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“You wanna be the mom you never had. And I guess I just didn’t wanna lose the little girl I raised all on my own.”
There’s a long silence, broken only when Steve lets us both know that he’s going away.
Both of us instantly assume it’s because of us, but Steve’s quick to explain.
“I was gonna go next week anyway…heading over to the east coast to see about setting up that workshop. But seeing you two making eyes at each other, realizing what’s been going on? I think I’ll go this week. Gimme time to process all of this,” he says, sliding back in his chair, running his palms down his thighs, and puffing out a breath of emotional air.
The nuclear fallout we expected never came, not in the way I expected anyway.
And try as I might to talk Steve into staying he seems to have made his mind up to talk more about things.
“I just need time, Brandon,” he finally says. “Time to get used to all this… Time to get used to not having May around.”
He shoots her an apologetic look, telling her he’s sorry if he made her feel like he was taking her for granted. But we all know that’s not true.
“How long you going for?” I ask, offering him the keys to my place. “You can stay as long as you want,” I tell him, not meaning it like I don’t want him to come back.
I just wanna make sure my best buddy has everything he needs.
Including May and me when he’s ready to come home.
“I knew you’d say that,” Steve says, giving me a crooked smile. “But I’ll do it on my own steam. Should only be a few days.” Setting our minds at ease.
He’s said his piece, and we’ve said ours. And getting up to head off to his room, Steve leaves us with the last word.
Which, lucky for us, is also his blessing.
“I raised you right, May. And I know how good a man it is you’ve got there. Just gimme the time to get used to the idea, okay? I love you both, but just…just give me time.”
May and I walk home next door. Hardly a word between us before we head to bed ourselves.
It’s the first time since we got together that we just hold each other once we’re in bed, and she cries.
No steaming passion, no tearing off of clothes.
But it feels just as good to me. Sharing the not-so-great times as well as the good times. It’s what being with someone’s really all about.
The good thing is that we don’t have to keep anything secret anymore, and better still that we have her dad’s blessing.
Probably the most important thing for me, because without my best friend and my girl, May. Where would I be?
“We good?” May sniffs, rubbing her red-lidded eyes as she looks up at me.
I lift her face from my chest as I hold her close. “Oh, we’re better than good.” I smile back at her.
“We’re perfect,” I tell her, stroking her hair as she lies silent for a long time.
“I love you,” she eventually murmurs, drifting into a dreamless sleep with a little smile playing on her lips.
“And I love you more,” I promise her, kissing her forehead goodnight.
I’m already waiting for the morning so I can tell her the same again.
EPILOGUE
THREE MONTHS LATER
Brandon
