Begin Again by Kathryn Shay Page A

Magdalena.”
    “Plans like Mommy did last night?”
    Paulina was sure she’d blushed to the roots of her hair. But she thought,
I hope so
. She hadn’t told Nia what had happened between her and Adam.She grinned, though, at the thought of what they’d done together.
    “
Matka
will be home sometime today,” Nia told Paulina’s son.
    “I wanna ride my bike.” This from Tommy, who glanced at his shy cousin, sitting by the window at a small table Nia had bought him, with some new art supplies. “Sal, wanna come?”
    Salvador looked up. “Can’t I stay here and paint?”
    “You could,” Nia said. “Butit’s a sunny day, and I’d like you to get some fresh air.”
    “Okay.” Sometimes the kid just gave in too easily. But he was a lot like his mother and his father. Peter had been as easygoing as they come.
    They got the kids fed, clothed and into sneakers, then headed outside. Their neighborhood had sidewalks, and appeared safe, but after the accident that had robbed them of husbands and fathers,both Nia and Paulina wouldn’t let the boys go out of the yard alone like many of their friends did. And when any of the kids went to playdates, they either drove them or walked them over. Idly, Paulina wondered if they’d ever be less protective, if the cloud of impending doom would ever go away.
    With the boys riding ahead, Nia spoke first. “You haven’t said anything about Friday night. I wasn’tgoing to push, but since Tommy brought it up…”
    In truth, Paulina was afraid to share the wonderful night with her sister because she didn’t want Nia to put a damper on it. “I had a good time.”
    “Will you see him again?”
    “I think so. We’re both busy. We’re going to text his week to see if we can get together.” Actually, he’d texted her a couple of times last night and sounded…nostalgic.

    “Dating him is fine, I think, just so…” Nia trailed off and tugged her sweater around her tighter.
    “Just so…?”
    Nia took Paulina’s hand. “…you aren’t serious about him. I know we have to move on, but I always thought we’d find guys like Peter and Donnie.”
    “Yeah, I did, too.” But Adam had crashed into her life like a meteor, and the relationship had taken a fast turn into intimacy.If she closed her eyes, she could still recall his scent, still feel the way he’d touched her, caressed her, kissed her. And more. The sensations were so acute, so pleasurable, so healthy, she couldn’t regret what she’d done with him.
    He’d walked her to the door at two in the morning…
    “So, Ms. Paulina Pettrone. Did I knock your socks off like you did mine?”
    “Uh-huh.” She stared upat him. “It was wonderful, Adam, so wonderful.”
    “God, don’t purr like that. You’ve worn me out but I could still
—
”
    She put her hand on his mouth. “Kiss me good night.”
    He did. Lifting her off the ground again. (Why was that so sexy?) Devouring her mouth till she was breathing hard. (God that felt good.) “I have to see you, soon,” he said when he released her.
    “Nia,
Matka
and Icoordinate our schedules on Sunday. I’ll let you know when I can get free.”
    “Do you want to see me as badly?”
    “I do.”
    A last peck on the cheek. “Make it soon, woman.”
    She wiggled her brows. “I’ll make sure we have condoms, too.”
    He’d stalked away, mumbling under his breath about sirens, Lolita and femme fatales…
    “You went quiet,” her sister said. “Did I overstep with mycomment on Adam?”
    “What? No. I realize Adam couldn’t be more different from Donnie.”
    More silence. “Do you even like all that stuff? A driver? His fancy clothes and haircut that could fund our church’s food cupboard for a week.”
    “I don’t hold it against him, if that’s what you mean.”
    “I would have trouble with relating to his world.”
    She’d related to his world last night, andhe’d tilted hers on its axis. “It’s too soon to judge, Nia. Maybe it’ll get to be too much