Seven
SEVEN
Greyson
Following a busy morning of getting things done around my house, I was looking forward to what I had planned for the rest of the day.
It was just after ten-thirty on Sunday morning, and I was about to head out of the house to go pick up my nephew when my phone buzzed in my pocket, indicating I’d received a text message. Immediately, I assumed the text was from my sister or, at the very least, her phone. It could have been her reaching out to me about something that was going on with her or Tucker, or it could have very well been my nephew sending me a message to make sure I was still coming to get him.
But when I pulled my phone out, I quickly discovered it wasn’t Morgan or my nephew. It was a number I didn’t recognize, but there was a picture that had been sent.
I slid my finger across the screen to unlock my phone, opened the text, and felt a flutter in my chest at what I saw. My eyes were focused solely on that picture—it was the best text message I’d ever received, bar none.
Cierra.
The picture was of Cierra, smiling brightly at the camera, at me, and it was clear she was in her bed. Her hair was a bit mussed from sleep, but that look only made me wish I was there to run my fingers through it. She looked like she’d just woken up, but this was different than what I’d witnessed yesterday when she came in for her lessons. This was the version of Cierra I’d grown accustomed to seeing.
Just beneath that picture was her message.
Cierra
This is what you get when I’m able to wake up on my own.
I enlarged the picture again, zooming in so I could take in every gorgeous feature. I wanted to tell her precisely what I thought about her, how beautiful I thought she looked, but I worried I might make things awkward for her. So, I sent back what I thought was the next best thing.
Greyson
I can see the difference. You look positively refreshed. Did you just wake up?
I couldn’t stop looking at that picture. After my encounter with her yesterday morning, I found myself even more attracted to her. I loved seeing that new side to her; she was adorable when she was tired.
But this.
This was something else entirely.
I would have loved to be there with her, to wake up beside her and have that beautiful smile pointed my way.
Cierra
I did. It was glorious to sleep in.
Cierra
Not that I didn’t enjoy lessons with you yesterday.
As I stared at my phone, I grinned like an idiot. There wasn’t anything Cierra was saying that was groundbreaking. It was merely that it was Sunday, and she’d taken the time to reach out to me at all, doing it as soon as she woke up.
Maybe Kane had been right about what he said he saw that day she showed up for her first lesson. Maybe it was possible Cierra did feel an attraction to me.
Now, I was left wondering how long after she’d opened her eyes this morning that her thoughts drifted to me. Was it possible she’d had me on her mind while she slept?
Greyson
I’m glad you had that time this morning. How are you feeling otherwise? Are the muscles sore?
Cierra
They aren’t bad. Some achiness, but it’s not terrible.
If I’d been there with her, I wouldn’t have hesitated to give her a massage, to work the last bits of soreness out of her muscles.
Greyson
That’s good. You should be ready to go for lessons tomorrow after work, then.
I couldn’t wait to see her again. After she left yesterday, I’d been looking forward to the next time I was going to see her. I had expected needing to wait until late tomorrow afternoon. I hadn’t anticipated getting this picture—or this conversation—this morning, but I certainly wasn’t complaining.
Cierra
I think so. Plus, with my plans for today, I should be back to brand new by tomorrow.
Me
Exciting plans for today?
Cierra
I guess that depends on your definition of exciting. I wanted to have a full day to not have to worry about doing anything else, so after lessons yesterday, I took care of all my laundry and housework.
Cierra
Now, I have the day today to just enjoy myself. I intend to curl up with a book, a blanket, and a cup of tea for most of the day.
While I couldn’t begin to understand her love for reading, I wasn’t about to say it sounded like a bad plan for a woman like her. She obviously enjoyed reading, and given how hard she’d worked this week, I thought she deserved to spend the day doing something that would make her happy.
Of course, I would have loved nothing more than to be able to join her, even if it meant having to force myself through reading a book of my own just to be in the same space with her. There was something about being around her that I liked a whole lot.
