It was homey and comfortable, as I’d noticed before. I noticed an absence of pictures of his wife as far as the two of them together, though there were still a lot with her and Carmen. Was that because of the accident?
I was in the kitchen fixing a sandwich when Rebecca came in. “Hey. How was your walk?”
“I am crazy about this location.” I smiled at her before offering to make a sandwich for her.
“Yours does look good. Thanks,” Rebecca told me as she sat at the counter and watched me. “I’ve been on the phone putting out fires back home. I’m the head editor of the paper, so my absence is bad. Necessary, though.” She gave me a smile. “I think you’ve got this, though.”
“I’m not sure. She barely knows me. What if this fails?” I asked as I slid the plate to her with wide eyes.
“Nick had a feeling about you, and so do I. You’re young but mature. I can see that you have Carmen’s best interests at heart and this is a good situation for everyone.” Rebecca took a bite of the sandwich. “Mmmm. That’s good. I am always here for you if you need anything. You can call me, and we’ll make sure that we have each other’s info before my flight. I am so in love with that little girl that it’s ridiculous.”
“Were you close to his wife?” I asked carefully as she frowned and looked out of the window.
“We weren’t best friends or anything along those lines,” Rebecca finally said before she focused on finishing her sandwich. She fell quiet, and I ate as well, wondering what she meant by that.
We left shortly after that to go to the school and pick up Carmen in a new SUV that was parked in the driveway. Rebecca explained that it was for this purpose and I was free to drive it anytime. She acknowledged that my car was fine as well as she laughed, telling me that Nick was protective of Carmen.
The school was a small one about two miles away, and we parked and chatted as we waited for the bell to ring. Rebecca was thirty-three whereas Nick was forty-three, and they were close despite the years between them. He took good care of her growing up and was every bit the protective big brother, still threatening anyone she dated once Rebecca broke the news to him. She was currently single and busy but had some hopes for a child of her own someday.
I looked up as a bell rang and kids started to leave the building as Rebecca and I found a tree to lean on to wait. She explained that Carmen’s class was in the back and it always took her a few moments to come out, so I’d have time. This was where they met every day though that might change as time went on. I smiled as I looked over all the little bodies streaming past us as chatter and laughter filled the air, making me take in the joy of the innocence in the sounds.
I stilled when Carmen walked out, her big eyes searching for us as she smiled brightly. She was a beautiful child, and Rebecca hugged her tightly before Carmen looked at me, wrapping her arms around my legs. I stared at Rebecca as time seemed to stand still and the woman placed her hand over her mouth as tears filled her eyes. Carmen pulled away after a brief hug, and we made our way to the SUV, the conversation all about any homework and how it affected the shopping and dinner that we had planned. This was unfamiliar to me, and I grinned as I listened to the two of them talk easily together. Carmen was a smart girl and got most of her homework done at school, making me think that she would be in an accelerated program in the future. I had been with every English class that I took, and I thought back to the online school that I’d looked into a few weeks ago. I planned to see how much time this took out of my day and allowed myself time to adjust.
Rebecca drove to Mendocino, and we walked through some of the shops that overlooked the headlands, making me smile towards the blue water. I was only back for a few days, yet it already felt like I was home all over again. Carmen clearly loved it here, and as the sun started to set, we drove into the Nyack Harbor to a small place that overlooked all the fishing boats and the occasional seals that passed by.
Nick met us there, and the young woman sat us outside since it was still nice. We sat at a large picnic table, and Nick sat with Carmen on one side while I joined his sister on the other. It was a pleasant meal, and I found myself laughing several times. We went home to get Carmen into the bath and bed before Rebecca excused herself to pack for the flight in the morning. Nick looked at me across the living room thoughtfully as I smiled at him, intimidated by his good looks for a faltering moment. “So, are you ready for tomorrow morning?” Nick would be taking his sister to the airport while I was leaving to get Carmen to school.
“I think so. It seemed like it went smoothly today and though she’ll need to adjust, I believe that Carmen and I will find a routine,” I replied after a moment, remembering the hug earlier as well as before bed tonight. Rebecca told Nick about the exchange at school, and I watched his face soften for a moment as he looked across the table at me.