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“Your mom taught me.”
“It’s amazing. Thank you.” I pulled her in for a hug, not even thinking about whether it was appropriate. I was acting on instinct, and the fact that she’d made something for me had my heart contracting inside my chest. When I thought about having kids, the first thing that came to mind was crayon drawings on the fridge. But this dolphin was small and soft, and I could keep it in my pocket when I worked.
Delaney held up the string of rainbow-colored stars. “Can we hang it in my room?”
“Of course. Above your bed?” Natalie asked.
“I’ll get my hammer and some nails.” If Mom wondered why I was in Natalie’s apartment and not working in the main house, she didn’t say anything. I was grateful for that because I wasn’t ready to talk about what was happening between me and Natalie.
I was almost too scared to hope for the best. There were so many factors to consider: Delaney, Natalie’s ex, and my hang-ups.
I gathered what I needed and met Delaney in her bedroom, where she showed me where to hang it. I could hear Mom and Natalie talking in the kitchen but not their exact words.
“You have fun?” I asked Delaney, as I had her hold the string up so I could gauge the best height.
“Oh yeah.”
I showed her how to hammer in the nails, carefully watching her so she wouldn’t hurt herself. My mom could show her the domestic things, but I could pass on my love for fixing things and making things out of wood. It was what my father had done with my brothers and me. A sense of contentment stole over me.
Natalie came into the room, and Delaney jumped off the bed. “Mac showed me how to hammer.”
“You hammered the nails?” Natalie asked Delaney, looking from her to me.
“Uh-huh. It was fun. Almost as fun as sewing.”
I held a hand over my heart. “Hammering is way more fun than sewing.”
“I like creating pretty things,” Delaney said earnestly. Then she left the room, probably in search of my mom.
“Thanks for letting her help,” Natalie said, sitting on Delaney’s twin bed.
“You aren’t mad?” I asked her.
Natalie tipped her head to the side. “Why would I be?”
“Because she could have gotten hurt.”
Natalie frowned. “I knew you wouldn’t let that happen.”
“You trust me with her,” I said softly, the realization hitting me hard in the chest.
Natalie rose to stand in front of me. “I think you’ve proven yourself trustworthy.”
I gathered her into my arms, right there in Delaney’s pink bedroom, and kissed her. I wanted to show her how her declaration made me feel. I felt like I could take on the world if I had her supporting me.
All too aware that we weren’t alone, I pulled back. “We should go out there.”
She smiled. “Yeah, we should.”
I felt like I should have said something more about what her words meant to be, but the moment was lost because Delaney led Mom down the hall, and we stepped apart. Delaney showed her the stars, and they chatted about what other things they could make together.
I walked Mom out, worried she’d say something.
At her sedan, she held her hands up. “I don’t think I want to know what’s going on. You’re both adults. I just hope you know what you’re doing. Those girls in there are vulnerable. Just moved to a new town, opening a business. If you’re not serious about them—”
“When have you known me not to be serious about a girl I was dating?”
Mom patted my cheek. The familiar gesture was comforting. “You’re right. That’s not what I meant. I’m worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt. You give everyone your whole heart, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
