Wildflowers and Wide Receivers

8. Jonah

Chapter 8

Jonah

“ I can’t believe you got a dog,” Tyler says as he sits down with us at an outside table at a restaurant where we’re eating lunch in Hyde Park Village.

We shouldn’t be outside, but the weather is mild for May, and the skies are a bright blue. Even though this table is a bit secluded, we are out in the open for anyone to walk up and speak to us. Of course, Tyler is as subtle as a bull in a china shop, and all eyes are on him as he’s wearing a Tarpons shirt, giving us away, and he flips his baseball hat around backward, which means now eyes are on both of us. But with the puppy, we can’t be inside. When I’m out with Vivi, sometimes I’m recognized, but more often not. However, throw Tyler into the mix with his six-foot-seven large frame, and people almost always know who we are.

“I blame Reid for this. He’s the one who’s been pushing the idea,” he says as he leans over and ruffles Vivi’s hair while she sits on the ground and encourages the puppy to drink. She always swats at his hand and acts offended that he’s messed her hair up, but secretly, I think she likes it.

“Yeah, well, it was time.”

After two years, Vivi finally started to become friends with this one girl at school, who I found out was also in her dance class, but outside of that, she still kept to herself. She loves Izzy, loves on her whenever they’re together, and I figured Reid was right and it was time for her to have a dog of her own to love on too. She used to be such an affectionate child. I’m hoping this will help bring some of that back or at least be an outlet for her to express herself. Plus, the timing works because we can train her over the summer.

“Don’t get me wrong, I love dogs, and I think all kids should have one. We had one growing up. It was a Lab mix, probably with a pit bull since we got it from an animal shelter, but that dog was the best. A lot of my childhood memories have that dog in them, from hiking to holidays or just lying on the couch.”

“I’m happy to hear you say that since what’s mine is yours, and what’s yours is mine.” I smirk at him and pointedly look down at the puppy.

“Right!” He laughs as the server comes over to take his drink order. Although, I’m not kidding. He’s around so much that it makes sense that he’ll be helping out with the puppy too. And by helping, I mean walking her at night as his payment for eating my food.

“So why now?” he asks. But instead of answering, my eyes widen and my brows rise like he should understand the obvious. In return, his brows pull down in confusion until it dawns on him what today is.

Today is Mother’s Day, and I thought the distraction would be ideal after the week Vivi had at school. I understand why schools do “Moms and Muffins” and other such events, but these things are an awful reminder to her and other kids in her situation or one similar to what she doesn’t have anymore.

So what did I do?

I let her skip school on Friday.

While all of the moms were coming in, I didn’t force her to have to sit there and see it. Instead, we went and bought a puppy.

I’m a sucker, I know it, but I have the means to do what it takes to make her happy, and that’s my single goal in life when it comes to her—happiness and to feel love.

“Why not?” I shrug. “Her ankle is healed, so Vivi can walk her, and since school is about to end for the year, they’ll have all summer together.”

Vivi’s therapist told me that getting a dog would be great for her emotional growth. Oftentimes, with childhood grief, children can lock up their emotions and become withdrawn. Not that there’s a wrong way to grieve because there isn’t, but research shows that loving an animal allows them to emotionally be themselves without relying on another person. Of course, I immediately felt guilty for not giving her this sooner, but at the same time, I’m not sure either of us were ready. We both struggled through the change and only recently have seemed to settle.

“Seems like it might be working,” Tyler says as we glance under the table where Vivi tucks the sleepy puppy up against her chest with a fabric sling. Camille taught her this. There’s no way I could have.

“We bought this one from the same breeder as Reid, so send good vibes our way.”

At this, Vivi pops up from under the table and takes her seat.

She finally looks at Tyler and decides to acknowledge him. “Hi, Uncle Tyler.”

“What’s up, squirt? I see you have a new friend there.” He reaches over and gently pets the top of the puppy’s head with his fingers.

“Yes. Her name is Molly.” She looks down at the puppy with her eyes full of adoration.

“Ah, Molly is a good name. I once knew a girl named Molly. She had the best—owww! What was that for?” he growls as I’ve kicked him under the table.

“Neither of us wants to hear about any girls you used to know.” I give him a flat look.

Vivi giggles, and my heart squeezes. I don’t think I will ever get tired of that.

“Are you laughing because he kicked me?” he asks her like he’s put out.

“Yes,” she says, her grin growing larger.

“Happy to know that you find him inflicting pain on me is funny.” He scowls.

She picks up her Sprite, takes a sip through a straw, and sets the glass back down. “Did Uncle Jonah tell you what I made for him this week?” she asks, almost shyly.

“Noooo,” he draws out dramatically, giving me a fake exasperated glare.

“Pot holders. My teacher gave each of us a small loom, and we weaved them in class.”

His eyes get large like this is the best gift idea he’s ever heard of. “That’s awesome! You know I love it when your uncle cooks. Your house is my favorite place to have dinner.” He smirks at me.

She grins. “Can you guess what color they are?” she asks, running her hand over her forehead to push back some of her fine blond hair that has fallen in her face. Her face looks so much like John's, but Ashley's too.

“Black like his soul?” he teases.

“Bro, seriously? I don’t have a black soul. Tell him, Wildflower.”

She giggles again, and a breeze drifts over us, pushing that hair back into her face. She swipes it again, and this time, when she smiles, it’s large and happy and shows her teeth. Well, almost all of her teeth. Earlier in the week, she lost an incisor on the top, and now she has a cute gap.

“No! I made them teal and white.”

Tyler leans back in his chair and nods like he’s so proud of her choice. “Ah, to match our team colors. Smart girl you are. Jonah, I think we have a fan for life.”

