/> “No,” he interrupted. “What you don’t realize is that my girlfriend, and all my other friends, were pretty shallow at the time. I know, because I was just like them. That’s one thing cancer did for me… it showed me what was important in life. And now, I’ve not only found some real friends, but learned how to be one.”
“Are you saying you’re glad you got cancer?” She twisted to see the expression on his face.
His brows bent downward, eyes focused on some place far ahead. “I’m happy to be who I am today. Facing death really changed how I view life. So did meeting Steven. I only wish that could’ve happened without the cancer.”
“Where were your parents when you got sick?” She turned forward again, scanning the banks for signs of wildlife.
“My parents?” He spat out the word like it tasted bad. “Hadn’t heard from Dad since he signed the last check for Stanford. And Mom… she was busy with her new family. I’ve got a couple of half-sisters who were teenagers back then.”
“What about older siblings?”
“My brothers tried to be supportive, but they live all over the country and have jobs and obligations of their own. My friends were busy, climbing the corporate ladder, like I was before the cancer. They felt sorry for me, but that’s about it. I made new friends, though—real friends, like Steven. I’ve learned that being a friend is to be unselfish and put someone else’s needs before your own. That’s what Steven did for me. Now, I’d do anything for him.”
She cleared her throat and tried to put a casual tone in her voice. “Now that you’ve changed so much, what’s your general approach to dating?”
“I don’t know how to answer that.”
His chuckle made her cringe. Why was she so awkward when she got nervous?
“I mean, you have a bucket list, and I’m sure getting married and having a family is on there, somewhere. I figured you had a plan for how and when that was going to happen.”
“Ha! First off, I don’t plan things like that. I just let life happen. But it wouldn’t matter, because getting married isn’t even on the list.”
She almost told him her opinion… that letting cancer dictate his future was like letting the disease win. But, she held her tongue. After all, she hadn’t walked in his shoes. And who was she to give advice about love and marriage?
“See that black and white bird?” Happy to change the subject, she pointed at a bird, flying overhead, about the size of a hawk. “That’s a Swallow-tailed Kite. See that deep fork in his tail? He’s an endangered species.”
“Cool bird. But how on earth do you know that?”
“It’s embarrassing, really.” Why had she opened her big mouth? “My parents were birders. Every vacation we ever took involved walking around on trails with binoculars around your neck and your head craned up at the trees. I didn’t really want to learn about birds, but I couldn’t help it.”
“You never fail to surprise me,” he said. “Okay, let’s test you. What’s that one over there? The red one?”
“A cardinal. But surely you knew that.”
He pointed to his right. “I think I know that yellow one, in that short tree. It’s a goldfinch, right?”
“Actually, you won’t find a goldfinch in coastal Carolina in the summer. That’s probably a Pine Warbler.”
For the next ten minutes, Gary played a game, his goal to find a bird she couldn’t identify. He finally stumped her with a small, olive-green bird, sitting on a dead tree branch.
“I know it’s a flycatcher, but I can’t remember the name.”
As he laughed at her frustration, she decided to give paddling another try.
“I think I can do it,” she said. “I don’t feel shaky anymore.”
“Okay, but take it easy, and don’t forget to drink your water.”
“I will,” she agreed, somehow not irritated by his commands. “But you should know, I usually don’t like being bossed around, like a child.”
“I don’t think that’s it. You know I’m only giving you good advice. I think you have a hidden competitive streak.”
“No way! You’ve got me totally wrong. I’m the least competitive person you’ve ever met.”
“I think you’re the most competitive person I’ve met. Hear me out,” he said, as she started to protest. “You said you pushed yourself, paddling the kayak, trying to prove you aren’t helpless and weak, but neither of us thought that about you.”
“Maybe not exactly, but you thought I was weaker than you are.”