Chapter 21

We stop once for lunch, about halfway, at a chain restaurant. We sit on the same side of the booth, stealing food from each other’s plates.

As we approach Wes’ home, he points out different landmarks and places he spent time at over the years. My nerves appear about that time, too. Meeting Jessica is as close to meeting the parents as I could get.

He lifts our linked hands to his lips and kisses the back of my hand. “She’s going to love you, I promise. She already does.”

I try to focus on his words, and less on the tightness in my stomach. We pull up to a charming two story, red stucco house. There are flowers in an array of colors in planters on the porch, and a large gray swing off to the left.

“Your home is beautiful, Wes.” He unloads our bags from the backseat while I stand in the driveway, gaping at the place he called home for thirty years.

The front door opens, and a tall woman with lovely brown hair and eyes that match the color of Wes’, rushes down the steps.