by MJ Fields
Kai shrugs.
Elizabeth leans in. “Oh, my! No wonder you keep them covered. Even through the glasses,” she now whispers, “I can see how magical they are.”
Kai’s lips pucker and do the twisty thing as she tries not to smile.
Elizabeth gasps. “They are, aren’t they?”
A small burst of laughter comes out of Kai.
“I knew it!”
She laughs again and covers Elizabeth’s mouth with her own hand.
Under Kai’s touch, Elizabeth whispers, “Oh, dear. Okay, okay, I’ll keep your secret. In fact, I’ll keep all your secrets.”
When I hear a whispered, “Thank you,” my heart nearly breaks.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth whispers back. “I’m so glad I found a special friend like you on my very first day.”
Kai holds up her lollipop, and Elizabeth taps it and whispers, “Cheers.”
When I feel my elbow getting jacked, pulling me away from the door, I whip my head around and see Tonya.
She holds a finger to her lips, telling me to shush, and then points for me to step aside.
Having had enough of her shit for one day, I’m about to tell her to kiss my ass, when she holds up a pile of folded clothes then tiptoes like she’s the Pink Panther and leaves the clothes just inside the door. Stepping back in a similar fashion, she nods toward the front door, and I really have no choice but to follow her.
Once outside, she sighs heavily, and the realization that I didn’t get a phone call about this situation hits.
“Why wasn’t I informed of the situation?”
“Would you had rather we called you and told you the moment it happened—”
“Yes.”
She gives me a tight smile. “Or take care of it so Kai wasn’t uncomfortable, and then call you?”
“I still haven’t received a call, Ms. Townley.”
“Which is because you told us you’d be picking her up, and we assumed that you’d be on your way. And look, you are.”
“In the future—”
“In the future, we will conduct emergency drills, and you won’t know until after, and we will continue putting the children’s needs first. But regarding this situation, I believe it’s best not to act like it even happened unless she tells you.”
“How did it happen?”
“Apparently, she didn’t ask to use the restroom at all today, and when the class was walking by the one closest to Lizzie’s room on their way to recess, she just snuck in and obviously was too late. Lizzie heard a child sniffling when she was walking by, and she went in and saw the cute little Converse and a puddle, and took care of it.”
“And how did Kai react?”
“Lizzie has a way of making even the most uncomfortable situations magical,” she sighs. “For everyone else except her, of course. Now here they come, so shh.”
When the door opens, I crouch down and open my arms. “Bring it in, a sheòid.”
She doesn’t hesitate, coming at me full steam.
I stand up with her in my arms and ask, “How was yer first day at yer new school?”
“Uneventful,” she whispers, and I can’t help laughing.
Before turning to walk away, I look at Elizabeth and mouth, “Thank you.”
She holds her hand to her chest and mouths, “She’s so sweet.”
“Can we get ice cream?”
“Of course, a sheòid, of course.”
Saturday
Lizzie
After half an hour of Tonya telling me all about Ethan and her discussions throughout the week, she asks, “So, what are you going to do?” She takes a sip of her wine.
Looking out of the corner of my eye toward Ethan’s house, I shrug.
“By blocking him, you’ve closed off communication.”
“And stopped the crazy amounts of texts he sends, stopping myself from saying something I can’t take back, preparing for a much-anticipated start to a normal life, one I don’t have worry as much.” I stop because I’m going to cry.
Seeing that, Tonya gets up from her chair, walks over, and hugs me.
“You’re going to make me cry.”
“Sometimes that’s what we need.”
Arph! Arph! Arph!
“Daddy!”
“He’s okay. Scotch.”
“Why me?” I whisper and pull back.
Being the friend she is, Tonya stands in front of me and blocks me just enough so that I can wipe the tears and not be seen doing so.
When I hear the tapping of tiny toenails on my porch stairs, I know this is unavoidable.
“Wizard mode,” Tonya whispers.
“Are my eyes red?” I whisper back.
“No.”
When Tonya steps out of the way, I squat down and give Scotch a couple scratches behind his ears. Then I look out and see Ethan in running gear, but with a tank top on this time. Nonetheless, it’s jaw-dropping and tingle-inducing. He’s squatting down next to Kai, who is fidgeting as she stands next to a cute, pink bike with training wheels. He stands up and takes her hand, and then they walk toward the steps.
“Hey.” I smile at Kai and her head snaps up at the sound of my voice. She looks confused but does the lip thing that is absolutely precious.
“Sorry about the intrusion,” Ethan says in a very paternal voice. “Seems Scotch likes yer porch better than the run.” He walks onto the porch, over to Scotch, and squats down. “Ye should leave Ms. Bloom and Ms. Townley be, boy.”
“Do you need a leash?”
“Been seriously considering that.” He lifts his head and looks at me. “Ye think that’ll keep him where he’s meant to be, Ms. Bloom?”
Holy shit.
Look away.
Look.
A.
Way.
“Kai, do you think he needs a leash?” I ask her.
She lifts her shoulders and, with them, her palms.
“Do you think he’d like red or blue better?”
She gnaws on her lip and looks between Tonya and myself, then at Ethan.
