Page 64 of Dream House
Tyler raises his face to the ceiling and inhales deeply through his nose.
This is a bigno.
I make a right onto South College Road, but traffic is almost at a standstill, so we don’t get very far.
It may be dangerous territory, but if I don’t go there, who will?
“Tod’s a turd,” I say, admiring my alliteration.
Tyler sniffs.
I sneak a peek, but he’s not smiling. Not even a little.
“He’s a turd, but do you think he has a point?” I settle my right hand on top of his left on the center console, but he tugs his away.
He’s not doing it to be mean, but it hurts anyway. Probably because what I’m asking hurts too.
Traffic starts rolling again, and I almost hit the brakes when I hear it.
“Ye...sh.”
My heart raps at my throat. I throw him a quick glance. “Yes?”
Tyler throws one back and nods.
“About practicing your exercises?” I clarify to make sure we’re on the same page.
“Ye...sh.”
Two yeses and one nod. That’s better than usual.
I swallow and try to pace myself. We stop again at the light at Bacque Crescent. “What can I do to help?”
Tyler frowns and licks his lips. He looks like he’s about to say something. He tries more than once, but then he shakes his head, blushing again.
Something high in my chest, right over my heart, tells me not to push. So I listen. “When you’re ready,” I say, instead. “Tell me when you’re ready.”
It’s only when we pull into the Exxon station on the corner of Johston and South College so I can fill up that Tyler settles his hand onto mine. It’s just for a second, but, boy, does it test my tear ducts.
When we turn onto the drive behind our house, I’m wiped. Tyler’s wiped. And Maisy is still down for the count, which is going to make her eight o’clock bedtime a gameshow-worthy challenge. But seeing the big house makes me feel…held.
Like our lives are hard, but we’re in the right place to make the best of them.
Lark’s Jeep pulls in behind us before I close the garage door, and that feeling? That snug feeling of being buoyed only grows. When I see in the rearview that Nina is riding in his passenger seat, it grows a little more.
Because maybe she’s in the right place to make the best of her life too.
I kill the engine and leave the garage door open so we can all go in together. Despite my exhaustion, I’m smiling when I step out of the car because Lark made good on his offer to drive Nina, and, I can’t explain why, but that makes me disproportionately happy.
When Lark’s Jeep rumbles to silence, I wave at them. “Hey, y’all.”
At my greeting, Tyler opens his door and looks behind us.
“T, could you get Maisy?” I ask.
I grab my purse and sling it over my shoulder, but Tyler doesn’t move.
He’s glaring at Lark the way he glared at his hands just minutes ago.
