Page 24 of Professor Next Door

“What did I say, Amanda?” I chanced a glance at my wife and saw her left eyebrow was raised. I remembered seeing that look when I was a child from my own mother. Amanda was in trouble!

“Okay, okay. Do you want me to keep Rikki then?” Amanda was obviously up to something, and I let her sort it with Tara.

“That’s up to Galen. She’s his daughter.” No snark this time, just honesty.

“Do you want to stay with Aunty Amanda tonight, Rikki?”

“Manny!” My food-drunk daughter squealed doing a toddler happy dance in her car seat.

“I guess that settles it then.” I drove up to the house and pulled in. “I’ll get her some clothes and sort a bag for you.”

The ladies walked over to the house while I was getting Rikki’s bag ready. She’d never stayed away from home before and I was a little concerned about it. We weren’t far away though, and I knew Amanda was a competent caregiver. It would be a test, if nothing else, of how all of us dealt with even a slight separation.

By the time I got to Amanda’s place, Rikki had passed out on the couch, her favorite blanket already covering her. “I think all that food and excitement after the heat of the day wore her out.”

Tara was stroking Rikki’s fine blond hair, the curls as soft as air. The moment was tender, moving, and solidified my thoughts that perhaps I’d screwed up by not realizing how strong of a bond Rikki and Tara might form.

“I was worried when I was over at the house, afraid that Rikki would fuss when we left, but she’s already asleep.”

“I don’t think you need to worry. She missed her nap today and the heat got to us both.” I think she might have been giving us both an out for the way we’d spent those moments when I’d first arrived home.

“I think there’s a storm coming. It’ll cool off in a little while.” I stood there awkwardly, not able to think of anything else to say.

“More than likely.” She turned to Amanda then. “I’m going to take another cold shower and go to bed, but if she wakes up and wants to come home, come tap on my window. Galen has an early class in the morning, but I don’t have anything until the afternoon, so get me up.”

I was astounded. She knew my schedule. She wanted to let me sleep if Rikki woke up. From the moment Kayla died I’d had full responsibility for Rikki. I was up with her during the fevers and tummy aches; I’d quieted and soothed her nightmares. I’d gone without sleep when she couldn’t get to sleep. I’d arranged my schedule around her appointments. Tara was someone that not only understood my responsibilities but wanted to share them. Tara wanted to ease my burdens.

Something shifted inside of me then, something that I thought was long dead and buried. Was it hope, I wondered, or gratitude? Both, perhaps?

I wasn’t sure but I kept my mouth shut as she stood and hugged her friend. “Just give me a call if you need anything.”

I was impressed; she was so good at this.

“Thank you,” I said quietly as we walked back to the house.

“For what?”

“For caring, Tara. About me and Rikki. For caring for us.” I took her hand and squeezed it gently. “That means a lot to me.”

She gave me a gentle smile and went to the kitchen. I followed her in as she filled a glass with water, and turned to me.

“You’re a human being, Galen. You’ve also been through Hell. You deserve to be cared for.”

“You don’t have to, but you do. It matters.” I felt a bashful smile cross my face and turned away.

“I’m going to head to bed. I think Rikki will be fine but I’m going to get some sleep just in case. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Her tone brushed away my gratitude, and for a moment I felt stung. She wasn’t even going to try and get me back into bed with her after the evening’s escapades? She took the sting away as she walked by me, brushing her fingers against mine for a moment, before she left the room.

I stood in the empty kitchen, lost and completely confused. My body was in turmoil, my brain felt as though it was filled with fog, and I was too hyper to sleep. I went into my office, sitting down at my computer. The photographs from our wedding were there, awaiting my approval.

I flipped through the album provided by the photographer, making notes of the ones I wanted prints of. It wouldn’t look like a real marriage if we didn’t display at least one picture, would it? I paused at one, the surreal beauty of the image stunning me.

I’d walked away from Tara for a moment, looking at a squirrel that had decided to throw acorns at us. I was smiling up at the animal but Tara was watching me. The photographer had captured her from the side, her face angled perfectly as she watched me. Behind us, the oaks formed a canopy that created the illusion of a magical, secret world.

It was Tara’s face that caught me off guard. She had such a solemn look on her face, her brows knitted slightly, as though she were puzzled. At the same time, there was a gentleness to her gaze, an emotion I’d never seen on her before, except for when she was looking at Rikki. Patience, love, devotion.

Did she love me? Could she? She was so down to earth in most cases, so logical about everything. The picture showed a side of her I didn’t think she’d realized she’d exposed. I selected it as a large size and a smaller size on the order form. A size that I could carry with me, that I could pull out and look at without anybody noticing. I wanted to keep it close to me for the rest of my life because it was a promise. I wasn’t sure I wanted that promise but she was giving it. I might just take it.