It took Megan a moment, but a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
“That’s better. No more frowning, but let me know if I need to knock out one of my friends for you.”
She giggled and the sound traveled through Declan.
*****
“Let me guess,” Megan teased after they had been driving for a few minutes. “You’re not going to tell me where we’re going?”
“How’d you figure that out?” Declan chuckled. She threw him a dirty look, but the smile on her face told him she was anything but upset. “Don’t worry; it’s not far from here.”
“I’m not worried,” she mumbled, but Declan caught the words and smiled wider, a mixture of pride and hope burrowing deep inside him.
“What the…” Megan trailed off as they reached the fair that was going on that weekend and was only a short ten minute drive from his office. He had noticed the signs for it on his way home the other night and thought it was perfect. It was both completely packed and yet you could hide in plain sight so easily. It was ideal for an outing with Megan.
“Don’t tell me you’ve never been to a fair.”
“Not since I was a little kid,” she answered him, a hint of enthusiasm apparent in her tone.
“What do you want to do first?” he asked after they had parked and entered the fairgrounds. He guessed rides were out of the question since they were both still dressed in their business attire, but they could play some games, and they could most certainly sample all the foods.
“Can we walk around for a bit?” Megan asked timidly.
“Of course! I heard someone say there was a section that looked like a flea market. Want to go check that out?”
She nodded, a shy smile on her lips. He moved to grab her hand when someone walked by, and she moved closer to avoid being caught up with the other person. Somehow, he had ended up with his arm around her. He wasn’t sure if she had noticed yet or if she was getting comfortable with him in a short amount of time, but he reveled in the feel of her in his arms. He held on for a beat longer, too long probably, but he just couldn’t bring himself to let go so quickly. Finally, he pulled back, and Megan stepped out of his half-embrace without a word. It made him feel uneasy and elated at the same time.
“Shall we?” he asked and offered his arm. She took it without faltering. That had started to become a trend – him offering his arm and her taking it without flinching. He loved that. He could get used to that.
Declan watched Megan examine all the vendors they passed, her rapt interest warming his very soul. It was like watching a kid discover their favorite super hero was real. She commented on items she liked, made faces at the items she thought were stupid, and fingered items she thought were pretty. Declan didn’t wander too far from her at any given time, afraid that not only would he miss the emotions flittering across her face, but also that she might become frightened if she couldn’t find him. He observed the way she stared at a bracelet with a single butterfly charm.
“My friend used to have one like this.”
“Oh?” Declan asked.
“The one who I was with…that night,” she added as if it was an afterthought, but Declan knew it was probably painful. “I always thought it was beautiful, so delicate. Her parents had gotten it as a souvenir for her on one of their trips, so I could never go and get myself one like it.”
“Then you should get it now.”
“I couldn’t. It’s…it doesn’t feel the same.”
“It shouldn’t. It should feel completely different. Those memories you have of her, they were when you were a different person. It doesn’t make them any less important. You wanted it then, but you have the chance to get it now.”
“I don’t know.”
“Butterfly,” he mused, “seems fitting.”
“Why?” she asked looking at him, her eyes searching his for answers he didn’t have.
“Butterflies symbolize change; they symbolize blossoming, opening up, becoming something that is free to fly. That’s what you’re doing, Meg. You’re opening your wings. You just need the confidence to soar.” He spoke to her as he reached into his wallet and paid for the bracelet.
She had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed that he had bought it for her until he grabbed her hand and pulled it up toward him. She gasped at the contact, her eyes focused on the spot where his hand held her wrist.
“May I?” he asked, gesturing between the bracelet and her hand.
Megan simply nodded, and he clasped the bracelet around her delicate wrist.