Darlin'

Chapter Eight

I walked Rhys out after we finished our dessert.

 
We made it to his car when he turned and said, "What are you up to this weekend?" 

"Not too much, you?"

"Well I was hoping you might want to grab a bite to eat with me?" He said shyly.

I fidgeted for a moment. "I'm kind of a package deal. Especially on the weekends. Kait watches Ash so much during the week, I don't like to ask her to babysit on the weekends."

Rhys smiled, "What about the Tyler Zoo?"

I was surprised at his response. "Not a date. Just a getting to know you day?"

He nodded, "Agreed."

I watched as his taillights faded and rounded the corner off my road. The cool soon to be Spring air filled my lungs. It had been Groundhog day yesterday. Punxsutawney Phil hadn't seen his shadow which meant an early Spring was on it's way. 

I chuckled darkly to myself, Groundhog Day.

It had felt like I had been trapped in the old Bill Murray movie for the last few years. Once the newness of losing Cam had worn off and the routine of being a mommy had set in, I seemed to stuck in the monotony of life. I would wake Asher up, have breakfast with him and Kait, one of us would drop him off and  I would go to work.  I would do that for eight hours and come home. Thursdays were the only break in that routine. On weekends it was all about hanging out with Asher and trying to make up for only seeing him a couple of hours a day during the week. Being a working mom was hard. Having to provide for my child while someone else raised him was hard. But what other choice did I have? I didn't have a husband who made boo-coos of bucks so that I could stay home and be a pampered housewife with a nanny. 

I rolled my eyes at that thought too. Being a stay at home mom would have been just as hard. Having a nanny would have felt like a cop out to me. But the idea of having an extra set of hands to help with Ash seemed nice. I dreamt of the idea of Kait and I just getting to go on a girls trip while Cam stayed home with Asher. They would have worked on his truck and probably had some kind of livestock to take care of. 

I shook away the impossible dream. I hadn't even considered dating since Cameron died. Even if I was attracted to Rhys, this wasn't a date. This was two individuals hanging out. Three actually, since Asher would be with us. Rhys was looking for company in a country he hadn't lived in in almost two decades. That was it, I told myself.

I sat on the porch swing  with my arms wrapped around me. The night slowly started to creep in. I looked up as the screen door opened and Kait stepped out with two cups in her hand. She handed me a cup of tea and sat down next to me.

"Well he's fucking gorgeous. Even without that sexy as fuck accent."

I laughed out loud. I loved Kait's bluntness sometimes. 

"I hadn't noticed." I said sarcastically.

"He likes you." She said undeterred. 

"He's taking Asher and I to the Zoo tomorrow." I responded.

I looked over and saw Kait's mouth lightly agape. 

"Lennon O'Connor are you finally going on a date?"

I shook my head, "Not a date. Just two people getting to know each other."

A small smirk slid across her face.

I rolled my eyes and we sat there quietly drinking our tea.

Once Kait went to bed I settled down in my favorite chair to finish Rhys' book. It was haunting and poetic. Luke was able to find a way to write a message to his brother in Finn's journal. He told him that it was Chase's fault and not the other drivers. He told him he needed him to know so that he could find peace. Finn went to the coroner and then police and confronted Chase's dad. He showed him the proof he had that Chase had been at fault. Then Finn and Luke showed up at the cemetery at the same time. For a moment Finn could hear Luke telling him thank you. Finn was able to tell Luke that he could be at peace now. Luke followed the light into the next life and Finn made his way home. I had quietly sobbed. I wished I could find that kind of peace. With the way Cam died, I knew that wasn't possible. I went to bed and fell into a deep, dark sleep.