JOE’S ARMS WERE FULL of grocery bags as he got out of the car, but I grabbed and hugged and kissed him anyway as Martha leaped at my legs.
“When did you get here?” I asked.
“At ten a.m. As planned.”
“Oh, no.”
“I had a nice day. Watched some football. Took a nap with Martha. Took her shopping.”
“Oh, God, Joe.”
“You forgot that I was coming, didn’t you?”
“Oh, man. I’m so sorry. I really blew it.”
“That’s not good enough, sister. Not by half. Not even close.”
“I can explain.”
“Make it good,” he said, “and don’t even think of lawyering up.”
I laughed. Put my arm around his waist as we all clambered up the stairs.
“I’ll make it up to you.”
“You bet you will,” he growled, then hugged me tight.
Inside the kitchen, Joe put the groceries on the counter, the ice cream into the freezer. Then he sat on a stool at the counter, crossed his arms, and gave me a look that said “I’m waiting.”
“Yuki’s mother,” I said. “We buried her today. Out in Colma.”
“Aw. Jeez, Lindsay. I’m sorry.”
“Joe, it was so sudden. Yuki and her mom were going to go on a cruise together next week!”
Joe opened his arms to me, and I leaned into him. Then I talked for ten minutes straight about how close Yuki had been to her mom, how the hospital might have screwed up by giving Keiko the wrong meds.
My voice tightened in my throat as I told him about my own mom, about visiting her grave that afternoon.
“It’s a rotten shame that I messed up, Joe. I wish you’d been with me today. I’ve really missed you.”
“How much?” he asked, the glint in his eyes showing me that I was out of the doghouse.
I stretched out my arms, making the universal symbol for “this much.” Joe pulled me closer, giving me a full-body hug and a five-star kiss.
We clung together for a long moment, me with a hand in Joe’s thick hair, holding his cheek tightly against mine, feeling his strong arms wrapped around me. This was good, so good.
He walked me backward to the bedroom, his hands cupping my buttocks. He was hard against me and holding me so that there was no space between us.
He lowered me onto the bed, lay down next to me, and moved my hair off my face.
So handsome, my Joe.
“I missed you more,” he said.
“No way.” I took his hand and put it over my heart. “Feel that?”
“You know that I love you, Lindsay.”