Always (Bold As Love 4)

“I'll bring back supper,” I tell Sweetness after I give her a kiss and then I'm off.

The meeting with the realtor went great. She's coming by tomorrow to take pictures of the house so I've got to get everything cleaned up. Not to mention that we're supposed to eat with Mike tomorrow. After supper, I get started taking the trash outside and I go ahead and put the bags of clothes in my car. I'll drop them off at one of those donation containers tomorrow. Once that is done, I pick up and finish cleaning downstairs. I'm exhausted by the time I do the same with the upstairs.

Emily is in bed by the time I get out of the shower. Tonight she's sporting Chicago Blackhawks pajamas.

“Do you like?” she smiles.

“I do,” I reply as I crawl in beside her. I reach over and turn off the lamp, basking us in complete darkness.

“I'm sorry I haven't been much help today,” Sweetness says as she rearranges herself to rest her head on my chest.

“It's okay. I stopped by the lawyer's office today. He got the paperwork together that I need for Drake. Tomorrow, after the realtor comes by, we should go by your house and pack up your things. Are we having supper there or in Wilmington?”

“There. It's just going to be us and Cherish.”

A few minutes of silence pass and I begin to think Sweetness has fallen asleep, but I'm mistaken.

“Jake?”

“Yeah?”

“I'm a little nervous about moving.”

“Me too.”

Emily pops up and looks at me. “Really? You are?”

“Of course. Sweets, we're going to a new place on our own. I'm excited, sure, but that doesn't mean I'm not nervous about it. I'm uprooting my family too. What if y'all don't like it there? You're the only one who can move back.”

“Love, I'm not going to leave you there. I'm sure I'll at least like it. You know why? Because I'm going to be there with you.”

“That's sweet and all, but are you really ready to spend the next three years in a place you might not even like?”

“I'll like it,” she affirms.

I sure hope so. The entire time I was away, I kept wondering if Emily and Drake would like living there. That was the first time I ever thought about something like that. I didn't think I would have to worry about that, but then I met Emily. Now everything I do, I have to think about her as well. Then there's Drake. I've got to add him into the equation too. We fall asleep with me wishing that we experience no more curveballs for a while.

35

Emily

I head over to Dad's early, so I can talk to him. He's in the kitchen when I arrive, sitting at the table reading a newspaper.

“Hey, Daddy.”

“Hey, honey. I didn't think you were going to be here until later. How's the ankle?”

“Good. I wanted to talk to you though.”

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” I sit at the table just as he folds the newspaper to give me his full attention. “We're going to start packing my things today because we're leaving next week.” I watch carefully, but he doesn't give anything away.

“Next week, huh?” he asks as he raises his eyebrows.

“Yep. We need to get up there before school starts so we can get settled in and signed up. All that good stuff.”

“Well, if y'all need any help, just let me know. What's Jake going to do about the house?”