Not Alone by Amber Nation

it.”
    “You are so full of it,” she said as she tried to playfully slap my arm, but I caught her off guard when I grabbed her wrist and pulled her into me. I took her lips in a brief, soft kiss. When I pulled back her eyes were still closed. She slowly opened them and said, “Whatever the bet, you’re on.” She giggled as she went to pull out a chair. Well if that’s all it took to get her to agree with me.
    I dished up two hearty bowls of chili and added a peanut butter sandwich to the side of each. She took the first bite and smiled. “This is really good, Grady, really good… But, mine’s better.”
    “Yeah right, hush up and eat woman. We will see who reigns supreme at the Harvest Festival,” I said in a playful tone.
    “Um, Grady can I say something?” All traces of playfulness completely gone.
    “Of course sweetheart, you can say anything to me.”
    “I don’t know what exactly is going on between us, but for now I’d really like it to stay between us. Meaning we don’t bring Tucker into yet.” I started to interrupt her, and she goes on in a panic. “It’s not that I don’t want this to come to anything, because I actually think I do, but I have to protect my son. I can’t have a man come into my life and decide one day that he can’t deal with me having a son and bolt, especially if Tucker becomes attached to you. So, for now, if you are ever around Tucker, it’s as a friend. Is that alright?”
    I scooted my chair a little closer to hers and took her hand. “Of course that’s alright, Emmy Lou. That right there just proves my point about you being an amazing mother. You are putting your son first. Hell, you put everyone first. I’m here to put you first. I know this is new and scary, but I mean it when I say that I want to take care of you, and when the time comes, Tucker as well.”
    She had tears in her eyes. “Sweetheart, don’t cry. We will take this one step at a time. I know your heart is fragile, but I’m going to mend it, you’ll see.”
    “What..what did you call me?” she asked while wiping her eyes with her hands.
    “Sweetheart?”
    “No, before that.”
    Trying to think back, I only had only ever called her Emmalynne or sweetheart, but then I remembered. “Emmy Lou?”
    “Yeah, and you called me that last night too. I just didn’t realize it until now. My mother always called me Emmy Lou. No one has called me that since I was eight years old and she passed away.”
    “I’m sorry Emmalynne. I won’t call you that anymore, especially if it upsets you.” I felt like a tool, even though I didn’t know.
    “No, please, I actually like it when you call me that.” She sniffled and went on, “I don’t have many memories of her but the ones I do have are all great. I remember her being absolutely beautiful. I mean she was a total knockout. And the best mom ever, she would always play tea party with me even when…even when she was sick.” She grabbed a hold of her necklace. “This was my mother’s necklace. I always remembered her wearing it, then, on my sixteenth birthday, my father gave it to me. In all that time, I’ve never taken it off.”
    We each finished our chili and made our way towards the sink. Emmalynne reached out for my plate. “What are you doing?” I asked.
    “I’m going to wash the dishes. You cooked, so I’ll clean.”
    “No, no you are a guest. I’ll clean them later. Come on let’s go pick out a movie to watch.” I grabbed her hand and led her to the couch. “Okay, we’ve got Fast and the Furious , The Expendables , or The Town. Which one would you like to watch?”
    “Uh….that’s it? Those are the choices?” she said while waving her hands between the three Blu-Ray’s I held in my hand. “You don’t have anything like, oh say, You’ve Got Mail ? You just have those-action packed, macho movies?”
    “ You’ve Got Mail ? Are you fucking kidding me right now? I’m a dude, I don’t have corny chick flicks. I have, as you