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The temperature isn’t too stifling since the sun has gone down, so there are quite a few people milling about. The six picnic tables set up next to the walk-up window are mostly filled with families and teenagers tonight.
I jump out of the truck and run around to help Quinn down. I’m only noticing now how tall she is because at six-two, I’m pretty tall, but Quinn comes up to my chin. She's the perfect height so that I'd have to lean down a little to kiss her, but I won't have to bend in half to reach her.
I realize I'm staring at her mouth, and as I glance back at her eyes, I see she was looking at my lips too. We make eye contact, and it's like a punch to the gut. I feel winded when her ocean blue eyes link to mine. It's so powerful I have to look away before I do something stupid like kiss the hell out of her in front of everyone.
As I break eye contact, I see Quinn shake her head like she's snapping out of a trance too. Knowing she's just as caught up as I am helps to boost my confidence.
I grab her hand as we walk over to the counter because I can't hold back any longer, and she quickly links her fingers with mine. She gives my hand a squeeze, and the shock of the connection goes straight up my arm.
If my body lights up at the slightest touch from her, I wonder what it would feel like to have her whole body pressed up against me. Sliding and moving against each other.
Let's pause those thoughts before they get out of hand.
"What are you feeling? Shake, sundae, something with a little candy?" I ask her to distract myself. I keep my fingers linked with hers as we step in line to order. Now that I’ve got her, I don’t want to let go.
"There are so many choices. I'm not even sure where to start," Quinn says with wide eyes as she takes in the menu.
"Well, let's start with the basics. Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?"
"I'm feeling vanilla. Is that boring?"
"Depends on if you get anything in it."
"I definitely want something in it."
"Okay, well that takes out the shakes. How do you feel about marshmallows?"
"I love marshmallows," Quinn says with a smile.
"Then I highly recommend the Rice Krispie treat blend. It's vanilla ice cream, marshmallows, and rice cereal all blended together."
"Oh, yum! I'll get that one," she says as we step up to the counter. I place her order and get myself a chocolate shake, even though I did eat those three snack cakes. I couldn’t stop myself.
We don't have to wait long before our order gets called, so after I pick it up, we go find a picnic table. Quinn sits on one side and I sit on the other so we're directly opposite each other, leaning in close over the table. "I heard you talking at Megan and Todd's about all of the places you've lived. What was it like, living in different places all of the time?"
"For the most part, it was great. I enjoyed getting to be a part of so many different cultures, and I learned so much about the world through each experience, but to be honest, it was hard sometimes."
"What made it hard for you?"
Quinn takes a bite of her ice cream as she thinks about her answer.
"Well, to start, we never stayed in one place for more than a few years at a time, so I was never able to get comfortable with my surroundings. My parents would work with the hospitals or universities?sometimes both?to guest lecture or establish the best practice for diagnosing and treating the genetic disorder they discovered.
"Sometimes the clinics would already be set up and my parents would help with additional needs. Other times, the clinics would be starting from scratch, so we'd stay longer to make sure the place was stable. Once we knew they were settled and running smoothly, we'd move on to the next place."
"Did you have a home base to return to or anything?" I ask, trying to wrap my head around moving so frequently.
"I guess New York could be considered home base, but the longest they stay is about six months and only if necessary. We didn't stay there much when I was growing up.
"The only constant was my grandparents' house. I would get here at the beginning of June, stay through September, then fly back to wherever my parents were. I had a nanny/tutor combo, so I wasn't dictated by normal school sessions."
"So, your grandparents' house was home growing up."
"Yes, exactly, and despite all of the places we traveled to, their house was always my favorite." Quinn gets this faraway look in her eye as she tells me about her grandparents. I can tell she misses them a lot, and on top of that, she loves this town. Inside, I'm pumping my fist because this means she's here to stay. If there is a small chance she might move back to New York, I'm going to do my best to make sure it doesn't happen.
We may not have spent a lot of time together, but this girl is different than any other I've ever encountered. She's special, and I know deep in my gut, I need to do whatever it takes to hold on to her.
As we talk, I see Rachel walking by the diner. I catch her eye and wave her over to say hello.
