“I’m a little afraid,” Sami admitted.
I knew how hard that was for her to say, but I couldn’t hide my smile. “We’re a little afraid, too,” I supplied. “We haven’t been back in almost thirteen years. I was pregnant with you at the time, so you were technically there, but I didn’t know it yet.”
Aric widened his eyes as he did the math. “I never put that together. That’s the reason the gummy boobs made you sick.”
I snorted. “You’re just putting that together now?”
“I am.” Aric nodded, his dark eyes full of wonder as he turned to me. “You were pregnant with Sami the last time we were at Covenant College. I never really thought about it. Once you told me you were pregnant the day of the wedding, that became a fixed point in time in my memory.”
“Well, I was definitely pregnant, although it was very early.”
Aric stood up so he could snag my hand. “It’s kind of like we’re going full circle again, huh?”
“Oh, geez.” Sami rolled her eyes. “You guys are going to get mushy. I need to get out of here. By the way, there will be no mush when we get to the college. I don’t want people laughing at me because my parents won’t stop making out.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Aric said. “It’s a college campus. They’ll be more worried about beer and sex than what your mother and I do.”
“Whatever.” Sami opened the door. “I’m going to pack and say goodbye to Trouble. We’re leaving in an hour, right?”
Aric nodded. “Grab snacks from the kitchen, whatever you want. Make sure you go to the bathroom before you get in the truck, too. It’s only a two-hour drive, but I know the way you and your mother operate on road trips.”
“I’m on it.” Sami took everyone by surprise when she gave Aric an impulsive hug. “It’s as if we’re going on an adventure.”
Aric stroked the back of her head, amused. “Yeah. It’s going to be one heck of an adventure.”
I couldn’t help but agree. It was definitely going to be an adventure. The question was: How does the adventure ultimately end? Will it be smiles or tears? I hoped I knew, but fear rolled into a ball in the pit of my stomach.
Was this the worst idea ever?
“WHERE ARE WE?”
Four hours later – it took longer to pack than I envisioned and Sami needed two stops along the way to relieve her bladder – we stood in front of Aric’s old apartment building. Sami was wide-eyed as she watched shirtless young men carry furniture from the parking lot to the units, and I was dumbfounded when I realized we weren’t staying in a hotel.
“Still?”
Aric shrugged, sheepish. “I told you that I’m attached to the place.”
I could understand the sentiment behind his emotions but not the reality of holding onto an apartment in the middle of a college town we would never live in again. I grabbed two bags from the back of the Ford Explorer and handed them to Sami before grabbing two more.
“You’re throwing money away holding onto this place,” I pointed out. “You could at least rent it. People pay big money for apartments like this on college campuses.”
Aric wrinkled his nose. “I don’t want someone else living in our love nest.”
Sami’s ears pinked as she swiveled, her eyes accusatory. “Love nest? What is he talking about?”
“Ignore him,” I admonished, shaking my head. “It’s not a love nest. It’s a simple one-bedroom apartment with a kitchen, living room and bathroom. It’s nothing special.”
Even as I said the words my mind traveled back to the time we’d spent there. It was so much more than an apartment. It was our first home. Well, our first home that we lived in together for an extended period, that is. All of my memories of the time we shared here were good – except for that year we were broken up, of course. Now wasn’t the time to dwell on that.
“One bedroom?” Sami made a horrified face. “I am not sleeping in a bed with you guys.”
“No, you’re not,” Aric agreed. “That would be uncomfortable for everyone, and I don’t want to be uncomfortable when we’re visiting our love nest.” He enjoyed teasing Sami, who fell for the bait every time.
“Eww! Stop saying that!”
“Stop squealing like that,” I ordered, shooting a warning look at one of the shirtless students when he glanced in my direction. “You’re drawing too much attention to us. That’s the last thing we want.”
“Oh, whatever.” Sami rolled her eyes so hard I feared she would fall over. “Don’t even think about embarrassing me.”
“Does that mean we shouldn’t sing while holding hands and skipping inside the building?” I asked.
Sami’s brown eyes filled with fear as she turned to Aric. “Dad,” she whined. “You said she wouldn’t embarrass me.”
“I said nothing of the sort,” Aric countered, grabbing the remaining bags and locking the Explorer before moving toward the building. “It would be absolutely no fun if your mother didn’t embarrass you. That’s what keeps us so young.”
“I’m pretending I don’t know you.” Sami hurried ahead so people wouldn’t think we were together. I kept an eye on her while watching the young men posture and toil during their sweaty workout. Other than a few curious stares, no one seemed to be paying us any attention.
“The apartment is being held by one of my father’s old companies. Our name isn’t tied to it at all,” Aric whispered. “It should be perfectly safe.”
“Other than the nonstop parties and fornication,” I reminded him. “You do remember what the first weekend of college was like, right? No one has classes yet and there’s nothing to do but drink and let loose those rampaging hormones.”
Aric smiled at the memory. “I kind of miss your rampaging hormones.”
“I dusted them off this morning.”
“Yes, but we had to be quiet because my mother and your daughter were in the house,” Aric argued. “That’s not the same.”
