Page 73 of Day Break

“So out of character,” I finished. Then again, the last time I’d seen Rod before that incident last month had been years ago.

It hadn’t dawned on me that it was Chloe that day when I’d stepped in. It hadn’t mattered who it was. I’d seen Rod forcing himself on someone and felt as if it was my duty to step in.

Our waitress stepped back over with a huge smile on her face.

“I’m working on him,” she said with a shrug. “When I noticed it was you”—she motioned to Chloe— “I messaged him. He’s been wanting to make it up to you since that day.”

“Thanks,” Chloe said softly. “Are you two married?”

“Not yet,” the woman said. “Not until he finishes healing and growing.” She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Anger management. Course, it was me he was angry at that day. We’d had a fight that morning. I think he hit on you just to piss me off.” She turned to me. “I’m Lindsey, by the way. Rod has told me so much about you. How he used to torment you and your cousins every summer.” She chuckled. “He says it was his only form of entertainment while school was out.”

I nodded. “I’m a little shocked after what just happened.”

She laughed again. “He’ll get there. If not, he’ll miss out on this.” She motioned to herself. “So, yeah, he’s working on it.” A bell rang and she said, “That’ll be your food.” Then she turned around and left.

She dropped off our burgers, and we ate in silence for a while. We were so hungry that we devoured the greasy food.

After we finished, I left Lindsey a big tip and then drove us home.

Byron was happy to see us and a little confused that we took him up to the apartment instead of back into the house to sleep.

I fell fast asleep, holding Chloe in my arms. Byron slept at our feet in his bed, but halfway through the night, he snuck up and wedged himself between our bodies, almost dislodging both of us from the bed.

When we woke, it was to a foggy gray morning. We were both still so tired. While I went inside to gather my things, Chloe packed a small bag for herself along with Byron’s things, such as food and his bed.

As we drove away from the house with Byron excitedly rushing between the back windows to see where we were going, I could tell Chloe was deep in thought.

“Are you okay?” I asked her once we hit the road that would take us to the ferry.

“Yes, it’s just…” She turned to me, then chuckled when Byron shoved his face between ours. “I’m worried. Scared, really.”

“Of?” I asked, focusing on driving.

“That the magic of this place will have disappeared when we return,” she said with a sigh.

I glanced over and saw her look out the window as Byron settled down. I understood. I was afraid of the same thing. Things had been going well, except for our run-ins with my family. I was enjoying my time with her and didn’t want it to end just yet.

I had grown to trust her. Actually, the more I thought about it, the more I realized I trusted Chloe around my grandfather more than I trusted any member of my family. That didn’t mean I was going to leave her to fend off the vultures that were my blood relatives.

“My entire life, I’ve never thought about the future,” she said, turning to me.

I was silent for a moment, unsure what to say. From an early age I’d never had to worry about where my next meal was or if I could afford to go to school so I could get the career I wanted. If I’d wanted anything, I simply got it.

With what I knew of Chloe’s past, her family had provided for her up until her marriage. Then that had fallen on her husband’s shoulders. Everything in her life had been decided for her.

“You’re free,” I said suddenly. “What do you want to do?”

She was quiet for a moment. “I like where I’m at now. But yesterday made me start thinking about what would happen if George passed.”

Before answering, I pulled into the parking area for the ferry. We were early, so I parked and we watched the boat heading across the waterway towards us through the thick fog.

Byron had fallen asleep in the back seat and was snoring loudly. I took Chloe’s hands in mine and told her the truth.

“When George passes, no matter what happens, I’ll help you find another position. If that’s what you want.” Sadness flooded her eyes, so I continued. “You’re really good at what you do. I know it probably sucks, having done it your entire life. Taking care of others. Cooking. Cleaning.”

“No.” She shook her head. “That’s just the thing. I love it. All of it.” She smiled. “I agree, I’m good at it.”

I smiled. “Okay, so then we build off that. If you want some sort of career, there are things you can do to increase your desirability in the workplace. Classes, such as…” I thought quickly. “CPR, basic medical training for older clients, computer classes to help with financial planning. Those type of things.”