Greyson
Sounds like you’ve got a great day planned for yourself.
Cierra
I do. It’s going to be amazing. What about you? Doing anything fun today?
I smiled, thinking about the afternoon I had ahead of me.
Greyson
I was just about to leave my place to go pick up Tucker. I’m going to spend some time with him at his house while I visit with my sister and brother-in-law, but then I’m taking Tuck to lunch before we go to the movie theater.
Cierra’s response was almost immediate.
Cierra
That sounds like a blast. I bet the two of you are going to have so much fun.
Greyson
That’s not difficult for the two of us to do.
Cierra
You seem like a really great uncle, Greyson. Tucker is lucky to have you in his life.
I didn’t know why her opinion mattered, but it did. It felt nice to read those words, to know she truly meant them.
Greyson
Thanks, Cierra. That means a lot to me.
Cierra
Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt your day. I’ll let you get going. I hope you have a fantastic day today.
I’d have been content with interruptions from her like this all the time, if I had my way.
Not that I expected anything bad would happen, but I was now convinced that there wasn’t a chance this day would turn sour. Sure, Tuck and I would have a blast together—we always did. This was beyond that.
This was about Cierra, about the feeling she’d given me when she woke up this morning and decided the first person she wanted to talk to was me. Nothing could take away the feeling that gave me.
Greyson
We will. And I hope you enjoy your day off. You’ve worked hard this week, so you deserve it.
Cierra
That was sweet of you to say. Thank you.
I had a whole lot more I wanted to say that I wasn’t quite certain she’d describe as sweet. I just wondered if I’d ever have the chance to make that dream a reality. God, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her, and I didn’t doubt the photo she’d sent and the conversation that followed would all lead me to a bit of a struggle today. I wondered how I’d be able to stop myself from thinking about her.
Greyson
It’s the truth.
Cierra
Don’t have too much fun. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Greyson
Sounds great. I’m looking forward to it.
I clutched my phone in my hand for several beats, but when another response didn’t show up from her, I knew our conversation was over. I wasn’t bummed, though. I’d gotten far more today than I had ever anticipated, so I slid my phone back into my pocket and left to go pick up Tucker for a few hours of bonding.
“Goodbye, Uncle Greyson.”
I was crouched down, my arms wrapped tightly around my nephew. “Later, Tuck. I hope you had a good time today.”
Tucker stepped back, pinned his stare on me, and declared, “I had so much fun. I wish we could hang out every day, but Mom says that I have to go to school and learn, so I can become a productive member of society. I don’t even know what that means.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, I know it’s a bummer, but even I agree that you need to go to school. I did it. Plus, even if you weren’t in school, I wouldn’t be able to hang out all the time. Part of being a productive member of society is working. I hate to break it to you, kid, but that means I have to work the same as you have to go to school.”
“I think working would be more fun.”
I couldn’t say I disagreed, but given Tucker’s disdain for school lately, I didn’t think it was wise to tell him that. “When the time comes, trust me, you’ll be able to do all the working you want.”
“Ugh, it’s so far away.”
Laughter spilled out of me again, and I stood. “Don’t worry, it’s going to go fast. And don’t forget that you’re going to have a new brother or sister who’s going to occupy a lot of your time very soon. The days are going to fly by, and before you know it, you’ll be sixteen and getting your driver’s license.”
Tucker’s eyes widened with wonder as he took that in. When I lifted my gaze to my sister, she looked ready to throttle me. “He’s my baby, Greyson. You can’t start talking about him being a teenager with a driver’s license, not when I’m pregnant and hormonal.”
“What’s hormonal?”
Morgan sighed and looked down at him. “We’ll talk about it over dinner. Why don’t you go get yourself cleaned up so we can do that?”
Tucker returned his attention to me. “See you later.”
“Later, kiddo.”
As he took off running to get himself ready for dinner, Morgan asked, “Are you sure you don’t want to stay to have dinner with us?”
I smiled and nodded. “I’m sure. I’ll just get him all riled up, and he’s got school tomorrow.”
