Him & I

Craving You

Every time we have to say goodbye
I'm counting down until we say hello
Every touch is like the strongest drug
I don't know how much longer I can go
I never had something I can't walk away from
Girl, my self-control's so paralyzed
When it comes to you, no I ain't got no patience
There's something 'bout you girl I just can't fight
——Craving You, Thomas Rhett ft. Maren Morris

August 26, 2018

Cait knew she shouldn't be this emotional about saying goodbye to Grayson. If all went according to plan, she'd see him on Friday in Jacksonville. A mere five days. She should be able to handle that.

But she wasn't sure how the next couple of days were going to go. She was really trying, but she and Connor were both awkward and stilted around each other. She watched her father interact with him and it seemed much more organic. But she couldn't seem to replicate that.

Luke and Rae had come to the Park Avenue residence the night before and Luke and Connor seemed to hit it off pretty quickly. Connor seemed more comfortable with Luke than with her and Grayson.  Cait was initially surprised by that, but then she'd realized that Luke acted like a twelve year old boy most of the time, so she figured it made sense.

But today, it would just be her and her brother. She was frankly still a bit stunned by this whole situation and she wasn't sure she could deal with this. She wished Grayson would be there with her. But he wanted to go to Utah. And someone needed to be there for the furniture delivery too.

Her father took Connor to spend some time with his mother and Cait imagined that was going to be difficult. Her sentencing was this week and Connor wouldn't see her again before that. Cait tried to remind herself to have compassion for the kid. But at least his mother was still alive. Cait tried not to remember what it had been like to say goodbye to her own mother.

Grayson left for the airport and Cait held him for a long few minutes before he went. "Gonna miss you," she whispered.

"I'll miss you too, Kitten," he told her. "But it's only a few days."

"Just got used to sleeping next to you all the time," she sighed.

Grayson kissed her nose. "Me too, but unfortunately, that's not gonna always be possible," he smiled. "We just have to make the most of the nights we do get to sleep together."

"Except we don't really sleep all that much," she smirked, causing Grayson to laugh.

"You're the only one I wanna sleep and not sleep with, Callahan," he chuckled. "I'll see you on Friday."

*****

After Grayson left, Cait headed over to her father's penthouse to wait for Connor to be ready to leave for Durham. She and Joan talked a bit, Joan offering some observations about things she'd noticed about Connor; what he liked to eat and what time he went to bed.  And they talked about Tyler.  Joan had contacted a pet sitting service to take care of him while for the week that they would be away. She told Cait that Connor seemed to like the cat, even though he wouldn't admit it, and that they were considering getting him a cat when they returned to New York for him to start school.  He'd apparently never had a pet before.

Finally, her father and Connor returned.  Connor seemed pretty stoic, was keeping his emotions in check.  Cait decided to talk to him about some of the things they'd be doing in Durham, but he seemed focused on something else.  She eventually gave up and they got into their car to the airport, her father riding with them.