Page 114 of Keepsakes and Kismet

“Neither of us can dance around the fact that your history with seizures is a trigger for me.”

“I know, Callum.”

Digging my heels into the ground, I put all my cards on the table. “There are some questions I have for you, some things I need to know, to help me process it.”

She nods calmly. “Go ahead.”

“When was your last seizure?”

“When I was seventeen years old.”

I breathe a small sigh of relief—it’s been about a decade. “When do you take your medicine? How many pills are you supposed to take?”

“I take two in the morning and three in the evening. But I don’t have the metabolism of a teenager, so it’s okay if I’m a little late for a dose.”

I swallow. “I, uh, might need you to stick to a strict schedule for a while.”

“I understand.”

“I may hover.”

“No problem.”

The swing sways slightly as I lean forward. “If I’m with you when your reminder alarm goes off, I’ll probably want to watch you take your medicine. For at least the next couple of months.”

Peyton shrugs. “That’s fine.”

“I may never stop fully worrying…”

She gives me a small grin. “I’d expect nothing less from you, Inspector.”

Exhaling a long breath, I tug Peyton down on my lap and move her a little to one side so we can still see each other. A light snow starts falling, the flakes like sprinkles in her hair.

“I visited Tyler’s parents for the first time since it happened. Seeing them again… talking to them, and finding out—in person—that they forgive me for staying away as long as I did was healing for me. I still feel guilty, and I don’t know if that’ll change anytime soon, but I’m grateful that we talked. We swapped Tyler stories, and it felt nice to talk about him out loud.”

“I’m really glad you visited them. And there’s something else. Something I was trying to tell you. I⁠—”

“Know the Sheldons. We figured it out after I spent an aggressive amount of time talking about you.”

Peyton bites her lip. “Are you upset?”

I shake my head slowly. “No. I actually… I was kind of emotional when I found out, but I think it’s really cool. I’m happy that you know them.”

She pushes my hair back, and the warmth of her touch reminds me how much I missed it.

I press my forehead into her hand. “And they invited me to play in the foundation’s upcoming game. You might’ve heard of it, since you’re involved.”

She hums. “Yes, Tammy’s mentioned the game. Are you going to play?”

I tilt my head back. “I want to. I’m going to try.”

Her eyes gloss over. “Callum, that’s great. I’m so happy for you.”

“I’d love for you to come, if you can. Do you want to ride over with me to the indoor arena?”

She gives her head a shake. “I can’t. I’ll be rushing back from a work thing right before the game. But I’ll absolutely be there. And I can’t wait to watch you play.”

I smile, brushing my thumb across her cheekbone. “Pey?”