Eventually, Riley protested. “Daddy, I gotta potty. I don’t know where it is.”
Cara started to rise, but Jonathan shook his head. “I’ll take her.”
By the time Jonathan returned, she’d finished her scallops and sat with her hands folded in her lap. “Jonathan?”
“Hmm?” With a mouth full of linguine, Jonathan couldn’t speak.
“Thank you.”
He swallowed quickly and washed his food down with a quick gulp of water. “For what?”
“That hug. I needed it more than I can tell you.”
“I hoped you’d understand.”
She swirled another bite of linguine around her fork before she took a deep breath and said, “I think some day you’ll learn that I understand more than most people give me credit for.”
“I wish—”
“But you can’t,” she argued. “Even if you would, I wouldn’t. It’d be insane to make such a rash decision after less than a week. We both know it.” She reached for their salads and removed their dinner plates. “I know. I keep waiting for something that says, ‘he’s too good to be true and here’s the proof’ but I don’t think I’ll find it. I just know that if I’m impatient, someone is going to get hurt.”
“Almost a thousand miles…”
Tears spilled before Cara could stop them. “Are you trying to drive the knife in deeper? ‘Cause you’re really doing a good job.” Before he could reply, Cara dashed from the table and down the hall.
With a quick glance to see that his children remained engrossed in their movie, Jonathan followed. He found Cara with her face buried in a pillow from her guest bed. “Oh, Cara mia.” His heart squeezed at the sight of her pain.
“That is so unfair.”
“I thought—”
“You know how much I like it.” She took a deep breath and dragged her eyes to meet his. “Are you trying to hurt me tonight? Do you want to pick a fight or dump—”
“I want the right to call you something that’d make it possible to dump you. I don’t ever want to do that, but I’d love to know you were someone special enough to be able to do that.”
Barely stifling a giggle, Cara shook her head. “Only you could make the possibility of getting dumped sound like an honor.” Fresh tears flooded her eyes before she could prevent them. “Arrgh. This is mortifying,” she sniffled, trying to compose herself.
Without a second thought, Jonathan broke his self-imposed hands-off policy. Gathering her in his arms, he held Cara. His trademarked silence filled the room; Jonathan said nothing and made no shushing noises. Rather, he stood, held her, stroked her hair, and tried to remember to breathe.
How long they stood there, neither of them ever knew. They didn’t speak and with the exception of his hands as they smoothed her hair from time to time, they didn’t move. Once her emotions settled, he knew Cara expected him to jump away as he had so many times in the past few days, but Jonathan didn’t shift at all.
The credits rolled on the children’s movie, but in the absence of interruption by Riley or Bryson, neither of them moved. Silence seemed to echo throughout the house, with the faint exception of Cara’s occasional sniffles. Slowly, she grew heavy, until Jonathan realized she was falling asleep in his arms.
Unable to carry her upstairs, Jonathan gently led her to the bed and laid her back on it. He pulled one leg up and the other followed of its own volition. She curled into fetal position and grabbed for the pillow instinctively. Jonathan pulled the bedspread from the other side and draped it lightly over her. As he crept from the room, he flipped the light switch, plunging it into darkness.
An idea occurred to him. He’d clean the kitchen for her before they left. Hoping to hide the noise, Jonathan pulled the door closed behind him just as one final sniffle escaped the sleeping woman. “Oh, Lord,” he whispered as he retraced his steps down the hallway. “What are we going to do?”
~*~*~*~
Cara woke feeling
Cara started to rise, but Jonathan shook his head. “I’ll take her.”
By the time Jonathan returned, she’d finished her scallops and sat with her hands folded in her lap. “Jonathan?”
“Hmm?” With a mouth full of linguine, Jonathan couldn’t speak.
“Thank you.”
He swallowed quickly and washed his food down with a quick gulp of water. “For what?”
“That hug. I needed it more than I can tell you.”
“I hoped you’d understand.”
She swirled another bite of linguine around her fork before she took a deep breath and said, “I think some day you’ll learn that I understand more than most people give me credit for.”
“I wish—”
“But you can’t,” she argued. “Even if you would, I wouldn’t. It’d be insane to make such a rash decision after less than a week. We both know it.” She reached for their salads and removed their dinner plates. “I know. I keep waiting for something that says, ‘he’s too good to be true and here’s the proof’ but I don’t think I’ll find it. I just know that if I’m impatient, someone is going to get hurt.”
“Almost a thousand miles…”
Tears spilled before Cara could stop them. “Are you trying to drive the knife in deeper? ‘Cause you’re really doing a good job.” Before he could reply, Cara dashed from the table and down the hall.
With a quick glance to see that his children remained engrossed in their movie, Jonathan followed. He found Cara with her face buried in a pillow from her guest bed. “Oh, Cara mia.” His heart squeezed at the sight of her pain.
“That is so unfair.”
“I thought—”
“You know how much I like it.” She took a deep breath and dragged her eyes to meet his. “Are you trying to hurt me tonight? Do you want to pick a fight or dump—”
“I want the right to call you something that’d make it possible to dump you. I don’t ever want to do that, but I’d love to know you were someone special enough to be able to do that.”
Barely stifling a giggle, Cara shook her head. “Only you could make the possibility of getting dumped sound like an honor.” Fresh tears flooded her eyes before she could prevent them. “Arrgh. This is mortifying,” she sniffled, trying to compose herself.
Without a second thought, Jonathan broke his self-imposed hands-off policy. Gathering her in his arms, he held Cara. His trademarked silence filled the room; Jonathan said nothing and made no shushing noises. Rather, he stood, held her, stroked her hair, and tried to remember to breathe.
How long they stood there, neither of them ever knew. They didn’t speak and with the exception of his hands as they smoothed her hair from time to time, they didn’t move. Once her emotions settled, he knew Cara expected him to jump away as he had so many times in the past few days, but Jonathan didn’t shift at all.
The credits rolled on the children’s movie, but in the absence of interruption by Riley or Bryson, neither of them moved. Silence seemed to echo throughout the house, with the faint exception of Cara’s occasional sniffles. Slowly, she grew heavy, until Jonathan realized she was falling asleep in his arms.
Unable to carry her upstairs, Jonathan gently led her to the bed and laid her back on it. He pulled one leg up and the other followed of its own volition. She curled into fetal position and grabbed for the pillow instinctively. Jonathan pulled the bedspread from the other side and draped it lightly over her. As he crept from the room, he flipped the light switch, plunging it into darkness.
An idea occurred to him. He’d clean the kitchen for her before they left. Hoping to hide the noise, Jonathan pulled the door closed behind him just as one final sniffle escaped the sleeping woman. “Oh, Lord,” he whispered as he retraced his steps down the hallway. “What are we going to do?”
~*~*~*~
Cara woke feeling
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