to live for the hope of it all.

Chapter 21

October 7th, 2023

"Lost for a long time,
Two parallel lines..."

Beckett

Locking my front door, I whistled for Beau to hop in the truck.

"She's finishing getting ready, boyo."

Spinning around, I saw Grandpa Matt checking the mail. I smiled before walking his way, his smirk only growing.

"Some improvement from the last time we spoke about this, huh?" He asked.

"I like to think so," I answered, grinning. He laughed, but it quickly turned into a coughing fit. He leaned over the mailbox for a moment, as if it was the only thing holding him up, before the coughing subsided.

"Woah, you alright old man?" I asked, worry lacing my tone.

"Call me old man again, and you can kiss my granddaughter goodbye," he coughed out, smiling slightly. "I'm alright, I think the weather is catching up to me. Did you grab a jacket?"

"I have one in the truck I was going to use," I said. "What have you got going on today?"

"I have to run into town to run some errands, I shouldn't be out too late. Bailey says y'all are gonna be watching that show tonight?"

"We are."

"Boyo," he starts, holding his chest. "You're a good man. I don't even suffer through that show for her."

I stared at where he rubbed out his sternum for a moment, before he caught where I was looking and cleared his throat, breaking me from my thoughts.

"It's not that bad, she loves it."

"She does," he smiled gently.

"Hey," a soft voice said.

Cue the racing heart.

Turning around, I'm greeted with a smiling Bailey in a white knit sweater over light washed mom jeans.

It's an outfit I have seen her in before, the white sweater I have come to realize is one of her favorite tops this time of year. It's one of mine too, because something about seeing Bailey so confident in what she's wearing, knowing she feels good, makes her that much more beautiful.

"Hi," I smiled. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah."

I watched as she turned to give her grandfather a hug. He sat his chin on top of her head and took a deep breath, as if he was savoring the moment.

I would too if I were him.

I hugged Bailey after my game last night, completely unplanned, but I didn't regret it.

Especially when after the shock wore off, and she wrapped her arms around my waist. She smelled so good, and it felt so right to hold her close, until I realized how sweaty I was and realized how gross that probably was for her. So I pulled away, despite how much I wanted to stay in that moment.

"Have fun, okay?" He said, pressing a kiss to her forehead as she smiled up at him.

"Love you," she said, walking with me toward my truck where Beau sat in the bed, tail wagging as he saw us approaching.

"I love you too, Bay," he replied, watching us go with a soft smile.

He's been giving us a lot of those recently.

I opened the passenger door for Bailey, only to turn and catch her leaning over the bed of the truck, shaking Beau's paw. I laughed as she jumped down before getting in the passenger seat. Rounding the truck, I took my place in the driver seat as she rummaged through the cd's to pick one.