Page 63 of The Neighborly Thing To Do
“Or husband,” he adds, like I’ve somehow forgotten our marriage in the last few minutes. I was the one who bought very expensive beacons for us to wear everywhere announcing to the world that we’re married. I think we can both assume I’m fully on board with it.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I whisper back, turning to G, who stopped in the middle of our living room.
“How’re you here?” I ask, stepping away from Finn so I can take her shoulders in my hands, looking her over.
“Yourhusbandcalled me,” she says, eyes flicking toward Finn. “And we can talk about you having a whole-ass wedding without me, Cee.”
“If it helps, it wasn’t really a whole-ass wedding,” I defend. “Minimal ass. Town hall. Boring and basic.”
She turns to stare at Finn. “Didn’t mention that detail. You should do better.”
Is this the man she calledMr. Delaneyon the phone when we called the other day? Now she looks ready to square up.
I can’t even pretend like I don’t know where she got that from, though. That’s all me, right there.
But all Finn says is, “Believe me, I intend to.”
Oh. That’s—has he thought about it? A proper wedding, our future? I want to ask him about it. I want to hear what he’s dreamed up.
But not as badly as I want to get to the bottom of this. “So, you, what—dropped everything and flew here?” That flight is way too long for her little body; there’s no way she can do that in a day.
She rolls her eyes. “Relax, worrywart. I drove. Stephie lent me her car as long as I have it back before her morning class tomorrow.AndI was almost late because I knew you’d kill me if I skipped class, so I sat through the most boring lecture ever before leaving. Only responsible choices over here.”
She’s hours away from college on a school night, but I bite my tongue. “It was nice of you to come,” I tell her. “Thank you for saying what you did.”
Her hands latch around my wrists. “Listen to me,” she says, fire in her eyes. “Of course I came to help. I’m not a little kid anymore, Cee. You can’t hide this shit from me. You don’t need to protect me.”
I bite my lip. I know she’s not a little kid. I know she’s going out into the adult world, and she’ll do amazing things. But that doesn’t change my responsibility to look out for her, to not put my problems on her plate.
“You have school,” I say firmly. “You need to focus on school, on your life. Not on me. It’s not your job to fight my battles for me.”
“Maybe not, but I can fight alongside you,” she says. “Thank you for everything you did. I meant every word I said, and I love you, Cee. I am who I am because of you and what you gave me. But you don’t need to raise me anymore. We’re partners now, right?”
It’s such a monumental mental shift that I don’t know how I’ll make it, but the fact is she’s right. I nod softly, giving her a squeeze. “Alright,” I say. “Partners.”
“Partners,” she echoes, then pulls me into a proper hug. “I’m happy for you,” she whispers in my ear. “The house, the husband—I want you to find good things, Cee. I’m grateful for what you gave me. I’m sorry if it took anything away from you.”
“Never,” I whisper back. Even with the hard days and the steep learning curve, I would do it all again, a thousand times over, to have the brilliant young woman in my arms. “I’m so glad to have you, G.”
“Me too, Cee,” she says, making us both chuckle. I don’t think I imagine the teary tone from both of us.
She pulls back. “Alright,” she says, sniffing back her tears and straightening her spine. I know where she got that from, too. “So. The house is ours. You’re staying in town. You got married. Anything else I should know?”
I shake my head, smiling now. “No, think you’re nice and caught up,” I promise her.
“Good. You know, for someone who texts me every day, you don’t tell me shit.”
I should really scold her for the swearing. Instead, I say, “I’ll do better. Promise.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
A throat clears behind us, and I jump. It’s not that I forgot my husband was here, but I got so caught up in Georgia that it slipped my mind for a second. “Not to take away any time you two have together,” he says slowly, “But would you mind seeing if my parents need any help, Georgia? Let yourself in; the door is unlocked. And Cassidy and I’ll be along in a few minutes.”
She gives me a long look, but I nod. I want every minute with her, too, but I need a second with Finn first.
“Ask Cassidy, I’m a menace in the kitchen,” she says. “But I am excellent at setting tables and fetching things. See you in five minutes, or I’m coming back to get you,” she says the last words like a threat, and then walks out of the house.
My heart only hurts a little as she walks away. It’s not as bad as the day I dropped her off at school. Progress.
