Naomi's heart filled with bliss and sadness as Kieran kissed her at the door. She wished he never had to leave. Notes of the sweet chocolate cake they'd fed each other lingered on her lips despite his retreating footsteps. She leaned against the evening-cooled wooden door frame as he walked to his truck and blew her a last kiss.
"Good night?" Shivanna asked as she waved at Kieran too.
Naomi sighed. "The best."
Kieran jumped in his truck solo as Jake had hitched a ride with Austin earlier. As the motor roared to life, he waved at her again. She bit her lip, recalling the warmth of his arms wrapped around her in her bed. That part of single life had been the most difficult change, especially after sharing that apartment with Luke.
In the past two years, she'd grown used to being alone, but she wanted more. She longed to fall asleep in Kieran's embrace, to wake up beside him and snuggle her morning away, and to have him place those ticklish kisses on her neck. As the truck drove down the street, her shoulders slumped.
Once Shivanna closed the door, Naomi asked, "Did Louisa enjoy herself?"
Shivanna nodded. "What about Kieran?"
"Yeah, more than I expected."
They returned to the kitchen, where the counters brimmed with cans and glasses of partly drunk liquor, precariously piled plates, and leftover food. Naomi cleared off a counter and wiped it down while Shivanna searched the cupboards.
"You two disappeared for a while." Shivanna studied her with curiosity written on her soft features.
"Yeah, I wanted to do something special for Kieran, but..." Naomi's face fell.
Shivanna set four containers on the counter. "He wasn't a jerk, was he?"
"No, he was so sweet. When it got uncomfortable, he stopped me and said it was fine, that it was normal." The moment still made her eyes prickle in appreciation of his compassion. Naomi wiped away a stray tear. "Can you believe that? Normal?"
Shivanna gave her a side hug that quelled some of the rising emotions in Naomi's chest.
"I've told you that before too."
"But it was different." Naomi put the leftover celery, broccoli and cauliflower in a deep container.
"Because it's someone you very much like or love romantically."
The word love prompted Naomi's lips to twitch into a smile. She and Kieran had been dating for three weeks, which was quite early for these strong feelings. But after tonight, she was both lighter than air and anchored at an incredible island. An island that was hers alone, which offered her tailor-made adventures better than any she'd experienced.
"I adore him, Shivanna."
She smiled and squeezed Naomi's shoulder. "It's great, isn't it?"
"Is that how you feel about Louisa?"
A bag rustled as Shivanna poured a bowl of chips back into its bag with a smile dancing on her lips. "Yes."
"As I was lying in his arms, it almost seemed like love."
Naomi wanted to cling to it like sun-warmed shallow water in a chilly lake, letting it cover every inch of her. Was that normal?
"Am I rushing this? You two have been together longer than Kieran and I."
"Everyone's timelines are different. If I were you, I'd wait to see if more of these I love you bubbles pop up in you before you blurt it out since you just had your heart broken by Greg, but that's up to you."
"I didn't expect to fall for someone so soon. That's never happened."
Naomi passed one of the two remaining rugelachs to Shivanna and ate the other. Ian was invited to the next party.
"Love can be unexpected. We might have held off on this house if we'd known." Shivanna looked around at the kitchen's retro vibe.
"What? No, I couldn't imagine living with anyone else."
"Not even Kieran?" Shivanna teased, leaning back on the speckled countertop.
"He'd join us, and Louisa too. We have queen beds, a six-piece dining set, and two and a half bathrooms." They'd have these delicious family meals together and host game nights and parties like this one.
Shivanna chuckled. "It's a cute dream."
"It would work though! I don't want kids, and neither do you. Maybe we'd get another dog or a cat, depending on what Louisa wants." Naomi was aware she'd jumped way off the deep end, but the water was warm and inviting.
Shivanna smiled and stared at the sunflower painting like she wanted to say more. "I might want kids."
When had that changed? Shivanna joked she got the best deal, working with kids at an age when they discovered their identities and found their passions. But she had her evenings and weekends free. Although since they'd bought the house, she was working extra jobs. Naomi would talk to Jake about any cost-effective online advertising techniques for private dog training. Then she could chip more away at the mortgage and give Shivanna more downtime.
"That's cool that you're getting all parental. What made you change your mind?"
"My talks with students. They go through so much, and some of the so-called support systems they have or don't have are so heartbreaking. Even if the kid isn't biologically mine or if I don't adopt, I'd like to foster."
Shivanna's art room at the high school had become a lunchtime and after-school refuge for several kids from the 2SLBTQ+ community when they'd discovered she didn't just hang pride flags to be supportive but belonged and understood. This year, a student had nearly failed the course because they had no interest or skill in art but wanted a space where they felt completely free and accepted. The student's connection to art changed little by the end of the term, but their mental health improved.
"You'd be a kickass parent."
"It would be better than what I can do now. Trying to find food and shelter for some of these kids is just a bandaid. They need more to heal and become the happy, vibrant people they deserve to be. I am the way I am because of my family's unconditional love and my friends too. It infuriates me that people judge and reject their children because of who they are or who they love."
