"Scotty," I breathe after collecting myself. "I…"
"Shh," he replies, touching a gentle finger to my lips. "There’s no need for words right now."
Instead, I smile at him sweetly as he mirrors my expression. His hands rub gentle circles into my back, guiding me closer to him. I lay my head against his chest and can just make out the soft, beautiful beating of his heart.
I don’t know how long we stay there, wrapped around each other. It’s amazing how we can sit here and not say a word, and somehow all that needs to be said is coming across crystal clear.
Scotty’s lips softly brush across my temple, as his warm breath falls into the shell of my ear. His arms hold me in a way that is both protective and gentle. Come to think of it, I’ve never been held like this before. It’s a nice feeling.
"We’d better get you back home," says Scotty, making no move to let go of me whatsoever.
"Yes, I suppose you should," I reply softly, closing my eyes. If there was one place I could stay forever, I’d choose this moment in a heartbeat.
Scotty chuckles, seeming to detect the reluctant way I hold onto him. “Trust me, I don’t want to let go either. But I really do need to get you back so I can get home. I have some stuff to do around the house, and it’s our grandparent’s anniversary tonight.”
"That’s wonderful. I hope you’ll give them my congratulations," I say, slowly peeling myself away from Scotty’s warmth.
His blue eyes dance happily while studying me, and his hand slides into my own, helping me to my feet. We walk back to the truck and Scotty tells me how his grandparents met, when and where they got married, and how they’ve been together for 55 years.
"It sounds like a fairytale, in all honesty," I tell him. "I love hearing about couples who have been together for so long."
"Me too," he says, squeezing my hand. "And after all this time, they still act all sweet on each other in front of everyone, like a couple of teengers. It’s the sweetest thing."
Scotty’s voice warms me from the inside out, as we take the short drive back to my house. Jessica and my dad still aren’t back. It occurs to me that I can’t keep up this avoidance and that good luck can only get me so far. I’ll have to tell them sooner or later.
I pick later.
He parks the truck in front of my house and goes around to help me out. I can’t help but sigh, knowing that our wonderful time together is coming to an end.
"I’ll call you later tonight, after dinner and everything," Scotty assures me as we stop outside my door. He turns to face me and takes both of my hands in his, lifting them to his lips for a kiss. Then, he slowly slides them down to rest over his heart.
I swallow, suddenly nervous, and ask, “I’ll see you soon?”
Scotty nods, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek. He moves his lips slowly over to mine, capturing them in a sweet, lingering kiss.
"Bye, sweetheart," he says softly, pulling away.
He gives me a short but loving hug before turning to head back to his car. When he reaches the door, he turns, waves, and blows me a kiss. I pretend to catch it and slide it into my pocket and his deep laugh fills the air.
I watch him drive away before letting myself inside. I kick off my sandals and take in the silence of the empty house. I notice the silence isn’t at all as wonderful as the one that surrounded Scotty and I back at the park.
