too fast.
“Any plans yet?” she asked.
I shook my head. “Just that I’ll stick around until Sully’s done, too, and then…” I shrugged. “There’s a few graduate programs I’ve been interested in, so we’ve talked about the idea of moving after he finishes his degree.”
“Oh my God, is one of them the MIT program?” she asked, her voice rising a half octave, eyes lighting up.
“That’s one of them,” I laughed. “But I’m not sure I’ll get in.”
“Oh, you’ll get in.” She waved away that worry. “And then we can be neighbors again.”
I smiled to myself. It was certainly a fun thought.
“Can you imagine that?” Natalie gasped, her gaze glassy like she was imagining it in her head. “And then our kids could grow up across the street just like we did. Ugh, I think that would make my whole life better.”