My daughter? “Why is she my daughter?”
“Because she’s going to be loud about us embarrassing her, and I don’t want to claim her,” Aric replied. “I don’t want her embarrassing me in front of all of these guys.”
I snorted, amused. “It’s weird, isn’t it? Before when we came back I didn’t feel as if I was too old to be here. I mean … I was, and people called me ma’am, which was beyond annoying. Now, though, I feel as if I’m the creepy mother staring at the young studmuffins or something.”
Aric made a face. “Studmuffins? If you think they’re studmuffins I’ll have to remind you what a real studmuffin looks like the second we’re alone.”
“I know what a real studmuffin looks like. I married you, didn’t I? As for time alone, good luck with that. The walls of that apartment are thin. We won’t be doing any reminiscing while we’re here, because Sami will kill herself if she hears us waxing poetic about the past.”
Aric slowed his pace as he tilted his head to the side. “I forgot how thin the walls are.”
“And that’s why I wanted two hotel rooms with adjoining doors.”
Aric glanced back at the Explorer, uncertain. “We can still check into a hotel. That might be a better option. I was looking forward to revisiting the past, but this apartment is really small. I never put two and two together regarding how close Sami will be when it comes time to wind down for the night.”
I keenly felt several sets of eyes on me as I stood in front of the exterior door. “Well, I think it’s too late for that now. We need to at least try to spend one night here. Besides, I thought you didn’t want a record of us being in town in case someone decides to visit.”
“That’s true,” Aric conceded, “but my father has access to untraceable credit cards. We could have a big suite in twenty minutes.”
It sounded interesting and somehow disappointing at the same time. “Let’s try one night here,” I prodded. “We might not be able to tolerate more than the one night, but now that we’re here … .” I trailed off, nost
algia washing over me.
“You want to visit the love nest one more time,” Aric teased.
I nodded. “I want to see where we started.”
“Did you forget?”
I shook my head. “I could never forget. Sometimes it’s fun remembering, though. No matter what, this is the last time we’re coming here. I want to make sure of it.”
Aric nodded as he briefly lowered his forehead to mine. “The last time.”
We stood like that for a few seconds until we heard Sami making gagging noises in the open doorway.
“Omigod! You’re trying to kill me. I just know it.”
She stomped her foot as Aric chuckled. “I’ll bet if we could’ve had her with us to show our past selves what life would be like when we hit forty we might’ve changed a few things.”
He said it in jest, and I knew he didn’t mean it. “What would you change?”
Aric’s smile was winsome. “Nothing, Zoe. I wouldn’t change anything about our life together.”
“Me either. Now, let’s visit the past so we can ensure our future.”
“That was almost poetic, baby.”
“Yeah? Don’t get used to it.”
Aric chuckled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”
Seven
“This is college?”
Sami didn’t look impressed as we led her across the campus later that afternoon. In fact, she looked more confused than anything.
“This is college,” I confirmed, smiling. “It’s more fun than it looks. I promise.”
Students milled about on the lawn in front of the library, the girls dressed in skimpy shorts and tank tops because the weather warranted it – and it was also a solid way to draw male attention. The boys, for their part, did their duty and appropriately stared at bare legs and exposed cleavage as they puffed out their chests and overtly flirted.
“Stop looking at those boys,” Aric ordered, flicking Sami’s ear when he realized she was entranced by a group of shirtless boys lounging in the sun next to a small grouping of trees. “They’re too old for you.”
“And they’re not wearing kilts,” I teased.
“I told you that I only watch that show for the history,” Sami barked, her cheeks flushing with color. “Sheesh. Will you stop trying to torture me?”
I shook my head. “That’s my job.”
“Torturing me?”
I nodded. “One day, when I’m gone, you’ll realize you miss the torture.”
Sami didn’t look convinced. “Most mothers prefer being nice to their daughters.”
“I think you’ve been hanging around with the wrong crowd, because that’s simply not true.”
Aric chuckled at the dirty look on Sami’s face. “She’s right. Mothers are supposed to torture their daughters. It’s the way of the world.”
“Oh, yeah?” Sami refused to back down. “I thought you guys didn’t want to be like everyone else. If it’s true that all mothers torture their daughters, shouldn’t you do the opposite?”
She had me there. “I’m a sucker for tradition,” I offered after a beat. “I can’t help myself.”
“Whatever!” Sami rolled her eyes as we moved to the sidewalk that led to the University Center. “What’s this building?”
“This is kind of the hub of student activity on campus,” Aric explained. “That’s the way it was when we were here, at least. There’s a cafeteria and bookstore, along with a few administrative offices.”
“There’s also a great coffee shop,” I added.
“This is the building where your mother and I first met.” A small smile played at the corners of Aric’s mouth as he grabbed my hand. “This is where it all began.”
“Oh, great.” Sami mimed vomiting as she scuffed her flip-flops against the pavement. “You guys are going to get all kissy in public, aren’t you? Oh, don’t bother answering. I already know you are. You need to buy a bag for my head once we get inside. That’s the only way I’ll survive the embarrassment.”
