I feel his cheek against mine, his breathing harsh and labored like he’s restraining himself. In a harsh whisper, he finally breaks the silence. “I think we need to get something clear right now, Vivian. I have loved you every second that I’ve known you. When I wasn’t with you, I tried to force myself to not love you. I don’t want to pretend anymore. Don’t run from me, Red; don’t run from us, because I’m not fucking going anywhere.”

He kisses my forehead and sits down at his seat, just as quickly as he’d stood, leaving me standing stunned by our intense public moment. I slide back into my chair as the waiter arrives with our food, and I’m thankful that there is a distraction available.

His words tumble around in my mind, and as they sink in, I find myself believing his sincerity. He’s not going anywhere; he will be different. He won’t hurt me.

Our conversation lightens as the meal progresses, shifting the dialogue easily between topics. He tells me all about Grace and her mother, explaining his previous dating relationships, or lack thereof. He shares about his architectural firm, and I suggest Amanda’s advertising agency when he mentions wanting to make a change in his marketing strategy. I share how I’ve moved away from teaching to pursue writing and to spend more time with Emma and Blake since Will died.

Time passes without notice, and soon we are the only ones left in the restaurant. My cheeks are aching and my stomach is sore from laughing at the stories we share about our children and my old students. Our waiter has since given up on us, and he is sitting at a back booth waiting for us to cash out our check.

“I think we’ve worn out our welcome; the servers are waiting on us to close the restaurant,” I say, taking a final sip of my wine.

“You’re right; we should probably get going. I just don’t want tonight to end.” Brooks takes out his wallet and throws a wad of cash onto the table. I’m sure he is severely over-tipping to make up for our late stay.

He takes my hand, easing me out of my chair, and then rests his palm at the small of my back to guide me out to the parking lot. The drive home is comfortable; all of the tension that started the date has dissipated, and it feels just like it always did with us. It feels natural; it feels right.

“Thank you for such a lovely evening, Brooks,” I say as he pulls into my driveway.

He parks the car and laces our fingers together. “Thank you for agreeing to go,” he mutters through a cocky grin before landing a soft kiss on my palm.

“School is going to be starting in a few weeks, so I had planned on taking Grace to the zoo. You know, one last trip before things get busy. Would you and Emma and Blake like to join us?”

I’m trying to focus on his words, but his touch is distracting, and I’m struggling to keep myself on my side of the car. I’m confident that my dress would probably split in two if I tried to propel across the middle console, though.

Brooks begins to laugh, pulling me from my sidetracked inner dialogue.

“Sorry, um, the zoo. Yeah, that sounds great. But do you think that it’s alright to be a couple in front of the kids yet? Should we slow it down a little, at least when we’re around them?”

“Why don’t you ask Amanda if she’ll come with us, and I’ll invite my brother Lakin; we’ll make it feel like a group outing instead of a family date. We can be somewhat slow if you need that.”

“Thank you. I better go in before Amanda starts flickering the porch light.”

He kisses my hand one more time and exits the car, running around to my side to open the passenger door. Pulling me into his side, we slowly walk up to the front door, trying to extend our time together until the last possible second.

As soon as we hit the bottom step, Brooks wraps his arms around me and pushes my back up against the exterior of the house. “I’ve waited all night to get my lips on yours, and I can’t let you go into that house without getting a taste of what I’ve been missing.”

I stiffen, shocked by his forward and swift advance. Placing his hands on either side of my head, he cages me in, his eyes darting from my eyes to my lips, begging for permission. When my body relaxes and I smile, he takes it as an open invitation, crushing his mouth to mine.

His hands move away from the wall and begin to explore my body, sliding down my ribs and resting on my hips, drawing me closer to him. Our kiss deepens; the fire between us ignites. I’m not sure at this point if the flame can be extinguished; the neighbors are no doubt getting a show.

“God, I’ve missed you,” Brooks mutters as he drags his lips down my jaw.

“I forgot how good you feel,” I say, tilting my head back to give him better access.

Hastily, he draws his head back, looking into my hooded eyes. “I’m going to spend every fucking day helping you remember, Viv. You’re my Clover, and you always will be.”

Expecting another passionate kiss, I brace myself for impact, but instead, Brooks slowly leans in and lightly touches his lips to mine. It’s a feather-like peck that leaves my already-swollen lips tingling.

“Goodnight, Vivian,” he says through a smile.

“Goodnight, Brooks,” I breathlessly sigh.

I watch as he walks back to his car and opens the driver’s side door. He turns to throw me one last grin over his shoulder before getting in and driving away. I’m left still pressed against the house, attempting to gather myself. I let my fingertips trace along my lips, feeling the lingering effects of his kiss. Finally, regaining my composure and adjusting my dress, I find my keys and enter the house. I don’t even get my ankle-breaking shoes off before I hear my phone buzz.

Brooks: I can’t wait to get lost in my green again. Sleep well, Clover.

My stomach flip-flops at the sight of his nickname for me. I smile and grip my phone tightly to my chest. I silently make my way upstairs to my room. The house is quiet, still, just like my heart. Brooks has managed to stifle my fears and replace my missing heart. I just hope I can guard it better this time.

Vivian

“I don’t know why you need me to go with you for this,” Amanda complains, while putting her Audi into reverse and pulling out of the driveway.

I look at her, my eyes pleading with her to just get over it. “Because, Manda, he wanted to get the kids together, and he thought that if there were a few of us there, like a group family situation, there would be less pressure. His brother will be there, so I thought it would be good if you were there too.”

She exhales deeply, and then looks straight ahead. I’m sure she’s considering her options to pay me back for this. Amanda agreed to be supportive of my relationship with Brooks, but I know going with us, especially now that his brother will be there, too, is going to be a stretch for her.

“I think it will be fun, Aunt Amanda,” Emma chimes in from the backseat. Blake is completely engaged in his Leap Pad story, and is the least bit interested in the current conversation.

Amanda looks at her through the rearview mirror, and a smile tugs at her lips. “You and me will definitely have a good time, baby girl. After we see the giraffes, I’ll buy you a snow cone.”

Emma’s whole face lights up and she bounces in her seat, showing her agreement. “Okay, but Grace will want one, too,” she adds.

“Deal. Now just sit back and relax; we will be at the zoo soon. Your momma and I need to have a little talk.” She gives me a side glance, and I know she has a lot on her mind that she is going to freely unload on me. Thankfully, we only have a fifteen-minute car ride.

Emma sits back and looks out the window to watch the Saturday traffic buzz by on I-25. She loves to car watch. Since moving to the city, she loves to go on car rides just to zone into the hustle and bustle of the surroundings.