She arched a brow. “Since when has that ever stopped you before?”
I shrugged, doing my best to appear indifferent. The last thing I wanted was to let on that I had anything else going through my mind at that moment. “You’ve got enough on your plate with this pregnancy. I don’t need to add to the headaches. Be grateful for the reprieve, because once this baby’s here, it’s back to regularly scheduled programming.”
Morgan rolled her eyes, but it was Eric who spoke. “Even if she doesn’t see it now, I do. So, thanks for that, Greyson. And thanks for taking the time to hang with Tucker for a few hours today.”
I jerked my chin down with acknowledgment toward my brother-in-law, who had his arm wrapped around Morgan’s back, his hand settled on her opposite shoulder. “No need for thanks. I couldn’t love that kid more if he were my own.”
“I know. We appreciate it, though.”
“I know you do.” My eyes shifted between the two of them before my hand went to the doorknob. “Alright. I’m going to get out of here. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Later, Grey.”
I stepped outside and glanced back at them. “Call me if you need anything.”
“We will. Drive safe.”
With a wave, I took off toward my vehicle that was parked in the driveway, pulling my phone out of my pocket as I walked there. It was like it had been burning a hole there all day long with what I knew it contained inside. The minute I was inside my car and had fired up the engine, I opened my phone and went to my text messages. Or, more specifically, I went to one text message in particular.
I’d spent much more time today with Tucker than I’d originally planned. We’d been having such a great time together, I figured I’d keep him out a little longer to give Morgan and Eric the break they needed.
And while my focus had been solely on my nephew the entire time that he was with me, I couldn’t say I didn’t have thoughts of this gorgeous woman, her picture, and the conversation we’d had this morning in the back of my mind.
This was the first time I was looking at her picture since I’d pulled into this driveway to pick up Tucker earlier this morning. Wanting to look at it once more was another reason I decided against staying for dinner with my sister’s family. There was something about seeing Cierra’s picture again that just felt good. If only I could have been going over to visit her at her place instead of needing to head back to my own home.
On that thought, I put the phone down and backed out of the driveway. I drove home, made myself some dinner, watched a bit of television, and eventually took off to grab a shower.
After such an eventful day, I should have climbed into bed, turned on the television for a bit, and zoned out until I was too tired to keep my eyes open. To some degree, I guess I’d done some of that.
I climbed into bed, turned on the television, and zoned out, but my mind drifted to Cierra. Visions of her danced in my head, and I wondered if she’d had the day she’d hoped to have today.
An idea popped into my mind, and I chewed on the inside of my cheek as I contemplated whether it was a smart move.
Maybe Tucker was wearing off on me, and making smart choices wasn’t my primary focus. Getting what I wanted was far more important.
So, I reached out to my nightstand and snatched up my phone. I pulled up the text string with Cierra and sent her a message.
Greyson
Well?
I set the phone down and focused my attention on the television again. Part of me believed I wouldn’t receive a response, that Cierra might have valued her sleep so much that she had already climbed into bed and drifted off.
But barely a minute later, my phone buzzed beside me. As I picked it up, I felt that flutter in my stomach that was becoming all too familiar wherever Cierra was concerned.
Cierra
Well, what?
Greyson
Was today everything you had hoped it would be?
Those three little dots inside that thought bubbled popped up, and my fingers clenched the phone a bit tighter as I waited for her response.
Cierra
I’d be happy to tell you all about it if you want to give me a call.
She wanted me to call her. She was giving me that opening. The doubts I’d had about Kane’s statements a few days ago were slowly disappearing.
I didn’t hesitate, and the phone rang only once before she answered.
“Hello?”
That voice. Until I heard that sweet voice on the other end of the line, I hadn’t realized how much I missed it.
“Hey,” I replied, hoping I sounded far more casual than I felt on the inside.
“Do you really want to know about my day?” There was a genuine curiosity in her tone, but it was mixed with a slight edge of teasing.
