23. Twenty-Three #2
A smile took over my features before I could stop it. “She still misses her sister.” I left Lucy to stew with what we’d talked about and crossed to Wylie as she appeared at the hallway opening. “Ready?” I held out my hand.
Wylie darted one worried look toward Lucy, and I could practically see her steeling herself as she nodded and took my hand. “Yup. Where are we going?”
“Wherever the trolley takes us today.”
“Oh.” She perked up. “Can we take selfies like tourists and eat someplace funky?”
“I believe all of that can be arranged.” I didn’t look at Lucy as we left. Neither did Wylie.
It was time for Lucy to get her head out of her ass and start planning for the future. Unfortunately, I had no idea if she was capable of making the first step, let alone the biggest one. Something told me we were about to find out, though.
WE VISITED SEVERAL SQUARES AND a Catholic Church that had some sort of historical significance that I missed because I’d been too busy looking at Wylie. When we got near City Market, however, I knew we wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.
“It’s four blocks, and it’s known as the ‘Heart and Hub’ of the city,” she said as she read from her phone. We’d yet to actually cross into the market area, but Wylie had a process when approaching something new. She wanted all the information first. I’d grown used to her little whims.
“What sort of stores?” I asked. I was hungry, ready for lunch, but I was willing to shop first. In fact, I was keen on buying something for Wylie.
I had no idea what, but so far the only things I’d bought for her were intangible.
Food was the big one. I wanted to get her something she could look at and think about me.
Yes, I was that guy, apparently. If my mother could only see me now.
I cringed when my mother’s face floated into my head.
We were far enough into this relationship to recognize that it was something real, which meant our mothers would have to be addressed.
And, unlike when we first started, our mothers were going to become an issue sooner rather than later.
The longer we dragged things out, the worse things would be when they finally did come to a head.
“A lot of studios,” she said. “There’s a cookie company. We should totally take cookies home to eat in bed later.”
“I’m up for that,” I agreed.
“There are ceramics by someone named Sibel, and they look cool,” she said. “I want to check that place out. I love ornate ceramics.”
I nodded to encourage her. Any little tidbits that busy brain of hers wanted to throw out, I was here for them.
“There are shoes, which I’m less excited about,” she said.
I glanced down at her Crocs. “You don’t say?” Personally, I found it adorable when she wore her Crocs. She was still self-conscious about it, though. As if to prove it, she gave my arm a light, playful slap and kept reading.
“There are sweet grass baskets, illustrators, and various bars.”
I perked up. “Any place to eat?”
“Are you hungry?” she teased.
I nodded. “Actually, I am.”
“I am too.” She glanced around. “Let’s start walking. I will make a note of the stores I want to go back to. We’ll keep going until we find somewhere we want to eat, and then I’ll double back to check out the stores.”
“That sounds good to me.” I took her hand as we waited for the crosswalk light to change.
“There’s a candy kitchen,” she noted. “We could get some candy.” Her voice sounded a little strained.
“Whatever candy you want, we can get,” I encouraged her.
She didn’t meet my gaze, instead making a big show of looking around at the colorful storefronts. “We could take some candy back for Lucy.”
Ah, there it is. Lucy was still torturing her sister, even though we weren’t with her. “If you want.”
She slid her eyes to me. “You don’t think I should get her anything.” She didn’t phrase it as a question. “You’re probably right.” When she lifted her thumb to start gnawing on the nail, I knew she was feeling anxious. That was one of her tells.
I grabbed her hand before she could sink her teeth into her thumb. “Candy isn’t the worst thing you could buy. It’s a peace offering without going off the rails.”
“She loves pralines.”
“Do you like pralines?”
“I’m more of a chocolate and caramel person.”
“Well, we’ll get both.” I scanned the various storefronts. There were a lot to choose from, including a pirates and treasure museum. I found what I was looking for right away. Belford’s Savannah. It touted seafood and steaks. “There we go.” I inclined my head.
She looked in the direction I’d indicated and grinned. “It’s kind of early for something that heavy.”
“Yes, but if we eat it now, we can walk it off. Then, when it’s time to go home, we’ll pick up something lighter and eat it in bed with the cookies and candy.”
She pressed her lips together, her eyebrows edging up, and showed me my favorite of all of her expressions. I loved them all, but this one, it just did things to my heart that I couldn’t explain.
“That sounds kind of fun,” she admitted.
“Good.” I tugged on her arm and moved her in front of me, rubbing my hands over her hips as we waited for a group of tourists to cross in front of us. In that moment, just as Wylie smiled at the guy with the horse, I recognized that this was it. This was what I wanted forever.
I could see Wylie and me going to coffee shops to get our writing in. I could see us sharing a house, and even an office. We would get one of those big old desks that had openings on either side so we could work at home.
We would buy one of those ridiculous, over-the-top coffee makers and try various recipes. There was a new slush machine that everybody was talking about on social media. We would get that and experiment.
We would go on cemetery adventures and hit the same tours over and over.
We would live downtown, because she was right, The Landings wasn’t going to be our long-term vibe. This city would be. Between the history, ghosts, and eclectic people, this city would fit us like a glove.
It was too soon to tell her I loved her — way too soon — but I felt it. Was it the childhood we’d spent together? I felt as if I’d never known anybody better, and yet there were still mysteries to unlock.
The only thing I knew with absolute certainty was that I wanted this life, with her. There would never be anybody else for me. Only Wylie.
That meant the time to talk to my mother was upon me. As long as the specter of Eleanor Ambrose and Agnes Quincy hung over our heads, we would never be free. It was time to tell them.
Now I just had to figure out how to do it.