I wondered what I would tell my sister about Hank tonight. Obviously, I’d tell her about how amazing he was with Luna and all the things he’d done around the house. But the million-dollar question was, would I leave it at that?
Or, would I tell her how much I liked him?
Would I tell her that I felt stronger for him in just a few weeks’ time than I ever had for anyone, including Richie?
Would I tell her that I thought about him all the time?
Would I tell her about the kiss?
My mind was spinning with how much or how little to reveal to Ashley when I felt Luna tugging on my arm.
I looked down at her and saw her face looking up at me expectantly. Before I could ask what was going on Ashley’s hand flew up in the air.
“Yes.” Stewart pointed at Ashley. “What are we celebrating?”
“We are celebrating a very special girl’s fifth birthday!” Ashley lifted up Luna’s arms.
“A birthday? Let’s all sing Happy Birthday to…?”
“Luna!” Ashley called out.
“Let’s all sing Happy Birthday to Luna!”
The entire trolley turned around and began singing Happy Birthday as Ashley tickled Luna beneath her arms.
This might not be the birthday that I’d planned for her, but Ash showing up and surprising her, us spending the day exploring our new town, was enough. It was more than enough.
My little girl was happy. That’s all that mattered. Even if it had meant getting on that steel circle of a death trap. I’d white knuckled it through the entire ten minute ride, and wanted to kiss the ground when I got off. Calvin, the ride operator, told me that they had barf bags over at the tilt-a-whirl, but thankfully I hadn’t needed one.
Once the birthday song ended, the tour began and Stewart was in rare form. He was bringing his A-game. I wondered if he was trying to impress Ashley who I’d noticed he was paying special attention to.
At five foot seven, she had a slender frame, but she liked to say that she was still blessed with the two Bs, booty and boobies. She had the sort of figure that could walk the Victoria’s Secret runway or end up on the cover of Sport’s Illustrated. With long, waist-length strawberry-blonde hair and large green eyes, she was strikingly beautiful. I’d seen men trip over themselves for her. Literally. She’d walk by and they’d trip trying to talk to her.
I’d envied her body before having Luna, since my five-foot-four frame was much thicker than hers. But after Luna, I’d really wished I’d been blessed with her genes so that I could fit into her jeans.
I wasn’t typically self-conscious about my body, but ever since it had been plastered up against Hank’s chiseled, muscles I’d started wondering what that would be like if we hadn’t been clothed, and not in a good way.
Besides the extra fifteen pounds I’d never lost, there was also the stretch marks that I was rocking. I hadn’t been with anyone for the past five years, so no one had seen my stretch marks except for my gyno.
I was so wrapped up wondering what Hank would think if that kiss led to more, and if I’d be self-conscious with him, that I didn’t even notice when the trolley pulled to a stop.
“Thank you, folks! Enjoy your time on the island. And make sure to visit us again soon!”
I would swear that last comment was for my sister’s benefit.
“So, what’s the deal with the Comfort curse?” Ashley asked as we stepped off the trolley. “Do you think it’s real?”
I hope not, I thought as my phone rang.
“Is it Daddy?” Luna asked again. I’d had two calls today. One from Milly and the other from Mrs. Birch. Both times Luna had asked if it was her dad. Both times I’d had to tell her no and although she was happy to talk to the callers, I could see that she was a little disappointed that her father hadn’t called her on her birthday.
I looked down and saw that it was the man who I was equal parts worried would see, and would never see, my stretch marks.
“Um, no, it’s Hank.”
This time there was not even a hint of disappointment.
Her face lit up and she started clapping. “It’s Mr. Hank!”
I stared down at the number lighting up my screen and nerves danced in my belly. He’d never called me before. He’d always just shown up at the house. Or was already there when we got home.
“Hellooo!” Ashley waved her hand in front of my face. “Are you going to answer it?”
“Oh sorry, yeah.” I was breathless as I said, “Hi.”
“Sorry to interrupt Luna’s birthday,” Hank’s tone was one that I hadn’t heard before. He sounded serious. “But I have some bad news.”
My heart shot up and lodged in my throat. He wasn’t someone who I’d consider an alarmist. If he said that he had bad news, it was bad news. “What’s wrong?”
“I was finishing up some work on the plumbing and a pipe burst. I got everything out but you might want—”
“We’ll be right there.” I hung up.
“What’s wrong?” Ashley and Luna chorused when I hung up the phone.
“A pipe burst. We have to go. I’m so sorry, Luna.”
“Can we see Mr. Hank?”
“Yes, he’s at the house.”
“Yay!” she cheered, not at all disappointed that we weren’t going to the beach as planned.
We headed back to the lot where we were parked, and on the way Luna explained all the work that Mr. Hank had been doing on our house. I could feel Ashley’s stare boring into the side of my face. I would definitely be answering questions later. And with a glass of wine in me, I might just tell her everything.
The entire ride back to the house, Luna talked nonstop. It was moments like these that her chatterbox ways were a blessing. If she’d taken even one breath, I was sure that Ashley would be trying to speak in code about what was actually going on with Mr. Hank.
“And he put a fan in my room, ’cause we don’t have any air in our house.”
“Air conditioning,” I corrected.
“Air conditioning,” Luna repeated.
“Is that right?” Ashely commented. “Well that Mr. Hank sure is Mr. Handy isn’t he?”
Luna giggle. “Mr. Handy.”
“What else has Mr. Handsy been working on, Sis?”
The question was directed at me but Luna answered.
“He fixed my bathroom and now it’s Little Mermaid.”
“Wow. Little Mermaid, huh?” Ashley was responding to Luna, but her eyes hadn’t stopped boring a hole in the side of my face.
“Yep! And he built me a dollhouse just like the one at Mrs. Birch’s house.”
It was exactly the same actually. After Luna talked about how much she loved playing with Mrs. Birch’s, Hank showed up the next day with one that was identical. When I’d asked him how he’d done that he explained that he made the one at Mrs. Birch’s and he said he still had the plans and extra materials for it.
As we pulled onto the long dirt road that led to the back of the property where the blue house sat my heart was pounding wildly in my chest. I hadn’t seen Hank since we kissed and now he was going to meet my sister. Those both felt like monumental events and they were happening simultaneously.