Promises (TP 6)

47 - Needed

Double update today.

On Wednesday morning Kristi was at The Landing waiting for Patrick. She sprang from her seat when he walked through the door.

He held up a finger, and she sat down and he stood at the counter and ordered his coffee. She tapped her foot while he talked to Rick.

As he approached, she said, "How did dinner go?"

Sliding into his seat, he said, "I would have been better if someone hadn't convinced Hannah to dislike Tessa."

"I told her I changed my mind when she came to see me on Monday."

"When was that?"

"Before work. I told her I was wrong."

"She brought up the damn scholarship. Seriously, Tessa can't tell her if she's getting it."

"Do you really think she wouldn't vote for the daughter of the man she's sleeping with?"

He gritted his teeth. "Kristi! I never said that."

"You never denied it."

He was cute when he blushed.

"Tessa suggested I read Hannah's essay. She hadn't shared it with me until last night." He squeezed his eyes for a moment.

"I know. She did it on her own." Kristi had cried when she had read it.

He said, "Tessa said she cried too."

He called his girlfriend to tell her he cried over his daughter's feelings for his late wife. She couldn't dissect what that meant.

"She must have voted for Hannah if she cried."

"Kristi, I'm not sure a stranger wouldn't vote for Hannah."

She nodded. "Did you surf today?"

"For a little while."

"Are you seeing her today?"

He nodded. "What do we need to do for this party?"

"I was afraid you were going to fire me."

"Why?"

"Because you have Tessa."

"I can't have her plan Hannah's party. We haven't even talked about graduation." He put his face in his hands. "I'm forty-four and I have to tell my mother I'm dating."

Kristi giggled. "Are you second guessing this relationship?"

"What? No, just taking it public. I feel like it's becoming more serious than I'm ready for. We're still getting to know one another."

Kristi winked. "I'd say you know each other intimately."

"Come on. You know that sex is only one part of a relationship. So much of who we both are is wrapped up in our marriages and loss. I don't want to talk about Erica, and Tessa most definitely doesn't want to talk about losing her husband. Jesus, Kristi, can you imagine? Two days."

"Has she talked to you about that time?"

He shook his head. "She can't."

"I can't imagine losing my husband and having a baby. I hope she had a support system."

"I think she was alone. I didn't probe her. She's still hurting. I'm further along in my grief than her."

"I'm not discounting what you faced, but you had three years to say goodbye. She must have kissed him and thought she'd see him in a few hours. Dan travels and I worry. If the flight tracking data isn't online, I freak out. Planes drop out of the air."