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What on Earth was going on in that head of hers? I had no clue but if she kept looking at me like that, I'd be liable to have my way with her against the nearest tree.
I cleared my throat, and she swallowed hard. Willow retrieved another stick and wagged her tail to play more as we navigated some larger rocks along the path.
Worried she might fall, I reached out and grabbed Faith's hand, helping her across a particularly big boulder.
"Thanks," she said, voice breathy.
"We can slow down if you need to rest."
She continued her wide stride. "I'm okay."
"Mom mentioned that she wants to date. Apparently you discussed this with her?"
Faith tried – and failed – to suppress a smile. "We may have chatted about her getting back on the horse."
I winced. "Choose better words. I do not need to think about my mom 'getting back on the horse.'"
She giggled. "So you don't want me to talk about your mom getting laid? It's only natural. You see when two people love each other or at least have a mutual attraction, then they might want to consummate that attraction using their bodies."
"Well, now I'm not going to be hungry for dinner. Thanks for that."
"My mom taught sex ed. I know all the spiels. I can guarantee I've been ten times more embarrassed from the stuff she preached to my friends growing up."
I shook my head. "I forgot that your mom did that. That must have been a riot."
"Yeah, real fun when your mom starts putting condoms in public areas during your birthday parties in high school just in case kids didn't feel comfortable having the safe sex talk with their own parents."
I would have crawled into a hole. "She didn't."
Faith nodded enthusiastically. "Oh, trust me, she did. And my friends will never let me live it down. Fuck, I wanted to put something about it in her eulogy but Dominic vetoed it."
"That would have made for an unforgettable eulogy."
She gestured to me. "Thank you. It represented Mom perfectly. Well intentioned, loving, but also a little embarrassing."
"She always treated me well."
Faith twisted her lips. "She liked you. Thought you were a good influence on Dominic."
That I couldn't believe.
Faith must have picked up on my skepticism. "I'm serious. She liked that you’re close with your mom and that you worked so hard. I remember her mentioning it several times to me. I think it was her way of encouraging me to be a productive member of society. Unfortunately, it didn't work while she was alive."
Fuck. I couldn't imagine what that was like not having your mom around. "It's not too late."
She gazed at the horizon. "I'm trying."
I bumped her gently with my shoulder. "But seriously. I'm glad my mom has you to talk to."
"You mean she isn't going to you for girl talk?" she teased. Faith remained close to my side as we made our way back toward the house, Willow leading the pack.
"Shockingly she tries not to confide that kind of stuff to me. That doesn't mean I'm not glad she can talk to you. How would you feel if your dad started dating again?"
She flinched. "Don't get me wrong, it would initially feel like a punch to the gut and it wouldn’t be something I would want to think about too closely. I certainly wouldn’t want details." She shrugged. "But if it made my dad happy? If it gave my dad more motivation to live a healthy life for himself and his family. Then, why not. It would take some getting used to. But if my mom's death taught me anything, it's that we shouldn't waste the time we're on this Earth. We need to make the most of it. Do what fulfills us and makes us happy."
"And painting makes you happy."
She flapped her hands at her sides. "It usually does. This block is making me question everything."
