SPARKS

Chapter Nine

"Uhm. . ." Joey looked at Quade. "Quay, can I have some more carrots?"

Quade smiled and scooped out some carrots for him. "Tell me when."

"When."

Hazel watched as they ate together, both forking down their food. They looked so alike it was astonishing. Joey always liked having his hair short, because he didn't like getting too warm outside during playtime. Quade's was shorter, but still, it was something she was sure she'd never forget. The picture of her two boys eating together for the first time.

She ate slowly, her stomach doing flips. This was her home. Quade was here. He and Joey seemed to be getting along well. The food was good. She hadn't burnt anything. But still. Her hands shook as she ate. She took another sip of water, calming herself.

Quade turned to her then. "This is the best meal I've had in awhile. Thank you."

She smiled at that, proud that he liked her cooking. "Thank you. I've never been much of a cook, but I've gotten better."

"Grandma's the best cook," Joey said.

"That's right," she said, thinking about her mother's chicken and biscuits. "Grandma's the best cook."

"Does your mom live close?" Quade asked.

"Yeah, my mom, dad, and two little brothers are about an hour away. And my sister's family is way up in Ohio." She took another bite of her chicken, hands no longer shaking. "What about you? Is your family close?"

He shrugged. "They live in West Virginia, so it's quite aways. But I get to see them on holidays. Or I try to, at least. But somehow, I always end up working."

"Did you get to see them since coming back?"

"Not yet. But hopefully soon." He looked at her, smiling. "Would you and Joe like to come with?"

Hazel almost choked on her food. "Yeah, of course. That would be–" She cleared her throat. "That would be great. What do ya think, Joey?"

Her little boy looked up from where he was picking at his carrots. "What?"

"We'll take a trip to go see my parents. Your grandparents," Quade answered.

Joey looked confused, as if he were trying to comprehend having two sets of grandparents. He just said, "Yeah!"

"Sounds good. I was planning on going up either this weekend or the next, before I start with a new platoon. We could leave Friday and come back Sunday, if that sounds okay."

"That would be perfect."

They finished up with dinner, Joey having eaten all his food and Quade complimenting her once again on how great it was. Quade took her plate, then Joey's, and stacked them together before standing up.

She stopped him, putting her hand on his forearm. He felt warm and hard, just how she remembered. "You don't have to do that. I can-"

He smiled, looking down at where they touched and then back at her with those blue eyes. "Please. It's the least I can do."

Hazel removed her hand. She felt heat rise to her cheeks. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."

Quade just smiled and took their dishes to the sink. She looked over at their son, who was busy drinking his milk. He must have finished, because he set the plastic cup down, got down from the chair, picked up his cup again, and went over to the sink.