“Um … A matching one?”
“Oh my goodness, I bet he would love that.” I smile big and bright.
She nods and looks back down.
“Still rocking the shades, I see.”
She smirks.
Just like her daddy.
Way cuter.
“I think he may be thirsty,” Tonya interjects. “How about you and I go inside, Kai, to get him a drink?”
Traitor.
Kai looks at Ethan.
“I’m right here, and you ken Ms. Townley, so go right ahead, a sheòid.”
Tonya extends her hand to Kai. “Let’s get him hydrated.”
Once they’re inside, I look everywhere but at Ethan. However, he reaches out and turns my face toward him. I quickly realize Tonya isn’t the only traitor; so is my willpower.
“Thank ye for what ye did for Kai the other day. Meant a lot to her.”
“Did she tell you what happened?”
“Aye, she cried.”
And immediately, tears burn the back of my eyes again.
“She also smiled when she talked about her friend.” He points at me. “I ken we’re on limited time here before we’re interrupted, but I miss yer face, Elizabeth Bloom. If ye can’t see past me withholding the text messages, understanding why I did so, and believing my intent was never to feel this way, nor to ever fucking hurt a heart like yers, m’eudail. If all I can be to ye is your friend, I’d like to be that.”
I close my eyes and inhale the scent of him, and relish the feel of his hand on my face. Pushing into its warmth, I nod. Then I feel his forehead press against mine, and I open my eyes.
“Then we’ll be friends until ye let yerself believe in the magic ye teach.”
“Ethan …” I begin.
“I may not believe in magic, Elizabeth Bloom, but our chemistry is undeniable, and fate isn’t something ye can ignore.”
I step back when I hear Tonya’s voice coming clo
ser.
He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a black box.
“Oh my God, what are you—”
“Relax.” He chuckles as he takes my hand, opens it, and puts the box inside, closing my hand around it.
“Ethan, I—”
“Didn’t ask to be on the receiving end of those messages, no more than I asked to feel proud of yer accomplishments, yet I do.”
Arph!
“You um …”
Get it together!
“You really should have him on a leash.”
“Then how would I have guaranteed an audience with ye?” He smirks. “Not all things can be trusted to fate, Elizabeth Bloom. Sometimes it simply leads ye to it and hopes ye do the work.”
Sweetest thing I’ve ever heard.
“Like I’ve been doing in the shower every fucking day.”
Oh.
No.
He.
Didn’t.
But yes, yes, of course he did.
When Tonya walks out and sees Ethan casually sitting on the railing and me sitting in the rocking chair, my face burning red, she smiles.
Kai walks out, smiling, and hurries to her father, who leans down as if he just knew she was going to tell him something.
“I think that’s a lovely idea, a sheòid. Why don’t ye ask them if they’re free?”
Her eyes widen at him, and his at her. He nods, and then she turns and looks at me and Tonya then at me.
“We’re having dinner and a dip at”— she looks back at Ethan, who holds up six fingers, and then she turns and looks back at us— “six.”
“Simon, Bridget, and the kids will be there, as well.”
“And Ms. Maryanne,” Kai tells him.
“And Ms. Maryanne.” He nods.
“Wanna come?”
“I’m not sure—”
“We’ll be there,” Tonya says over me. “What should we bring?”
Why do we love her?
Kai looks at Ethan, and he tells her, “A swimsuit and a massive appetite.”
“But if you don’t want to eat meat, he has that handled, too,” Kai says without a hint of a whisper.
I knew that was part of the condition, the selective part of selective mutism, but it’s still a bit shocking.
To a person who doesn’t know anything about the condition, they could easily think that the person was simply being obstinate. But as I have witnessed firsthand, when Kai is nervous, she appears to want to say something yet freezes up completely.
Anxiety is a bitch, but I’m proof it can be overcome.
I look at Ethan, who looks upon her with wonder, and all I can think is how much I would give to not be afraid of being hurt.
He lied to you.
He never lied.
“Lizzie?” Tonya breaks through my thoughts, and I look at her. “Kai asked you a question.”
I look at Kai. “Sorry, sometimes I get stuck in my head and poof, the world melts away.”
She looks at me with sincere sympathy and curls her finger for me to come closer.
This is a first.
I walk over and squat down.
She leans in and whispers in my ear, “Getting stuck sucks.”
Instinctually, I wrap my arms around her. “It sure does, Kai, it sure does.”
It’s only until she doesn’t return the embrace that I lean back and look at her. Her glasses have slipped down her nose and her eyes— Ethan’s eyes— big and green and beautiful are wide and staring at me.
“Sorry,” I whisper and push her glasses up on her nose. “Hide that magic, beautiful girl.”
She smirks.
“You asked me a question?” I ask quietly.
“Are you coming?” she whispers back.
“Of course I am.”
“’Kay.”
Once they’ve gone, I pull the box out from my chair cushion.
“What’s that?” Tonya asks.
“Not sure yet.”
“Please tell me that beautiful man gave it to you.”
“Yeah.”
“Now tell me why you haven’t opened it yet.”
