As we stood in line with the full cart a few minutes later,Mom holding Henry, Mom said, “Did I tell you Anthony’s been going to therapy?”
“What?”
“After his latest girlfriend left him, he came to me in tears. Said he was sorry and didn’t want to end up like Dad. I think you’ll be hearing from him sometime in the near future. He talked a lot about all the shit he pulled on you. No pressure to speak with him of course, I still haven’t forgiven him for all that. But I wanted you to know he’s doing the work.”
And I thought I was done being shocked.
CHAPTER 37
I Got This
SAM
Istood on the front stoop of Ellie’s place, feeling the strangest sense of déjà vu from the first time I’d come up to this house nervous as hell.
I was nervous as hell today too. I hadn’t seen Ellie in so long it felt like a lifetime had passed. I’d moped around all week, desperate for any crumb I got from her. Last night, a ‘Goodnight, S,” text had sent me into a tailspin.
I was pathetic.
Pathetic for her.
I set the heaviest of my items down and rang the bell. I would have just come in, but tonight felt different. Luckily my hands were too occupied to do any weird moves in the reflection of the door like the first time I’d shown up here.
When she didn’t answer right away, I lifted a hand up to the camera and waved.
A moment later, the door opened, and there she was, my Ellie. I thought I’d been prepared to see her again. I wasn’t. She looked lit up from within. Glowing. A fuckingvisionin another pink dress.
“Hey,” she said, her pretty smile making me weak at the knees.
“Hey, sweetheart,” I managed.
She blushed, and I badly wanted to storm the two feet between us and kiss the hell out of her. But I held back, glancing up.
“Your mom’s watching, isn’t she?”
“Probably,” she laughed.
“Well, these are for her.” I held out the flowers I’d picked up at the market earlier.
She sighed, smiling. “Always the bridesmaid. Mom’s going to lose it over these. Peonies are her favorite.”
“I brought something for you too, if you can hold the flowers.”
She took them from me, looking surprised. I’d need to fix that somehow. She shouldn’t be surprised to be showered in gifts at all times.
I hopped down the steps and picked up the giant ceramic planter Con and Kit had helped me source. It was filled with a massive fern thick with fronds. The tops curled into cool spirals.
“For the one Henry ate last week,” I said. “It’s a fiddlehead, so he can eat this one, too.”
When Ellie laughed, I swear I felt it in my soul. If this was how things were going now, I had no idea how I was going to make it walking around in public with her tonight. More torture, only worse than when I was missing her because she’d be in front of me and untouchable.
“I’ve got some more things,” I said, “but they’re mostly in the car. I can get them later. If you want them.”
She bit her lip. Fuck I’d missed that.
“Come on up. Dinner’s almost ready.”
I followed her into the hallway, closing the door behind me.
