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I waved her comment away. “I’ll be there.”
Rachel nodded, mostly to herself. “I’m glad. I’m sure Ron will appreciate it someday.”
“I hope so. Thanks for asking me,”
Rachel shifted and turned her back on me. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. In silence, I watched her search for her clothes while I admired her naked form parading around my room. Eventually, I stood up and helped her look under the bed, where we found her shirt. Her jeans were tossed over the back of my desk chair. Rachel grinned and waved her bra and underwear around when she found them in the doorway to the bathroom.
Her smile vanished as she turned around to get dressed. “I wish I didn’t have to leave, but I’ve never spent the night away from Ron.”
I pulled on my own clothes and cleared my throat. “Of course, I understand. It’s too soon.”
Rachel tossed her hair over her shoulders and spun around to face me. “What are you doing?”
“I’m getting dressed too, so I can drop you off.”
Rachel tilted her head to the side and frowned. “You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, but I want to.”
“Bernie, it’s too much. I—”
“Deserve to be taken care of,” I interrupted, pausing to give her a quick peck. “Now, let’s hurry up and get you home before it’s too late.”
Rachel followed me out of the room. She picked her purse up off the floor, another flush stealing across her cheeks. In the elevator, I held her hand and laced my fingers through hers. I led her into the underground parking, where I stopped in front of my silver car. Wordlessly, she got into the passenger seat and put her purse on her lap.
I drove us out of the garage, keeping one hand on the wheel and the other still laced through hers. Rachel pressed her face to the glass and watched the world outside. A short while later, we pulled up outside Taylor’s house, and Rachel leaned over to kiss me. I was grinning like an idiot as I waited for her to race up the porch stairs and push the door open.
She threw me a look over her shoulders, and I waved.
I spent the ride home humming and singing along to the radio.
The next morning, I was up before my alarm. In the shower, I scrubbed my entire body twice and peered at myself intently in the mirror. After removing the days’ old stubble peppered across my chin and mouth, I changed into a pair of trousers and a button-down shirt. Then I made my way into the kitchen and listened to the news while I waited for the coffee to brew. A cup of coffee later, I sprinted in the direction of the elevator.
Jonathan drove me to the city with a strange gleam in his eyes.
When we pulled up outside Taylor’s house, Rachel was waiting on the last step in a knee-length black dress, and her hair was pulled into a high ponytail. She stood up, smoothed out the folds of her dress, and cupped her hands over her mouth. Ron materialized, red-faced and with a backpack sling over his shoulders. His eyes widened when I came out of the car, and his gaze swung back and forth between the two of us.
“This is mommy’s good friend, Bernie,” Rachel introduced with a sweeping hand gesture. “We’re going to be going to school with him.”
Ron tilted his head back and stared at me. “You look pretty like my mommy.”
I chuckled and crouched in front of him. “Your mommy is much prettier than I am, don’t you think?”
Ron paused and nodded. “Yes, she is.”
“Do you like toys, Ron? Because I have a surprise for you in the car.” I stood back up and held the door open. Ron removed his hand from his mother’s and scrambled in, a flurry of activity and color. Rachel smiled and brushed my hand on her way past. I inhaled and lingered for a few seconds before I got in after them.
Ron spent the entire ride to school playing with his action figures.
As soon as we arrived outside the school, Rachel drew him to her and adjusted his clothes. “You can play with the toys after school, okay?”
Ron nodded and smiled at her. “Okay, mommy.”
Together, we got out of the car, and I stood with my hands in my pockets while Rachel fussed over Ron. She pushed his hair out of his eyes, brushed lint off his collar, and adjusted the straps of his backpack. He gave her a quick hug before sprinting away in the direction of another group of kids.
“I’m going to go let his teacher know we’ll be helping with the concert,” Rachel said. “I’ll be right back.”
Bathed in the glow of the early morning sun, Rachel was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen. I watched as she walked up to a woman with dark hair and large glasses. She shook Rachel’s hand when she was done and beamed. When she came back, Rachel’s smile stretched from ear to ear.