“How about I tell you that when he pulled it out of his pocket, I’m pretty sure I thought he was going to propose to me and got a little freaked out.”
She laughs. “What did he say?”
“Coolly, calmly, he said relax.”
I don’t tell her the other things he said, because some things you only want to be yours.
I open the box and see a little, silver apple charm.
“They’re around back, dears,” Maryanne, Ethan’s not wife, not mistress, says with a smile.
“Thank you, Maryanne. This is Tonya, my best friend, and also—”
“Kai’s school counselor.” Tonya reaches out her hand. “Nice to meet you, Maryanne.”
“Pleasure is mine.”
We follow the sidewalk around back and come to a closed fence. Beyond it is music, laughter, and the most amazing smells.
“You okay?” Tonya asks.
“I am. It’s just weird, you know, being here. Part of me doesn’t want to ruin the illusion, part can’t wait to see what’s beyond the wall, and another part is afraid I’ll be disappointed.”
“What about the part that is falling in love?”
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her that she’s lost her mind, but that’s not what comes out.
“That part is truly terrified.”
“I think they’re here,” Kai says excitedly.
“You ken how to open the gate; let them in.” Ethan laughs.
A couple seconds later, the gate swings open. “I like your shoe.”
Laughing, I ask, “But not the boot?”
“Daddy says it comes off so you can go swimming. Do you know how to swim?”
“I do, but it might be a bit too cold for me.”
“It’s heated; you’ll survive.”
“Kai, will you let them in, for the love of soy dogs and veggie burgers?”
She giggles and swings the gate wide open.
Holy. Freaking. Shit.
I was robbed as a kid.
“This winter is going to be rough, Kai.” Tonya laughs. “You’ll be staring out the window, wishing it were summer.”
To say it’s awesome would be an understatement.
It’s paradise.
The brick patio area is a beautiful contrast to the blue of the water in the large, organic shaped pool and the built-in connected hot tub.
The brick leads to the house where half of the back is partially covered with an arbor crawling with vines, partially protecting the dining area. I’d guess the massive wooden table and chairs were handmade.
Away from the house is a beautifully landscaped lawn, with a wooden swing set on the opposite side of the one tree left inside the confines of the fencing, where a tree house set about six feet in the air, and a single old-school tire swing hangs beneath. On one side of the fort, a Scottish flag hangs, swaying slightly in the breeze, and on the opposite side a Turkish flag.
“What do ye think?” Ethan says as he walks up beside me, and only then do I realize Tonya and Kai have disappeared.
When I swing my gaze at him, he’s either fresh from a shower or from the pool.
“I think I’m glad this fence surrounded the property, or I may have been a little more than jealous I was never invited here as a kid.”
“The company sucked then. Ye’re welcome anytime. Code’s the same for all the locks.”
“The code?”
He laughs. “I gave it to ye quite a while ago.”
“You do know we’ve only known each other for a little less than a month, right?”
“I’ve kent yer heart for a few years, Elizabeth Bloom. It helped heal what was broken in my own.”
I can’t help smiling when I remember the first time we met.
He pushes my hair from my face. “Tell me the secret that has you smiling.”
“Just thinking about th
e first time we actually met. Not sure you liked me then.”
“Aye.” He laughs, letting his hand slide down my arm. “In an effort to be honest, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to bend ye over my knee and spank yer sexy, round ass, or tie ye up, gag ye, then fuck ye till ye couldn’t move.”
I open and close my mouth, yet nothing comes out.
“Never met a woman who, one minute, I’d like to punish, and the next, cherish. So don’t think I’ve gotten off easy in this, Elizabeth Bloom. I feel like I’m inside my own personal kind of hell, too.”
“Ethan, I—”
“I’m not going anywhere, Elizabeth Bloom, just hoping to see yer beautiful eyes the moment that ye realize that, it may only be a short time, but ye’ve met the man of yer dreams, who’s living in yer dream house, wanting nothing more than a normal fucking life because the past several have been hell.”
“I’m so sorry that—”
“Don’t ye dare feel sorry for me, Elizabeth, because if need be, I’d walk that path again. But do be thankful that my daughter is here, or I’d have ye over that dining table, in that tree house, on that tire swing, and every other surface within the walls of this fence, just so I could have ye in my bed and seeing the fight fucked out of ye while we slept like I’m sure neither of us have in years.”
He leans in, and I don’t bother to pretend I don’t want him to do what I know it is he’s going to do.
Hot, hungry lips press to mine, and I open without reserve or apparently regard.
“They’re around this way,” Simon calls out with way too much humor in his voice.
“Fucking Brits,” Ethan groans as he steps back.
Friday
One Week Later…
Ethan
While out for my run and her ride, she spotted her favorite teacher —girl’s got good taste— backing out of her garage and insisted on saying hello.
“Ye’re sure ye don’t mind?” I ask while watching Kai run across the road to get changed.
“Do I look like I mind?” she asks, and I crouch down at her smiling face. “Besides, I’m looking for a replacement for Tonya.”
I can tell she’s joking. There’s a light in her eyes, and her nose is scrunched up.
“That Tonya is troublesome. What did she do now?” I ask, craving her inane humor.
