Promise Me

“Anything to hit golf balls Noah,” she teased. “Any catastrophe…let’s hit some golf balls. I’m going to see if the girls want to get together then.”

“Anything to shop Lexi,” he teased her right back.

She scowled at him. “I hate shopping and you know it but I love my girls. Maybe we can work on Stevie at the same time.”

“A good idea,” Tegan replied. “I’ll talk with Rhett about it too.”

“These two need our love and support,” Lexi said. “Not anymore stress that accompanies being a newlywed with a new baby.”

“Thank you guys,” I said to them trying not to cry.

“You’re welcome,” Noah replied. “Don’t get too excited though. Declan has a thick head.”

**

Mom said the same thing as I sat at her kitchen table munching on ice cream with hot fudge drizzled over it. Her and Dad sat opposite me watching me. Dad’s chin was resting in his hand observing me with amusement as I inhaled my second bowl. I was stress eating, they both knew it.

“Declan can be a jackass. He always could be. When Stevie decided to go away to school he broke up with her without discussing it. Just flat out broke up. Took them seven years to get back together.”

I shook my head. I went for a third bowl and Mom stopped me. “Do you really want another bowl?” Her hand rested on mine. Her brow was wrinkled in concern for my weight gain, I knew.

“I do,” I replied. I was worried about Ronan.

She backed off, throwing her hands in the air and let me have my third bowl. I added extra syrup to this one. Daddy just laughed. “I don’t know how to make it better,” I cried.

“Skylar, I think you aren’t the problem here and neither is Ronan,” Mom told me.

“But he’s hurting.” I scooped ice cream into my mouth and chocolate syrup dripped down my chin. She wiped it off before it plopped onto my white shirt.

“Nice save,” Daddy told her.

“Hey, anybody home.” Ronan called from the entry of the house.

“We’re in here,” Daddy shouted to Ronan.

I shoveled more ice cream into my mouth. My eyes were red rimmed from crying. He stopped in the doorway and just looked at me. My eyes met Ronan’s over a heaping spoonful of ice cream. Then he smiled at me. “Are you okay?” He asked.

“I think the question is, are you?” I shoved the sweet, cherry cordial into my mouth. He walked across the room and sat down beside me. He laid his hand on my back.

“Sam was an excellent suggestion. He said to tell you that you are a keeper.” I chuckled between trying to suck down the ice cream in my mouth and trying not to cry. “Want to tell me what’s going on?”

“I want to be able to do more for you and I can’t.” I could feel the tears beginning again. I laid the spoon down and he moved the bowl away from me.

“I think you’re drunk on too much sugar,” he teased. “Stop it.” I looked at him puzzled. He pulled me a little closer. ‘Sky, you can’t fix me. I can only fix myself. You did your job. Made a great suggestion. Supported me. Loved me like a wife is supposed to do. Stop beating yourself up for not being able to do more.” I nodded. “I think we’re doing great. Don’t you?”

I nodded again afraid that my words would come out on a sob if I tried to speak. He kissed my temple and gave me a squeeze. “Are you okay Ronan?” Mom asked him.

“I’m better,” he said. “Sam did help me gain some perspective. He knows you both and Mom and Dad.”

“Who is he?” She asked, her eyes narrowed contemplating who Sam might be.

“Sam Clifton,” he replied. “Class between Tegan and Dad.”

“I remember him,” Dad replied. “Is he a recovering addict too?”

“He is and pastor of the church where we hold our meetings,” Ronan told us.

“He was a hellion in high school,” Mom said. “He’s a pastor?”