Feels like Home (Lake Fisher 2)

“Will do.” H

e breezes out of the room and then Eli walks in.

“So…movie?” he asks when he stops in front of me.

“What about it?” I respond.

“The kids want to go. You want to join us?”

“Do you need me to go?” I wince inwardly. Being with Eli in public is difficult, because everything feels normal in public. I feel the need to talk to him, and then it feels like it used to, but it’s not like it used to be. It’ll never be like it used to be.

“I’d like for you to go. But it’s your choice, of course.”

“How about if I meet you there?” I say. “I want to go check on Aaron.”

“Sounds good,” he says. “I’ll save you a seat.” He smiles at me and my belly dips. What a weird sensation. He walks out the door after Jake, presumably to set up the chairs and blankets.

“You still love him,” Katie says quietly.

“No.” I don’t. I can’t. There’s too much between us.

“When he just smiled at you, you blushed. I saw it. You looked just like you did at fifteen when he used to toss his head to get that stupid lock of hair out of his eyes and then he would grin at you.”

I huff. “We’re not fifteen anymore,” I remind her.

“Exactly,” she says. And she walks out of the room.

I turn to go out the back door, but Sam stops me. “Are we going to the movie?” she asks.

“It looks like it.”

“Yay!” she cries, and she makes a fist pump.

“I’m going to go check on your dad first. You stay with Jake and Katie, and I’ll see you there, okay?”

“Okay.” She spins around and goes in the other direction.

I walk back to Aaron’s cabin and let myself in through the front door. Aaron is sitting on the couch, staring at nothing. “Aaron?”

He looks up at me. “Bess,” he responds. “I was just coming to find you guys.” He sets the family photo he was holding to the side and stands up.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Right as rain,” he says as he stretches his arms over his head. “That nap helped.” He looks around me. “Where are the kids?”

“They’re getting ready for movie night.”

“Fuck yeah!” he cries. “I love movie night!” He goes to the chest by the wall and pulls out some blankets. “Do we need snacks?”

“Knowing Jake and Katie, they’re bringing everything.”

“If not, we can come back.” He looks around. “You’re going, right?”

I throw up my hands. “Apparently, I am.”

He grins at me. I follow him out the front door, and we walk toward the field with the big building at the north end. Jake and Katie are there with the kids, and some other families from the campground have set up blankets and chairs.

“Daddy!” Kerry-Anne yells, and she launches herself at him. She wraps her arms around his waist. He closes his eyes, grins, and holds her tightly.