“I do. Why else would I have asked?”
Following a beat of silence, she said, “Okay. I’ll tell you about my day under one condition.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“I want to hear all about your day with your nephew.”
I grinned. “Done. That was easy. So, how was it? Did you get to relax all day long?”
I believed it had been Cierra’s intent to sigh, but what came through the line bordered on being a moan. “It was amazing. Everything was already done around the house, so the only work I had to do was prepare my own meals and clean up the dishes afterward, which was good, considering the soreness. When I texted you this morning, I hadn’t yet gotten out of bed. I thought I was doing okay, but as soon as I got up and took a few steps, I felt it. I’ve never been this sore in my life.”
My grin quickly turned into a frown. How could she say that her day had been amazing if she was feeling so lousy? “I’m sorry to hear that. Is it bad?”
“It’s not pleasant at all. But I’m okay. I did some stretching, and that seemed to relieve some of the achiness. Otherwise, I read a book and watched a movie.”
“You read a book? You mean, you read a few chapters, right?”
“No. No, I read a whole book.”
If I wasn’t so confused, I might have asked her to tell me about it. “How is that possible?”
Cierra’s laughter came through the line, the sound making my heart beat a little faster. “Some of us actually enjoy reading.”
“I’m confident there will never come a day when I can read a whole book and have enough time left over to watch a movie.”
“You have to practice. Like you said, you’re probably just not reading the right things.”
My lips twitched. “Is that part of what you do as a librarian? Can you help people find stories that will be interesting enough to them that they don’t fall asleep barely ten minutes after they’ve cracked open the book?”
Whether she was hesitating to respond or was taking the time to consider her answer, I didn’t know. But after a brief pause, she replied, “If you’re really interested in that, Greyson, I’d be happy to help you.”
I genuinely didn’t think I’d ever want to sit down and read, especially not for fun, but considering how badly I wanted to spend time with Cierra, I was beginning to think I’d endure just about anything to make that happen. “Maybe we’ll have to find the time to make that happen. So, what’s this about a movie today, too? I hadn’t realized you were planning on watching one.”
“I wasn’t. But then I thought about how you and Tucker were going to be out at the theater watching a movie, and I was a little bit jealous.”
The words spilled out of me before I had the chance to stop them. “You could have gone with us, you know? You should have said something, and we could have come by to pick you up.”
More silence came through the line, and it went on for so long, I was sure I’d crossed a line I shouldn’t have. “I hadn’t realized that was an option. Plus, I doubt Tucker would have found that fun.”
“He would have loved it. And I think you would have enjoyed spending time with us, too.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, maybe you should tell me more about your day together, like you promised you would.”
So, that’s what I did.
I told Cierra all about my day with my nephew and the fun we had, before I did something I never thought I’d dream of doing and asked her to tell me about her book. The way her voice changed, the level of happiness that exuded from her was remarkable.
The two of us went back and forth for a long time until finally, things changed. “You sound tired.”
“I promise it’s not you,” Cierra said. “This is already thirty minutes past my usual bedtime.”
She really did value her sleep. “Alright. I’ll let you go, so you can get your rest. I need you to be ready for your lessons tomorrow. We’re going to start working on some new things this week, so you’ll need to be alert.”
“Oh boy. Let’s hope I don’t make a fool of myself.”
“You won’t.”
She sighed. “It was nice to talk to you tonight, Greyson. I enjoyed this.”
My heart rate picked up, a smile plastered on my face. “Yeah, I have to agree that this was the perfect way to end my day.”
“So, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“You will. I hope you have a good day at work tomorrow.”
“You, too.”
The silence stretched between us for several beats. I didn’t want to end the call with her, but I’d heard the drowsiness in her voice.
“Goodnight, Cierra.”
“Goodnight, Greyson.”
I waited for her to disconnect the call. Then I set my phone back down on the nightstand, turned off the television, and replayed my entire conversation with Cierra before I finally drifted off with the smile still on my face.