I smile at Vivi, and she smiles back.

Tyler is so good for her. In every sense of the expression, he is the fun uncle. I’d like to think that I was at some point, bringing her presents and making her laugh, but now it’s just different.

I wasn’t surprised by the potholders. She always brings home art and homemade things from school for me, and I always go out of my way to make her feel like these things are special to me. Instead of shoving them into a drawer, we found a place for them on the counter next to the stove.

“I can make some for you, too,” she says while looking at Tyler.

“Really? I’d love that. But only if you want to.”

“What colors do you want?”

“I like all colors, so I’ll let you decide,” he tells her.

“Okay.”

I lean over and whisper loudly, “Maybe black like his soul.”

Her eyes sparkle, and Tyler just shakes his head.

“So tell me about your new puppy. Eaten any of Jonah’s shoes? Chewed a hole in the couch?”

I want to remind him that we’ve only had her for three days. Besides, she’s too young anyway.

“No! She’s not going to do that. She’s a good puppy,” she says, hugging the caramel-colored fur ball. We got a mini goldendoodle. Where I might have preferred a large dog, I reminded myself that this one isn’t mine, and smaller is better for her. “She sleeps a lot right now, but the books told us that would change soon. Hey, isn’t that Dr. Sophie?” Vivi asks, and my heart leaps in my chest at just hearing her name.

“Where?” I turn, following her gaze.

“Right there.” She points at a woman walking across the street toward the fountain that sits in the middle of the shops and away from us.

I find her instantly, and my heart rate picks up. She’s wearing a sundress, flip-flops, and her hair is pulled into a ponytail. She has her purse on one shoulder and several bags on her other arm.

“You know what, I think you’re right.” I glance at Tyler, and he smirks at me knowingly. “I think I’ll go say hi. I’ll be right back.”

Leaving the two of them at the table, I can feel their eyes on me as I jog to catch up to her. Nerves creep their way up my spine, but I ignore them because I’m not going to let this moment get away.

“Hey, Sophie, wait up,” I call out to her to get her attention.

She turns, and surprise flits across her face before she shuts it down and gives me a small smile.

“Fancy meeting you here,” I say to her and instantly want to punch myself in the face. Her face, on the other hand, her beautiful face, I want to stare at indefinitely. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m good. How are you?”

I like her hair pulled back. Don’t get me wrong, I like it however she wants to wear it, but this way, her face is on full display. Almond-shaped eyes that are a bright blue under the sun, freckles across the bridge of her nose and over her cheekbones, and it’s then that I notice the small diamond studs in her earlobes, which are attached instead of floppy.

“We’re good.” I glance at the table where Vivi and Tyler are watching us. Vivi shyly raises her hand to wave, and Sophie smiles so big when she waves back. It’s a strange feeling that overtakes you when someone does the smallest and simplest thing, but you know it makes your kid happy. It’s gratitude and admiration.

“Out for lunch, I see,” she says.

“Yes. Vivi got a new puppy, and we’ve made several trips to the dog boutique shop this weekend.”

“A new puppy. Sounds exciting,” she teases, but in a fun way.

I glance back at them. The server is dropping off Tyler’s drink, and she’s taking our order. Who knows what Tyler will get for me, but I’m not picky.

“It’s something. Would you like to join us?”

Please say yes. Please say yes.

“Oh,” she says, surprised, but then glances at her bags. “I can’t today. I’m on a mission, but maybe another time.” She looks at me hopefully. At least I think that’s what I’m seeing. My stomach tells me it is, and they always say to go with your gut.

I want to ask her what kind of mission, but that really isn’t any of my business, and I also want to press for when that “another time” can be. Is she just being polite, or would she like to see me again? It’s with that thought I find the courage to ask what I’ve been regretting for a long time now.

“I’d like that,” I tell her, wanting to make sure I get across that I’d really like to see her again. “I know I’m almost two and a half years late, but I really would like your number.”

A blush tints her cheeks, turning them the softest shade of pink.“Sure,” she tells me, and my heart soars.

Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my phone and open the messages screen. She gives me her number. I send her a text so she’ll have mine as well, but when the notification goes through, her watch lights up on her arm holding the bags, and on the screen, it says, “Jonah cell.”

She sees the confusion on my face, glances at her watch, and then her blush turns bright red all the way to the tips of her ears.

“You already have my number?”

Hope and dread are a strange combination. I love that she has my number, but how long has she had it? Has it been this whole time, and she just didn’t reach out? Not that I blame her. I stood her up in the worst kind of way.

“I might have been very unprofessional and taken it from Vivi’s chart when you were in the office. I was going to check in with you after the first appointment to see how she was doing and thank you for the roses, but I obviously didn’t.”

She looks away from me and out at the people walking by. I understand how this might have made her uncomfortable, but I freaking love that she did this. Maybe things aren’t so cut-and-dried. She’s seeing someone else, after all. My heart sprouts wings, and it feels like it soars as maybe things are better looking for me than I thought.

“I would have liked that,” I tell her, one side of my mouth lifting because I’m so happy. So freaking happy that I can’t even hide it because maybe somewhere deep down she wants to talk to me too. Her eyes connect with mine and hold before skipping away.

You know how people say that the best friendships are the ones where even though you don’t talk to them every day or even see them regularly, it’s like no time has passed when you do? That’s how I feel seeing her. I’ve seen her three times in the past three months, and today, it feels like there’s been no time gap. I feel like I saw her last week, and we’re just catching up. She feels like someone who is more, or at least someone who is meant to be more.

I don’t know much about her—well, really anything—but if fate keeps pushing us together, I’m confident that will change.

“So I’ll see you around?” she says.

“I hope so.”