“Well, you’re in luck, kid,” Aric said. “The University Center happens to be home to the best bags on campus.”
Sami scowled. “Lucky me.”
Despite her bravado, Sami remained close to us as we walked into the building. There were a lot of students and faculty members hanging around the location, and she clearly felt uncomfortable being the youngest one on campus. I kept a wary eye on her, even considering grabbing her hand at one point to offer support, but she would’ve melted down if I tried.
“It still looks the same,” Aric mused, his eyes drifting toward the ceiling as we walked to the bookstore. “I mean, the flyers are different … and the posters are different … but the atmosphere is the same.”
“I know,” I agreed, my eyes dancing between faces. “I don’t recognize the students, and yet I feel as if I know them. That’s weird, right?”
Aric shrugged. “It feels weird and good all the same. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“I almost expect to look around the corner there and see a younger version of you,” I admitted, inclining my chin in the direction of the bookstore. It, too, looked the same. “You’ll slam into me while I’m shopping, offer me a soda and then invade my personal space.”
Aric snickered. “You weren’t big on letting me into your personal space. I remember that well.”
“And now you are my personal space.”
When Aric didn’t immediately respond I risked a glance in his direction and found him smiling.
“What?”
“I don’t know if you meant it, but I think that’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever said to me,” Aric noted.
Wait … what did I say? “I … um … .”
Aric leaned forward to kiss me, giving me an escape from my verbal struggle, but Sami’s hand shot between our faces and she openly glared at us when Aric grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t even think about doing that,” Sami hissed, her eyes flashing. “I will literally die if you do.”
“First, you need to learn the true definition of literally. Look around,” Aric prodded, tilting his head in the direction of the store. “There are college students making out everywhere. That’s what happens at college.”
“Yes, and that’s one of the reasons I’m looking forward to attending college,” Sami shot back.
“So what’s the problem?”
“You guys are too old.”
I pressed my lips together to keep from laughing.
“We’re nowhere near too old,” Aric argued. “In fact, when you go to college we’re going to visit your campus and make out in the middle of the library just to prove we’ve still got it.”
Sami adopted an exaggerated expression as her mouth dropped open in grotesque fashion. “Maybe I won’t tell you where I’m going to college. Did you ever think of that?”
“That will make it difficult for us to pay for it,” Aric fired back. “Are you going to pay for it yourself? Whew! That’s a load off.”
“I … .” Sami worked her jaw a minute. She hated losing almost as much as I do. “I’ll have Grandma and Grandpa pay,” she said after a beat. “They’ll do it because they love me.”
“Even better,” Aric said. “That way you can have your grandparents making out on campus instead of your parents. That will be unique.”
Sami appeared appropriately horrified. “They would never!”
“Don’t count your chaste grandparents before they hatch,” Aric warned, pressing his hand to the back of Sami’s head and directing her into the store. “Pick out a hoodie so you have something to wear after dark. I can’t believe you forgot to pack a jacket.”
“It’s summer,” Sami muttered, annoyed.
“You still need a jacket. Pick one out.” Aric smirked as he watched Sami slink off in the direction of the clothing, keeping a firm grip on my hand as he watched her. “It’s weird to think about her going to college.”
“Because she’s your baby?”
“Because it
will be only us again,” he answered. “I love the kid, but I’ve been waiting for it to be just us again since we got her.”
I understood what he meant. “Naked Sundays without disruption?”
Aric grinned. “I was thinking we would throw away all of our clothes and go from naked days to naked months. How does Naked February sound?”
“Cold.”
“I’ll keep you warm.”
I tilted my head, considering. “Done.”
“Good.” Aric pressed a soft kiss to my mouth, ignoring the muted whining sounds Sami made from the other side of the store when she saw what we were doing. “That’s six years, right? In six years we’ll be dropping her off here and we’ll be able to have our first naked month. I think I can make it.”
I gripped his hand. “Just barely, but … she’s not coming here.”
Aric stilled, surprised by my serious nature. “I didn’t mean here. I meant … college. I know she’s not coming here.”
“I couldn’t take it,” I pressed. “It’ll be hard enough letting her go knowing what’s out there, but to send her here … .”
“Zoe, she’s not coming here.” Aric cupped the back of my head and locked gazes with me. “We won’t allow it. I promise we won’t allow it.”
“Okay.” I exhaled heavily. “Okay.”
Aric kissed my forehead in solace. “Besides, we’re here to tear down this place,” he reminded me. “If that happens, there will be nothing here for her to attend.”
“I thought we would tear down the monster part of the college,” I countered. “I envisioned the rest of the place remaining.”
“That might not be possible.”
He had a point, but still … . “That’s kind of sad, huh? I have nightmares about this place from time to time, but it’s where we met. Some of my fondest memories were created here.”
“The memories will stay, Zoe. We can’t let the danger fester, though. You were right about that.”
“I know.” I slipped my arms around his waist and let him hug me. “I just can’t quite seem to wrap my head around everything.”
Dying Covenant: The Complete Series Page 59
