Torin and Summer

Chapter 20 (Torin): Ruined For Life

After meeting Summer for our boat ride, I felt as if I'd run a race and had to stop and catch my breath. She'd given me more than I'd imagined and much more than I deserved.

Now, I just needed to figure out the best way to make her feel safe with me again, to let her know she could trust me.

I thought of the moment I'd met Summer. How I had a glimpse of what I could only call our future: Summer and two little girls that looked just like her. I swear I'd seen it so clearly it was like the three of them were standing right in front of me. There was nothing I wanted more than Summer, nothing I wanted more than having a future with her.

Nothing I wanted more than to be her fairytale, her happily ever after.

Once I'd rowed us to the island, we'd had a picnic, by unspoken agreement keeping away from anything deep since the conversation in the boat was still simmering between us and we didn't want to add anything to make it boil over. This was a rest period. A time to just enjoy the water and beautiful day.

So often, when we're mired in the darkest part of a problem or a situation, we forget the beauty that exists. The simple things that we breathe in so appreciation soaks into our beings, reminding us that good things are still out there for us if we allow ourselves to let them in. They give us respite from our sadness or bitterness or anger, small victories in the face of what feels like our defeat. It's the knowledge that darkness isn't permanent even when it feels that way.

That was what our picnic was for the both of us. A reset, a reminder, a glimpse of what we could share again. We laughed, and it felt familiar and friendly.

"Maybe I should row us back," Summer said with a laugh as we were getting back into the boat. "That was quite a workout getting us here."

"I'm afraid you'll get blisters," I warned in case she was serious. "It wouldn't be very princelike of me to let you hurt your soft hands."

"Did you get blisters?" she asked. 

Holding my hands up to her, I shook my head. "My hands are already callused from working and working out."

"Then I guess I'll leave the hard work to you, Prince Eric."

"Thank you, Ariel," I said with a bow.

That evening, after reliving those hours with her repeatedly, I couldn't resist calling Summer, wanting to continue to work on dispelling the awkwardness between us. My goal was to become more familiar to her, almost introducing myself to her again as both the husband she'd known before I'd failed her so badly and the new husband she could count on once again. A man both familiar and unfamiliar to her.

A better man.

"Summer," I said when she answered, and my voice dipped low with everything I was feeling, "I was just thinking about you and wanted to thank you again for the best day I've had in years."

"It was a good day, Torin. I was surprised how enjoyable it was."

"Well, I hope I can continue to surprise you with more enjoyable days. Just know how much I appreciate you saying yes to this date."

"I do. You made that quite clear, Torin."

"I hope you sleep well tonight, Summer."

"You, too."

I began texting her once a day and calling her in the evening. She responded, and when I asked her out to dinner, she accepted. I knew Summer had a weakness for tiny restaurants that had authentic food, so I asked the guys I worked with for some recommendations for off-the-beaten-path restaurants that had excellent food. In no time, I had a list that Summer and I could work our way through.