Chapter 21
Twenty-One
I t was another late night as Rodney pulled into the parking lot of Rita’s apartment.
He had expected it to be, and Becky had again fallen asleep.
It was like the night they had come home from looking at the house.
Only this time, he left the car running and tried not to wake her as he got the babies up, carefully unhooking them and carrying them in.
Neither one of them were awake either. He set them down softly.
He had both babies in, and he wondered what to do with Becky.
Just let her sleep in the car? Should he wake her up?
Or should he try to carry her?
He had been a regular at the gym a few weeks ago before his life imploded. He didn’t mean imploded. Imploded implied something bad. He felt like his life had taken a turn for the better, but it had changed abruptly, and he hardly recognized any of what it was like now, compared to what it had been.
Suffice it to say, he hadn’t been to the gym in several weeks, but Becky had always been small, and that hadn’t changed. So, while he thought she would probably prefer that he not carry her in and just wake her up, he decided that he was going to try.
He opened her door softly and reached over, shutting the car off and unbuckling her belt at the same time.
She stirred a little, and he murmured, “I’m going to carry you in. We’re home.”
“Huh?” she said sleepily.
“I’m putting my arms under your legs and around your shoulders. If you can hold onto me, that would be helpful.”
“Rodney?” she asked, softly, like she didn’t know where she was or who he was.
“Yeah. It’s me. I’m going to carry you into the house. It’s okay. The babies are already in there.”
“We’re home?” she asked, sounding confused.
“Yes. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
“I know. I’m always safe with you.” She snuggled deeper into his arms as he straightened and closed the door. He felt her warm breath on his neck and wished the apartment was a mile away so he could hold her that long.
But by the time he got up the steps and maneuvered her in the door, he thought that a mile might have been a touch too much.
Still, he could make it to the couch and sit down with her.
She was awake, he could tell the difference in her breathing, but she hadn’t lifted her head and stayed snuggled against him.
Almost as though she needed it. She’d come back from burying her sister, and to her surprise, and his as well, the church had planned a meal.
Neither one of them had known about it, but they had stayed, eating and listening to people reminisce about the girls when they were younger.
It was nice to be around so many people who knew them and see their perspective of the things he remembered.
Becky and he had been together so much, but a lot of it had been out of the eyes of the townspeople. Especially in their younger years.
Regardless, it had been late when they had left, and the ride home was brutal.
Hopefully his lawyer would have some information about the house soon, and they would be closing. He had honestly expected to hear from the lawyer today.
He walked by the babies, both of whom just had their faces peeking out from the covers that went over their car seats.
He’d pulled a little flap down when he’d set them on the floor so that he could see them.
He also had them pointed toward the couch and the recliner, because he assumed that that’s where Becky and he were going to end up.
But rather than lay Becky on the couch, he sat down, holding her in his arms.
She snuggled deeper.
“I’m just going to sit here for a bit,” he said.
His boots were still on, and so were her shoes, and he probably should take both of those things off, as well as her coat and get her settled properly.
But he just wanted to hold her. She was lighter than he expected, and much skinnier.
Almost too skinny to be called slender. It made him wonder again what her financial situation had been lately, and he’d never remembered to ask.
Or if he had, she hadn’t given him a satisfactory answer. He determined to press her in the morning, although he supposed it didn’t matter. She had been letting him take care of her, and that was the thing that was important to him right now.
He settled down on the couch and waited for her breathing to even out. Then, he grabbed the blanket that was behind them and settled it over top of them.
The babies were going to be up soon. They hadn’t eaten since they left Raspberry Ridge, and it was just a matter of time. Neither one of them were even close to sleeping through the night. What had it been? A week? Ten days? More or less? Not that it mattered, but he had lost track of time.
All he knew was that he had Becky right where he wanted her, and he wished that they could stay this way forever.
He was just going to enjoy it for a little while.