Chapter 10
Gabriel stood by the swing set’s poles, watching Savannah swing with Rio in her lap. Rio had been hesitant at first but had warmed up. Gabriel knew he would but hadn’t been so sure Savannah would warm up to Rio so quickly. She’d always been the youngest and, as far as Gabriel knew, hadn’t spent much time around kids.
Rio was laughing and clapping as Savannah swung back and forth. Gabriel noticed his kitten kept a close eye on how high she swung. The arm holding Rio on her lap was a little tighter than need be. Not too tight, but he knew Savannah was nervous.
Savannah used her feet to stop the swing. As she stood, she carefully set Rio on the ground. Gabriel watched as his son reached his arms upwards for Savannah to pick him back up. She laughed and did as the little boy wanted. Gabriel chuckled at how large his son appeared when held by Savannah. She’d always been a tiny thing, and Rio wasn't a tiny baby.
Savannah turned and looked at Gabriel. “What’s so funny?”
Gabriel shook his head and walked over to them. “Nothing, kitten.” He kissed her softly and laughed when Rio kissed Savannah’s cheek to mimic his father. Savannah giggled and her nose crinkled. Gabriel couldn’t remember when he’d seen her so happy, and honestly, he couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt so happy himself.
“Ice cream?” Savannah asked.
Gabriel nodded. “Sure. But, it doesn’t have to be your treat, you know. I can pay.”
Savannah shook her head emphatically. “Nope. I said it was my treat.” Smiling, she said, “I can afford three ice creams, you know. Besides, we can call it payback for all the cokes and candy you’ve bought me.”
Gabriel laughed and rolled his eyes. From the time Savannah started school, he and Jay had taken her to the convenient store near the Meridian’s house on Fridays. All three of them would get coke and candy, and Gabriel had almost always paid for Savannah. He’d been working in some form or another for as long as he could remember, so he always had a few bucks. Sharing those few bucks with Savannah had only seemed natural.
They climbed in Gabriel’s old car and drove to the Twistee Treat. Gabriel held Savannah’s small hand the entire ride, and couldn’t help thinking this was perfect. He prayed it stayed so perfect.
Gabriel’s relationship with Marissa had taught him things could seem great, but end up being something else altogether. After so many years together, why would Gabriel ever suspect her of sleeping around? Why would Marissa decide she didn’t want to be a mother when she’d been so excited during her pregnancy?
Maybe it was the idea of having a baby Marissa had liked. The reality was far from a fairy tale, but Rio was worth every stress. Gabriel glanced in the rear-view mirror and watched his son kick his little legs while looking out the window. Gabriel was convinced his son didn’t know how to sit still. It was Marissa’s loss. Rio was amazing.
The rest of the evening was one of the best days Gabriel could remember having in a long time. After their ice cream, they went back to Gabriel and Jay’s place so Rio could take his nap. He’d barely stayed awake on the ride home.
While Rio napped, Gabriel and Savannah watched television curled up on the couch. Jay was working an extra shift. Gabriel spent as much time kissing Savannah as he did watching television. She giggled every time he stole one.
When Rio woke, Savannah suggested they have supper at her house. She wanted to make a real meal in her new kitchen, which was something she’d failed to do yet. The three of them did that, and Gabriel said goodnight to Savannah around eight. He hadn’t wanted to. Gabriel had wanted to linger over Savannah’s sweet kisses and adorable giggles. But, the next day would begin another long workweek and he needed to get Rio to sleep.
As he lay in his bed that night, Gabriel thought about how quickly things had changed. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world to be with Savannah. Gabriel wondered why he'd been so against it in the beginning. Why should a little thing like age and history stop something so perfect?
* * * * *
When Savannah checked her email that morning, she was ecstatic to find three graphic designer applications. As a startup agency, Savannah hadn’t been able to offer the most money for a job that usually paid pretty well.
Instead of an hourly wage or flat rate, Savannah thought it best to offer a percentage of what each project paid. Twenty percent had been the offered rate. Savannah figured that would let her pocket ten percent for putting everything together. Seventy percent could go into the business account to grow.
Before she checked the applications, Savannah scanned the rest of her emails. There was a single query letter from a small business owner who wanted to use their services. They'd been referred by one of Savannah’s long-time freelance clients. Savannah was pleased four of her freelance clients had transferred services to her agency. The work for those four clients wasn’t huge but any financial contributions were a great start.
As she scanned the applications, Savannah found herself intrigued by one in particular. The woman, Sarah Jones, had extensive graphic design experience and several connections to offer. In the cover letter, Sarah mentioned she’d been providing services to clients who had issues keeping writers or marketers on their staff.
Savannah sent a reply to Sarah, reiterating the twenty percent fee. She sent a menu of services offered so the potential designer could gauge what she’d earn. Although Savannah had listed a few things a la carte, she’d focused on package plans. Those ranged from $200 to $1,000 a month, with options to add extra graphics or blog posts each week at a discount.
Pleased, Savannah finished her work for the day before checking her email again. There was already a response from Sarah, who agreed to the proposed terms. Savannah sent over a contract, grinning stupidly at finding the missing piece to her digital marketing agency puzzle.
A look at the clock told Savanah it was two. Gabriel was coming over at six. Jay had agreed to watch Rio so the two of them could get some alone time. Savannah liked having the happy toddler around. But, she was beyond thankful Gabriel understood she wanted some time for the two of them, too.
“I’ll throw some paint on the attic floor and head to the store,” Savannah spoke aloud to herself. Thinking about how often she spoke to herself these days, Savannah decided she needed some steady company. Jay stopped by about once a week, and it’d only been two days since Gabriel and Savannah had become an item. Still, Savannah knew they wouldn’t get a lot of time together.
Painting the floor was the last step before Savannah could move her furniture upstairs. It took a little over an hour, and after a quick shower, Savannah hoped into her old beat-up car to drive down to the Wal Mart. She wanted to cook tonight and needed to stock up anyways.
As she crossed the parking lot, Savannah noticed a large brown box next to two teenage girls. A big sign said “Free Kittens,” and Savannah couldn’t stop herself from heading in that direction.
“Hey, ma’am, you want a kitten?” A black-haired girl with a nose ring asked.
Savannah peered into the box and saw two tiny kittens. One was all black and the other all gray. Before she could respond, the second girl said, “They’re the last two. They don’t have fleas or anything. We bathed them this morning, and their mom was an inside cat.”