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“I take it you’re all feeling better?” I say as Maggie skips over to hug me. It was an amazing feeling, and I couldn’t stop the lump that formed in my throat. Thankfully, I could ask her without voicing the words, ‘Are you hungry?’
She nodded and put her hand in mine as we went back to the kitchen.
I transferred the food to the table and let them eat while I cleaned up the mess. I am a very messy cooker…I create great food but make a horrible mess doing it.
“Come eat,” Rafe says shooting me a glance that held the slightest bit of a demand.
“I will in a minute…”
“Now Amelia, please?” he adds with a smile. “We don’t know what we’d have done without you the last two days.”
I gave in and took a seat between him and Maggie. Breakfast was great and Lorie took Maggie off to get ready for school,calling another parent to drop her off. I went back to cleaning well aware of Rafe’s gaze on me. It was getting to be a bit much and I finally gave in and looked up at him.
“What?”
“I was just trying to figure out how to thank you. Taking care of Maggie, Lorie and me…you could have simply walked away but you didn’t.”
“That’s not who I am Rafe. Besides, it was nice being back in the company of people who sign. I missed it more than I thought.”
“You have no idea how relived I was to see you sign to me this morning,” he says walking over to me. “I was worried that Maggie and you had been writing everything or her trying to type what she needed. Donna refused to learn how to, said that she didn’t want any custody or visitations so there was no point in it,. When we found out that Maggie couldn’t hear…”
“It was as though you’d failed her somehow?” I guess.
“Yes, I already saddled her with a mother that didn’t want her, and then on top of that, I was thinking that her life was going to be full of disadvantages and disabilities…I’d never known anyone that was deaf before, so I had a steep learning curve. I accepted it though, all of it, including being able to show Maggie that she had a million options no matter if she couldn’t hear. But there are still obstacles for her to be able to communicate with the rest of the world, and knowing that I’d been sick, and that Lorie had…I don’t know what we would have done without you.”
“I’m sure you or Lorie would have come out of it long enough to find someone to help out. I just sort of showed up at the right time I guess.”
“Twice now,” he states as he pulls me in for a hug. “You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now…”
“What’s stopping you?” I ask as we see Maggie and Lorie head out the front door.
“I don’t want you getting sick if you can avoid it,” he answers, and I knew I’d done it. I’d fallen in love with him and now I had no idea what I was going to do about it.
“Rafe, I’ve spent two full nights in your arms. Not to mention the fact that you kissed me quiet thoroughly last night. One little kiss isn’t going to affect me anymore than I already am.”
“Who says it’s going to be a little kiss?” he inquires.
“You wouldn’t risk Lorie walking in on anything.”
“No, I wouldn’t,” he agrees, “but then again she’s going to see her daughter and won’t be home for hours.”
“Meaning what?” I ask as my breath catches. “Rafe…you’ve been really sick…”
“And you’ve taken really excellent care of me, and I think you deserve a day off for that.”
“Rafe, I don’t know. I’m…”
“What baby?” he asks as I trail off. He lifts my chin and stares at me in wonder. “Ame, you wouldn’t have stayed if you didn’t care. Wouldn’t have slept in my arms if you didn’t want to…all you have to do is tell me to stop.”
“What if I don’t want you to?” I reply as he pulls me closer.
“Then I won’t. I’m not going to hurt you. Not ever…”
“Never is a long time to promise Rafe.”
“Not when it comes to you. Seeing you with Maggie, completely at ease with our world…that’s why I don’t bring people around her, why I keep my dates away from her. I don’t want them to upset her or make her feel as though she’s…”
“Damaged? I get it Rafe and believe me I understand. People can be really rude, and it goes both ways, but you’re a dad and you were trying to do what’s best for her. And you are. I just…I don’t think that’s me.”
