Chapter 24 #2
Laughing, I say, “Sure, you did. Now, can we please eat? Kicking your butt worked up quite an appetite.”
There’s a little café-style diner attached, and we order a couple of different appetizers to share.
Thank god, there’s Tums in my purse, because I already know this meal is going to be a heartburn nightmare, but it’ll be worth it.
Sitting down at one of the tables—because my ever-growing belly doesn’t fit in a booth anymore—we dig in, and it tastes as good as it smells.
“What’re you thinking this week?” Graham asks after taking a sip from his sweet tea. “Girl or boy?”
A smile curves my lips, and my hand automatically goes to my belly. “I’ve really been feeling like they’re a boy lately,” I murmur. “What about you?”
“I don’t know, I’m kinda thinking girl.”
Warmth spreads through my chest, in the same way it does whenever we talk about our little peanut. “Can you imagine two little girls running around the house?”
“Oh, it would be chaos.” Graham snorts. “But I’d love it.”
“I like that they’ll have a sister,” I say. “That’s a built-in friend, no matter what.”
“And they’ll have all their cousins.”
“The best cousins,” I add, my throat tight as I think about just how many people this baby will have in their corner. “Can you believe in just about three months, they’ll be here?”
Graham sits back in his seat and shakes his head. “No, I can’t. It feels like the time has flown by.”
Huffing out a breath, I say, “Speak for yourself. I’m so ready to sleep on my stomach again.”
He laughs, popping another fry in his mouth. We fall into more comfortable conversation as we finish eating, but nerves swim around in my stomach because there’s something else I’ve been thinking about lately. Washing down my burger with a swig of sweet tea, I decide to just do it.
“Hey, remember, like, a month ago when you told me about the classes you were taking before Megan died?”
Graham flicks his gaze over to me, a twitch to the corner of his mouth as he nods. “Yeah, I remember.”
“Okay, well, it’s been heavy on my mind ever since,” I say. “This is something you’ve wanted for so long, and I hate that you had to put it on hold when you finally started working toward it.”
“It just didn’t make sense at the time, with everything on my plate.” He shrugs, and I know he’s trying to come off like he’s not bummed about it, but I see through that.
“I know, but things are a little different now.” I take a deep breath, my pulse pounding in my ears.
Why am I so nervous about this? “The school Fletcher got his MBA from also offers bachelor’s programs in business.
It’s an all-online program, so you could go at your own pace, and I think you should do it.
You could wait until after the baby is here, and I’d obviously be here to help with Ellie Mae and peanut when I’m not working. ”
Exhaling a heavy breath, Graham scrubs a hand over his mouth. “I don’t know what to say,” he murmurs, his voice rough. “I can’t believe you took the time to look into this for me.”
“It’s no big deal,” I say, waving him off. “I spoke with someone in admissions, and since it’s an online program, they have classes starting every ninety days, so realistically, you could start a couple months after the baby is born.”
I can’t quite read the expression on Graham’s face, which is only makes me more nervous. Does he think it’s weird that I looked into this? Does he hate the idea? We’ve just barely decided to give us a shot, so does he think I’m overstepping?
Finally, heaving a sigh, he says, “I love that you looked into this, Sunny, but I just don’t think it’s the right time.”
“But you want to?” I ask. “If you felt it was the right time, you’d want to go back to school and take the classes?”
“Well, yeah, but—”
“No but,” I cut him off, my lip curling into a grin.
“You aren’t doing this alone anymore, Graham.
I’m here, and I want to help.” Swallowing thickly, I add, “You deserve to chase your dream, Graham. You’ve wanted this for so long, and you deserve to put yourself first for a little bit. You can do this, and you should.”
“Wow,” he breathes out. “Thank you. Saying that means so much to me.”
“So, you’ll do it?”
“Well, hold up.” He chuckles. “I think it would be smart to at least wait until the baby is here to make any big decisions, but it’s definitely something I’m going to consider.”
“That’s fair,” I say. “But just know, I’m serious. Between the two of us, and your family, we can make this work.”
“Thank you, Charley.” His voice cracks, and I feel it in my chest.
After we finish eating, we get in the truck and Graham drives us home, but before we make it there, he surprises me with one more stop.
“What’re we doing here?” I croak when I realize where we are. Smiling, he rounds the truck and opens my door for me.
“Thought a little trip down memory lane would be fun,” he murmurs as he leans in and kisses my forehead.
Taking my hand in his, Graham leads us through the rows of sunflowers, to the spot we used to always hang out when we were younger.
My parents still live right next door, but for some reason, I haven’t been back to this field since I went off to college.
This was always my place, but eventually, it became our place, and coming back alone, with all the memories made here, just didn’t feel right.
Pressure builds behind my eyes when I see a blanket lying on the ground. “Did you do this?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He nods, meeting my gaze. “After I dropped Ellie Mae off with my dad. I know we probably can’t stay long because your back is probably killing you from the mini golf, and the ground wouldn’t be too comfortable for you, but I thought watching some of the sunset here together would be kind of nice. ”
“It’s more than kind of nice.” My voice cracks, and my eyes get misty. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders, I peer up at him. “I love coming back here with you, Graham. Thank you, and not just for bringing me here, but for this whole evening. It’s been so much fun.”
Graham’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows.
“I know you’re nervous about taking this thing with us further, but Charley, I don’t have a single doubt that what we have is real.
Taking you out, holding your hand in public, getting to show you how much I care…
it’s what I want to do, so thank you for giving this a try. ”
When his mouth presses against mine, my body melts in his arms. This kiss takes my breath away, has warmth spreading in my chest. It’s comfort, but also deep connection and a silent confession from both of us.
I don’t know how long we stand in this field, making out like we used to when we were teenagers, but by the time we leave, the sun has faded, and I feel more at ease with our decision.
It’s crazy how one date could do so much.