Chapter 11 - THE FIRST DATE AFTER FOURTEEN YEARS
Our first date happened in a hospital courtyard.
Not a luxury restaurant.
Not a private club.
Not somewhere with chandeliers and expensive wine.
Just two paper cups of coffee.
A bench.
And the sound of traffic beyond the garden wall.
Nora wore a cardigan over her hospital clothes.
Her hair was tied back.
She looked tired.
Beautiful.
Real.
I handed her the coffee.
“Decaf.”
She laughed.
“You remembered.”
I smiled.
“You used to say caffeine made your thoughts run faster than your mouth.”
She shook her head.
“I can't believe you remember that.”
I looked at her.
“I remember more than you think.”
We talked for nearly an hour.
About Stanford.
Her years working as a teacher's assistant.
Andrew.
Maisie.
The gallery of photographs she kept in her apartment.
The small joys she'd found despite everything.
Then Nora looked at me.
“Ethan, I need you to understand something.”
I nodded.
“I loved Andrew.”
I swallowed.
“I know.”
“He was good to me.”
I smiled gently.
“I'm glad.”
She studied me.
“You really mean that?”
“Yes.”
I looked toward the trees.
“He gave you love when I wasn't there.”
Nora's eyes filled.
“And he gave you Maisie,” I added.
She nodded.
I reached for her hand.
“Nora, I'm not asking you to erase your life.”
She looked at me.
“Then what are you asking?”
I smiled faintly.
“For a chance to know the woman you've become.”
Her eyes filled.
She squeezed my hand.
“I think I'd like that.”
We began slowly.
Coffee.
Walks.
Phone calls.
No grand promises.
No expensive gifts she hadn't asked for.
Just time.
One evening, I helped Maisie build a cardboard castle.
She looked up.
“Mr. Ethan?”
“Yes?”
“Do you like Mommy?”
I smiled.
“Very much.”
She considered this.
“More than pizza?”
I laughed.
“Much more.”
She nodded solemnly.
“That's serious.”
Then she leaned closer.
“Mommy likes you too.”
I grinned.
“Does she?”
Maisie nodded.
“She smiles at her phone now.”
My chest warmed.
Then she added:
“But don't make her cry.”
I looked at her.
The little girl was completely serious.
I nodded.
“I'll do my best to treat her kindly.”
She studied me.
Then smiled.
May you like
“Okay.”
And returned to building her castle.
