He nodded and stroked the side of my face with the back of his hand. “You’re such a beautiful person, Jillian. You know that?”
I shrugged and looked away. How I wished I could see myself as the same person he did, but I knew I still had a lot of wrongs to make right before that was even remotely possible. “So, let’s order room service for breakfast and get on our way.” As I stood up, I became embarrassingly aware that I was completely naked. I instinctively reached for my shirt on the floor and pulled it over my head, giving Theo a good laugh.
“I think the time for modesty is over. It’s not like I haven’t seen you with no clothes on.”
My face heated, and I knew I was blushing. I playfully swatted him with my bra, and he snatched it from my hand.
“If you want this back, you’re going to have to come and get it.”
I climbed back on the bed with a poor attempt to retrieve it and instead got lost in his arms once again.
_______________
It was well after eleven when we checked out. Theo made up for his lack of dinner by not only eating his breakfast, but also eating what I couldn’t finish of mine. Then there was the charm he turned on with the cleaning lady to find him a toothbrush. Not believing a toothbrush was a standard item that hotels normally supplied, I was amazed when she came back to the room in less than five minutes with a brand-new one in hand. He paid her well for that toothbrush, leaving a very generous tip on the dresser when we exited. A thought came to me as Theo was loading my suitcase into his car.
“Would you mind stopping at the antique shop I was in yesterday? I forgot something.”
“Not a problem,” he responded, closing the trunk and opening the passenger side door for me.
By the time we were pulling into Kate’s driveway, my emotions were running amuck along with my nerves. Theo put the car in park and looked over at me, picking up on my unease.
“Did you want to wait a little bit before doing this?”
I shook my head and opened the car door, knowing if I didn’t do it now, I may never. He nodded and followed behind me as we walked up the driveway. The house was quiet when we entered. Theo took my hand and we made our way through the living room and into the kitchen.
“Hello, Theo,” Anna greeted, focusing deeply on whatever she was mixing in the bowl. She finally looked up from her creation, beaming with a bright smile. “Jillian!” she exclaimed. Picking up the towel from the counter, she wiped the batter from her hands, then embraced me in a giant bear hug. She braced my shoulders, looking me over as if we hadn’t seen each other in years instead of weeks. “You are a sight for sore eyes.”
“Hey, what about me?” Theo teased.
“You cheeky little bugger, I see you all the time.” We all got a good laugh, and it settled my nerves momentarily, until I looked into the backyard and saw Kate sitting in the garden with Thomas.
“I want to talk to her.”
Theo nodded, taking a step forward to join me until I stopped him.
“I need to do this alone, if that’s okay.”
“Perfectly okay.” His eyes were like beacons, offering me the support I so desperately needed.
My sweaty palm turned the doorknob, and I made my way outside. Trekking slowly to my destination while trying to conjure up what I wanted to say, I came up blank. Kate was sitting with her back toward me, resting comfortably in a sun lounger as Thomas sat on the ground beside her playing with his trucks. It was Thomas who spotted me first, gazing up at me with a mile-wide smile, and it hit me like a ton of bricks. That familiar facial expression of his that I had been trying to place wasn’t part Theo’s or part Kate’s like I’d originally thought. It was Evan’s, double dimples and all. I wanted to smile, and I wanted to cry because for the first time I was seeing Thomas for who he really was—Evan’s son. A part of him that would live on. I choked back a sob, catching Kate’s attention. Using her hand as a visor, she tilted her head up to see who it was.
“Jillian.” Her voice wavered.
“Hi.” Taking a step closer and motioning to the empty sun lounger next to her, I asked, “Can I sit?”
“Sure,” she murmured.
I took a seat and we remained silent for a few moments, watching Thomas play. “I just realized how much his smile looks like Evan’s.” I finally broke the monotony.
She let out a nervous laugh. I sensed she was uncomfortable talking about Evan with me, but that was my whole reason for being here, to let her know it was okay. To let her know I forgave her because by doing something with my husband that was the ultimate betrayal, she oddly helped me find a part of myself that had been missing for a long while.
“I’m not angry anymore,” I muttered, my eyes never leaving Thomas.
“Jillian, you have to believe me when I say I’m so sorry, and I’m sorry for being so deceiving in the way I told you. I just knew I had to tell you face-to-face. Not in an email or on Facebook. I felt this intense need to get to know you, and I realize now how stalkerish it all looks, but that wasn’t my intent.”
Her apology wasn’t warranted because the cracks she
