Page 27 of Sherry and Sunflowers
Of course she wanted to drive. He got it. Everything from her work to where she lived to her health had been taken out of her hands lately. He totally understood why she'd want to feel like she was taking the wheel while she could.
"You're right. You should drive."
Her gaze snapped to his, and he nodded. "Tell me what you want me to do. I can load the bags, load Zia." He winked. "Or just stand around looking pretty."
Her eyes widened momentarily, but then she laughed and slapped his arm. "I'm not trying to make you feel useless."
He nodded seriously. "Ditto."
As they pulled out of the gates and onto the road, the sun shone directly in through the windshield. Alara flipped her visor down, but it wasn't enough.
"Could you check the glove box?" she asked. "See if my sunglasses are in there."
Reaves flipped it open and passed the sunglasses to her. As she put them on, Zia piped up from the back.
"Are we allowed a treat, Mom?"
Reaves looked at Alara, glad to finally be able to study her openly, since she was driving and had to keep her attention on the road. He was surprised to see her cheeks flush.
"Can we,please?" Zia asked from the back. "Do you want one, Prince Daddy?"
He shot Alara a puzzled look, and she let out a short laugh. "I might as well confess my guilty secret to you."
"I think you should," he said, jokingly—even though part of him leaned forward, eager for her to finally share something.
She glanced in the rearview mirror at Zia before lowering her voice to explain. "Dig in the glove box. You'll find a pack of Rolos in there. They're our little treat. And as soon as she hears the wordsglove box, she wants one."
"I didn't mess up, did I?"
"No, it's all good. Like I said, they're a little treat." The smile she gave him before turning her attention back to the road felt like the biggest gift she'd given him yet. "You're included in the ritual now. So can you get three out, and we can all have one?"
He had to turn in his seat and reach over to Zia to pass her a Rolo. Then he looked down at the two in his hand.
"You can unwrap Mom's for her," said Zia. "Usually, she has to wait until we stop."
He glanced at Alara, and she shrugged. "I'll take it, if you want to unwrap it for me, please. But she's right. I won't usually unwrap my own while I'm driving."
It seemed like a small thing to Reaves. He thought about the candies he popped into his mouth and the coffee he drank while he was driving. But then, ninety-nine percent of the time, he was by himself when he drove.
Alara carried precious cargo with her.
He unwrapped the Rolo and considered offering it to her on the open foil. Instead, he asked, "Are you ready for it?"
"Yes, please."
He held it up in front of her mouth. "Here you go. So you don't have to take your hands off the wheel."
He tried not to show any kind of reaction when her lip brushed his finger as she took it from him.
The silence that fell while the three of them ate their little treat made Reaves smile. It was good to know that they were both enjoying something sweet for once. That thought made his smile fade. He tended to pop candies in his mouth mindlessly when he had them—and yet Alara and Zia were both taking the time to savor a single Rolo.
He might not be as wealthy as most of his friends, but he was still more privileged than most, and he knew it—although he'd never been as acutely aware of it as he was in this moment.
He tried to watch Alara without her noticing. He didn't want to intrude on her momentary pleasure, and it finally landed on him just how hard she had to work for everything she had. She had no money. No real home. Sure, she had her camper, but…
He didn't mean to be dismissive of it. She'd made it a home for her and Zia. But it wasn't the kind of life they deserved.
She hadn't even had health insurance until Ollie had offered to employ her.
