“We’ll make it happen,” he assured her.
They ate dinner, each watchful of the other, concentrating on innocuous pleasantries. They spent the next hour reviewing her comments. Marcus wrote in the margins of the manuscript. When they reached the end of the last chapter, she handed him her notes.
“You may want to go back over these as you revise.”
“Your reading was very helpful. I knew it would be. Thank you.” He reached for her hand. “Let’s go sit on the swing again.”
For the first time that evening, Amanda mentioned Cecelia. “She always wanted to sit in this swing—remember when it was broken the night of the big storm last fall?”
He nodded, unable to stop gazing at her, afraid to hope she was ready to invite him over so they could talk with Cecelia, together. “I saw her at the dog park the other day when she was with Skipper.”
“What were you doing there?” She swung her feet away from the swing, moving it back and forth.
“I wanted to talk with her … about us, but I never got the chance.” He took one of her hands in his and turned to face her. “Amanda, she said it wasn’t right for me to come over to see you. What did you tell her about us?”
Amanda shook her head. “I’ve talked to her. I told her what you said to me. But she—she feels very strongly—that you—well, that you—”
“What? Tell me.” He looked at her, fearing the worst. “I can take it.”
“She still likes you, Marcus, and I think she misses the times when you and she read books together and did puzzles, and everything like that. But she has heard so many things at Sam’s house.” She sighed. “Joan is fighting to keep her older daughter from getting into trouble. She’s boy-crazy, and Cecelia hears things there. Maybe she thinks you’re like Brittany’s boyfriend—the one she and Sam don’t like very much—the one that Sam’s parents don’t want Brittany to go out with.”
“How can she possibly think I’m like some pimply-faced teenager barely able to drive?” he growled.
“Whether he drives is not the point. From what Joan has said, he’s pushing Brittany to do things she may not be ready for and her mother is deadset against her seeing him. And, you know how most teenagers react to such ultimatums.”
He nodded, remembering himself at that age. He held his breath then asked a question that had lingered in his mind. “Cecelia—she doesn’t think I’m like Carl, does she?”
Amanda looked back at him, alarm in her eyes. “Oh, no, I’m sure not. She never talks about him. I don’t think that’s it at all. It’s just that she and I have been together—just the two of us for such a long time, all her life. She doesn’t want me hurt. I think she’s just trying to protect me.”
He said nothing.From me? But I won’t hurt you, either of you. He had to get her to see that.
Amanda continued. “The bigger problem is what Cece hears at Sam’s house—and how much of it she really understands. Joan tells me Brittany has sneaked out of the house several times. I think she’s sexually active, and Joan is afraid of that, too. But instead of trying to get her to talk about it, she spouts horror stories—about getting pregnant and having to get an abortion or giving up the baby. I’m afraid Cece has heard those things—if not from Joan, then from Sam, who doesn’t always get things straight.” She paused.“And, Cece knows I wasn’t married when she was born.”
“Is that why she thinks that I—”
“I’m not sure what she thinks, Marcus. She won’t talk to me about it. If you could just tell her what you told me … if you really mean it, but if you—if you’re not able or ready—”
“I mean it. You know I do.” Marcus looked at her. “Amanda, I don’t want to lose you. I can’t get through the day without thinking about you, both of you. What do I have to do to convince you—”
“You’re not talking to the right person, Marcus. I think I know how you feel—”
“You think?!” He put both arms around her and hugged her tight against his chest. He whispered. “Don’t you know?”
“I need to hear it again,” she said softly. “I want to hear it every day, for as long as we’re together.”
Her heart beat steadily against his chest, giving him courage. He got down on his knees. “I love you, Amanda Gardner. Today, tomorrow, forever.”
Amanda’s eyes brimmed with tears. “You have to tell Cecelia, Marcus. She’s the one standing between us. She’s worse than my mother for assuming the role of guardian of our little palace. If she doesn’t like you, if she can’t accept you … We’re a pair, you know …”