Naomi gave her a big hug. "You are a gem. I promise to be the best aunt." Because regardless of the futures they chose, she couldn't imagine a life without her bestie.
***
On the softball field, Naomi warmed up with Ian and Brinny. Naomi learned Ian was a terrible flirt, both in his relentlessness and skill, from his terrible innuendos to his awful jokes. Yet as Brinny reacted with laughter and returned his banter, he had never looked happier. Nor had she.
Naomi's heart ached with regret as she still hadn't invited Kieran to a game. She would have to tell Greg sooner than later.
"You two are disgustingly cute," Naomi said to the flirty couple.
Ian snorted. "You are the queen of disgustingly cute. Where is your better half tonight?"
"He told me he wasn't sure if he was coming," Brinny said and looked at Naomi.
Naomi ran her fingers over the stitches on the ball before tossing it to Brinny. Did that bother him, and why had he brought it up with Brinny? Or had she asked?
"That's my fault. Greg still doesn't know, and..."
Brinny studied Naomi before lobbing the ball to Ian. "Who's Greg?"
He shuffled to catch the short pass. "Her ex and my sister's ex."
"Your sister's former ex," Naomi said.
"Nope. They're done. Like we burnt every photo of him in the fire pit last night, done."
As Ian's powerful throw landed in her mitt, she tried to let the news settle in without analyzing it more. "I've never quite understood your and Tara's relationship."
"No one messes with family or good friends. That asshole has done both."
It wasn't that black-and-white. Tara had broken up with him initially and had caused emotional scars Naomi had witnessed firsthand. But Tara's reaction at the party also showed that Greg had left her insecure and uncertain, just like he'd done to Naomi. Still, the past few weeks he'd looked miserable, so maybe this would help him, although it didn't sound like it had worked out for Tara.
"Did she talk about what happened?" Naomi dared to ask.
Ian waited to catch Brinny's throw before turning to Naomi. His pause seemed prolonged, but she could have imagined it. "No."
"Is she okay?"
"She saw it coming. When you date someone else right after a relationship, you're either an asshole, which he is or you never loved them like you claimed to."
As the ball thudded in Naomi's mitt, bouncing to the ground, her ribs squeezed her insides. If she had never confessed her romantic attraction, he and Tara might have had a real chance. And what had been the point? Her fears of rejection had become a reality. Worse, as much as she'd loved Greg, she'd been attracted to Kieran while dating Greg, and she had no problem bragging about it to Kieran as they grew closer. What kind of person was she?
She tossed the ball to Brinny, trying to suppress the urge to vomit. "I need to go for a jog."
"Nomi, I was talking about him, not you," Ian called out.
But she left them behind her, tucking her glove under her arm until she reached the fence where she abandoned it to do laps. If she pushed herself hard enough, she wouldn't have any energy to think.
When she returned to the bench, she panted and dug through her bag for her water bottle.
"Here." An orange sports drink appeared in her line of sight. Her gaze travelled from the muscled arm holding it and to the familiar sympathetic eyes. "I thought I was repaying a favour, but it appears you need this."
"A favour?" She gasped for breath, still searching for the hard plastic of her bottle.
"You don't remember the last time you gave me one of these?"
Her memory drew a blank.
"I'd done something idiotic, and I'd biked over to apologize. You had this waiting for me."
As he placed the cold drink in her free palm, the moment flashed in her memory. The weekend after the bar when he'd broken up with Tara. The day he confessed his feelings for her, he'd handed her the drink when she'd struggled to respond. He had admitted it first, not her. Although, it was only a tiny consolation.
Her breathing had calmed enough to mutter, "Thanks."
The condensation on the plastic had her abandon her search for her lukewarm water bottle and down half of the cool, sugary contents.
"Are you okay?" Flecks of green in his eyes poked through the grey, like a forest reappearing after a rainstorm.
"You know me. Can't warm up like a normal person."
He chuckled. "Normal's overrated anyhow. Just don't injure yourself. We'll lose without you." He sat a small distance from her on the bench
"That's debatable."
"You've never missed a game to test that theory."
She chugged the drink while it was still cold and tossed the empty bottle in her bag. Greg remained with her despite having his glove tucked under his arm and cleats on his feet. They crunched in the dugout sand as he rocked back and forth like he did when he was nervous.
"Do you want to stretch, or have you done that already?"
It wouldn't hurt to give her muscles another stretch after pushing them so she didn't risk an injury. "Okay."
She wasn't sure whether to mention Tara. He seemed pretty upbeat for someone who'd just gone through a breakup. Along the fence, she lunged, and Greg followed suit, even matching the leg she'd chosen.
"I-uh." He cleared his throat before switching legs for the stretch. "I broke up with Tara."
How do think this conversation will go for Naomi and Greg? Do you think she'll get the opportunity to tell him about Kieran or that she'll change her mind?
Thanks for all your comments and votes. I always love hearing your thoughts on the story!