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“A team. Right.” Killion smiled briefly and started pulling items from the basket he brought down. “I wasn’t sure if you would be hungry and wasn’t a hundred percent prepared. This was sort of a… spontaneous idea.”
“This is very spontaneous of you.” She laid the back of her hand against his forehead. “Maybe you are coming down with something.”
Killion straightened, seeming alarmed, then realized she was teasing him and relaxed. This was all new to him. No matter how hard he tried, none of this was natural to him and required extra time and thought, but he was determined. He’d learned how to do much harder things.
He pulled out a small plate of sliced cheeses covered in plastic wrap and set it on the blanket between them, followed by various other finger foods like sliced meats, fruits, crackers, and what appeared to be a wine bottle.
He held up the bottle. “I’ve read conflicting information about consuming wine while breastfeeding, and the online mom forums were all over the place. I wasn’t sure how you felt about it, so I brought this.”
Rainy leaned in for a better look, amusement dancing in her gaze. “Sparkling cider?”
“Yeah. Left over from one family celebration or another. You can count on kids at every gathering and at least one pregnant woman. This stuff comes in handy,” he admitted, pulling out a couple of plastic cups. “I wasn’t sure if real glassware was appropriate, so I went with plastic.”
“More practical.” Rainy winked. “I’m still a little clumsy.”
“You’re doing much better, though.” He poured her a glass of cider. “I meant to, uh, tell you that. You’ve worked really hard. You should be proud of how far you’ve come.”
“Thank you. I wish I was further along in recovery, though. I did fine with the stroller, but man was I glad to find this guy.” She patted the wood park bench. “I, uh, sort of had a moment and abandoned my cane and my brace. Maybe not the best idea.”
“You’ve been all over the building,” he said with surprise. “I saw the feeds but didn’t even realize you weren’t wearing your brace. That’s a pretty big feat.”
“It won’t be long before these two are on the move,” she added as they began to eat. “I need to be able to keep up with them.”
“I’ll be there to help.”
“Right. Of course, you will,” she said, picking from the selection. She closed her eyes and let out a satisfied moan. “I’m so used to someone bringing me my meals, and the snack cart that came around… my whole day was always planned for me. I didn’t even realize I was hungry until you set this out.”
“Good. I’m glad it’s… helpful.”
“Very. It’s thoughtful, Killion. And kind.”
“I tried to get the babies on a schedule that complemented yours at the rehab facility to make it easier to transition. I guess I didn’t think about making sure food was ready too.”
“That’s so sweet, but you don’t have to prepare my meals,” she said.
“I know. I want to. At least for now, while you adjust. I guess… I guess I want this to work,” he admitted. “I want you to be comfortable and not have to worry about the details. Just rehab and being with the babies as often as you want. I know it was hard for you to be away from them. We can make a meal plan, order groceries, I can get a chef… whatever you want. Anything to make the transition easier.”
Rainy began to cry.
“I’m sorry.” Killion was beginning to panic again. “If you don’t want—”
“No.” She cut him off, placing her hand on his arm. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I honestly don’t know why I’m crying.”
She wiped her tears and turned to tend to the babies as a distraction.
“Rainy?”
She whipped her head back his way. “Yeah?”
“I really am sorry. For everything.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for. This is great. Your plan sounds great. I appreciate everything you do to make it easy for the babies and me. I mean… planning our meals, a chef, which we don’t need, unless you prefer not to cook, this picnic—”
“No, Rainy.” This time it was his turn to interrupt. “I mean I’m sorry. For everything else.”
She grew quieter and seemed uncomfortable. “I don’t understand.”
“I realize now that I’m not being clear with my… intentions. I haven’t made this easy for you, and I need to do a better job. It’s not that I’m trying to be difficult. It’s that I don’t do these kinds of things well.”
