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“I’ll do it. You’ve had a long day.”
“Don’t you worry… Did you eat?”
She shakes her head. “No, the girls were extra hungry tonight, so I was just trying to get them fed before I figured out something for us.”
“Why don’t you go shower? I’ll tub them, and then I’ll order us dinner. How does Chinese food sound?”
“Oh, that sounds perfect! Thanks, E. Although I feel like I'm supposed to be the one giving you the break.” She laughs softly.
“Don’t mention it. You have your hands full with these two, and I’ve missed them,” I say, crouching down to tickle the both of them. Then I scoop them up and head down the hall, leaving a trail of spaghetti bits behind us.
While finishing up their baths, I can’t help but notice Quinn watching us from the hallway. The delicious scent of her shampoo came wafting through the open door, grabbing my attention. The girls are too busy splashing around and babbling to realize she’s there, but I do. And the familiar look on her face sends a thrill through me. It’s a mix of something between yearning and adoration. A look that was once all for me, one I would have given anything to see on her face again. And slowly but surely, it's starting to return a little bit with each passing day.
I don’t want to scare her off or make her feel uncomfortable in any way, but I need her to know the feelings are still there. They’ve never left. With a wink in her direction, I let her know I caught her stare. She smiles at me before disappearing down the hall, leaving me to finish our nighttime routine.
I see you, Queenie.
An hour later, both girls are sound asleep, and half-empty food containers are sprawled across the kitchen island.
Quinn is lounging on the couch with her hands on her stomach. “Oh man, that hit the spot. I am so damn full.”
I nod in agreement as I slurp down another bite of lo mein. Chinese food has always been a favorite of ours, especially since we had one that stayed open late in Meadow Hills. It was the perfect late-night takeout when we were growing up.
“You can say that again. I'm going to pay for this tomorrow on the field.” I laugh as I take another bite.
“Oh please, you’re more jacked than you’ve ever been.”
I teasingly smooth my hands down my chest. “So, you’ve noticed?”
“Of course, I’ve noticed. It's hard not to when you rarely wear a shirt. Honestly, it’s quite distracting. I’ve even noticed the neighbors staring when you come home from your beach runs. Better watch out, Ol’ Gladys next door might start to get the wrong impression.”
Busting out laughing, I practically choke on my food. Her laughter mingles with mine and a sense of peace comes over us. At first, I thought this was going to be hard for us. Being together every day. But I can feel our connection still lingering. We have to work on our friendship before anything else can get in the way, and nights like this are the perfect way to do it.
“Want to watch something?” I ask once my choking subsides.
“Sure, what about that zombie apocalypse show, Last of Us, on HBO? Everyone is raving about it.”
“I’ve been wanting to watch that one. Let me clean this up and you get it going on the TV,” I say, already piling our dishes.
“Sounds like a plan.”
“Eli!” I hear Quinn whisper-shout as I head to the kitchen, so I peek my head back into the living room. “Top drawer beside the sink… I picked up a few goodies for old times’ sake at the store the other day.”
Opening the drawer, I smirk down at the pack of double-stuffed Oreos and the king-size Reese’s. Once I return to the living room, Quinn has the show queued up, and she’s getting cozy on the sofa.
“Q, this was clutch… thank you.” I smile at her, taking a bite of my cookie.
“Think fast,” I say as I toss her chocolate of choice in the air. I notice her wince when she leans over to catch it. Admittingly, even star pitchers make bad throws.
“Heck of a throw there, Hotshot,” she says, rubbing her neck and smiling down at the snack like it’s a million bucks.
“Are you okay?” I ask as I go to sit beside her.
“Yeah, my neck has been acting up. I tweaked it the other day, and it just won’t go away.”
“Hold on one minute, I’ll be right back.”
I leave the room in search of my tiger balm and a warm compress to help soothe her muscles. Returning moments later, I settle beside her and place a pillow on my lap. “Lay down, I’ll massage it for you.”
