5. Winston
CHAPTER 5
WINSTON
“...I know your sons too. Bear is my boss. He has shown up for me in one million different ways. When I got divorced he let me sleep on his floor and when he got divorced, we went out for drinks almost every night. We talked like two dudes who aren’t lumberjacks or tough guys. There were a lot of tears, but don’t tell anyone that.”
She holds her face in the same pleasant expression and a part of me knows she hears me.
I continue, “I’m rambling, but your daughter is who I want to talk about. She has brought me so much joy. She is the most incredible woman I have ever met. I’ll tell you something else, she’s easy to love. Well, maybe not easy but worth it. She’s taken to holding me at a bit of an arm's length.”
I smooth the front of my jeans and get comfortable on the overstuffed blue chair across from Mrs. Buckner. I’ve been here for almost an hour and somehow I’ve still got so much more to say. She doesn’t seem to mind the company. Of course, at one point she mumbled the word Bear. But people mistake the two of us for each other daily.
“Between me and you, I’d love Kylie every day for the rest of her life if she’d let me. I want you to know that you did a good job with her and even though we’re only meeting now, I can tell exactly the kind of woman you were to raise someone like Kylie. I wish we’d met just a tiny bit earlier so I could get advice from you.”
I search her eyes for a glimmer of recognition, but there isn’t any change. I sit back in my chair and let the silence pass between us. The room is completely still, until all of a sudden, Ms. Buckner places a hand on my forearm and it spurs me on.
“I know Beau too. I can’t imagine what it was like trying to raise somebody like him. He’s a wild one. He’s got a good heart, but I can’t imagine the sleepless nights he caused you over the years. I’m a dad too. You should know that about me. River is my son and he’s fourteen. He’s a bit of a handful himself and if he ends up being anything like Beau, I’ll count myself lucky?—”
“Winston?”
The sound of my name coming from the doorway behind me startles me. I turn to see Kylie standing in the doorway. Instead of her usual black Stump and Stem Plant Shoppe shirt, she’s got on a stunning floral dress. Her beautiful cheeks are tear-stained.
I hop to my feet and take her in my arms. “What are you doing here? How long have you been listening?”
“I’ve been here long enough to know that I love you. I love you, Winston. I want you to know that… But what are you doing here?”
“You love me?” I let out a deep breath. “That’s such good news because I adore you. I love you with all my heart but if you’ve been here a while, you already know that. I thought a lot about you last night. I couldn’t sleep. I thought about your mom and I knew without a doubt that before I tell you that I want to be the man by your side for the rest of your life, I needed to get permission from the woman who made you who you are. She deserves that. So I came here to talk to her and tell her you have changed my world and that I’m not planning on letting you go. I love you, Kylie.”
Tears well in her eyes, but this time, they are paired with a smile. “I’m in this for so much more than a situationship. I want to be a part of your chaotic life in every way.” She pushes past me and sits in the blue chair across from her mom. She takes Mrs. Buckner’s hand in hers. “Mom, this is Winston, I’m in love with him and I want to tell you all about it…”
I stay for an hour sitting hand in hand with Kylie while we tell Mrs. Buckner all about how we’ve fallen in love. Kylie leaves out the good parts just in case she understands more than she’s letting on. A sense of calm washes over me as the pieces of my life finally start to fall into place.
When Kylie pulls a list out of her pocket, I take it as my cue to give them some space.
“Okay, I’m going to let you ladies catch up.” I stop in the doorway. “But I do have to tell your sons about the fact that I’m in love with their little sister soon, so if you could put in a good word when you see Beau, I’d really appreciate it…”