“It is when you haven’t introduced me to your girlfriend… and you promised.”
Julian groaned. “I know.” He’d planned on broaching the subject soon… and then Alex had intruded. “We’ll have to get you over here because I also want you to meet Alex in person.”
“The girl who’s living in your extra bedroom,” Alyssa said, as if reminding herself.
“Right. She has nowhere to go.”
“Aha, so you have two other women in your life. Should I be jealous?” Alyssa asked. Her quick chuckle told him she was anything but.
His sister was all sweetness and easygoing charm. She often spoke extra slowly, sometimes stuttered over a forgotten word or event, and needed the comfort of routine, but she was a genuinely kind, caring soul. How she’d ended up with Julian as a brother was beyond him. If she knew half the things he’d done…
“Julian, you aren’t going to answer me? Maybe I should be worried.” Alyssa’s voice cut him off from giving himself a hard time.
“Sorry. I got lost in thought,” he said honestly. “Of course you have nothing to worry about. You’re my favorite squirt.”
“So when can I meet them?” Alyssa asked.
“How about this weekend?” Julian made the offer hoping Kendall was free.
“Sunday,” Alyssa said. “I work Saturday afternoon,” she said slowly, as if she was thinking or checking her schedule.
“I’ll check with Kendall and see what I can do,” Julian said, pleased the two most important people in his life were finally going to meet.
* * *
Kendall met up with Julian, Alex, and Julian’s sister, Alyssa, at the dog park. The sun was shining overhead after a week of rain, and she welcomed the dose of vitamin D along with the warmth on her skin. Because it was early, the park was empty, but it would fill up soon enough because of the sunshine.
Waffles and Steve were excited to see each other and immediately began running, chasing each other in circles around the enclosed area.
Julian did the introductions, and Alyssa greeted Kendall with an excited hug. “It’s so won… wonderful to fin…ally meet you!”
Kendall hugged her back, understanding her slower speech from Julian preparing her on the phone last night about the challenges Alyssa still faced from her traumatic brain injury. “I’ve heard a lot of good things about you,” Kendall said to the pretty girl.
“Same here,” Alyssa said.
“You look like your brother. Same eyes. Same mouth.” Kendall grinned. “Good gene pool.”
“Thank you.”
Julian stood to the side, watching the interaction, a pleased smile on his face.
“Can I play with the dogs?” Alyssa asked, gesturing to where Alex was already kneeling down, petting Steve’s belly.
“Of course. It’s not comfortable on the ground. We can go back to my apartment, but it’s such a beautiful day I thought it would be nice to hang outside for a little while.”
“I love the fresh air.” Alyssa smiled and walked a few steps and knelt beside Alex.
The two girls began to talk, their attention on the playful pups who alternated between nudging at their legs and going for each other.
“Want to sit?” Julian gestured to the bench they’d sat on the last time they were here together.
“Sure.” She settled in beside him, their legs touching.
He reached out and curled his finger around a lock of her hair, tugging gently. “She likes you.”
Kendall smiled. “We just met but I like her, too. She seems sweet.”
“She is. The best kind of sweet. Innocent sweet.”