Sweeter than anything else she’d ever known…
* * *
AN HOUR AND a half later, nerves sizzled in Reese’s stomach as she walked through her parents’ front door. It had been more than a little nerve-racking to honestly communicate with Trent, but their talk last night and this morning had started to lift at least part of the heavy weight she’d been carrying on her shoulders. Now it was time to be just as up-front with her parents, too.
The house smelled like coffee, sausage, and eggs. It was a comforting, familiar smell that, with the exception of when she’d lived in New York, she’d enjoyed every Sunday of her life.
“Mom? Dad?” She followed the delicious aroma into the kitchen, where she found her mother working on a crossword puzzle.
“Hi.” She kissed her cheek.
“Hi, sweetie. Let me get you some coffee.” Her mother pushed to her feet.
“I’ve got it, Mom. Where’s Dad?” she asked as she filled her mother’s mug and her own.
“He was just called into the volunteer fire department for a last-second drill. They got the fire simulation machine in for the morning and wanted to run the whole crew through it again. You know how much he loves working with the fire crew, but he’s really sorry to miss having breakfast with you.” Her mother took the cup of coffee from Reese, then said, “Sarah called, and she sent a few new pictures of baby Oliver.” Her mother reached for her tablet and swiped through the photos to show Reese, and she was glad for the extra few minutes to gather her thoughts.
“He’s just gorgeous, isn’t he?”
Reese looked at the pictures of her darling little nephew, her heart tugging as she remembered the sweet baby smell of his skin and how lovely it had been to hold him in her arms. “He’s gotten so much bigger since I came back,” she said, in awe of his gorgeously pudgy little cheeks.
She’d returned from her sister Sarah’s house last week filled with resolve to finally move forward with her life. Reese was twenty-nine years old, and after spending a few weeks caring for little Oliver, she felt the tug of motherhood in the wings.
She wanted the children she hoped to have one day to enjoy the same loving family life that she always had. And now that Trent had moved back to the island, and after all the strides they’d started to make with each other, she suddenly wondered if they might have another shot at forever after all.
Which brought her right back to the news she needed to share with her mother.
She put the tablet on the table. “Mom? I have something I’d like to talk to you about.”
When her mother immediately focused her full attention on Reese, just the way she always had when Reese needed to talk, the words she’d been planning to say tangled up on her tongue.
“I… Um…” This was harder than she’d imagined. Because for all that she felt so happy and hopeful whenever she was with Trent, as soon as she left his arms, her worries kept wanting to come flooding back.
“What is it, honey?” her mother asked. “You look a little flushed.”
That would be the butterflies in my stomach. Telling her mother about Trent made it real. Maybe she should wait until they had proven to each other that they could make it work this time. But she didn’t like the idea of hiding anything from her parents. Not when they’d always supported her no matter what and trusted her to make good decisions. She needed to show them the same trust. Besides, hiding her feelings hadn’t worked with Trent all those years ago, had it? Clearly, it was a habit she needed to break.
“Trent and I are...well, we’re sort of dating again.” When her mother didn’t respond right away and Reese couldn’t quite read her expression, she asked, “Do you think I’m crazy for seeing him again?”
“I’ve always liked Trent, and there was no doubt about how much he adored you.” Her mother pressed her lips together, as if she were weighing the rest of her answer. “But the important thing, Reese, is how you feel. When you came back from visiting Sarah, you were ready to move on and think about starting a family and finding a man who would be your forever love. Is Trent your forever love?”
“Once upon a time, I was certain he was. And then when everything fell apart, I tried to convince myself he wasn’t. But now?” She shook her head. “Is it crazy if I hope he does end up being my forever love?”
“If you ask me, crazy would be letting love slip through your fingers a second time.” Her mother put her hand over Reese’s. “You never stopped loving him, did you?”
“Never,” Reese whispered. “I feel so much for him that at times it’s hard to remember why we broke up. But I’m scared. I don’t want to get hurt again. And I don’t want to hurt him.”