Page 49 of The One

In the past few years she’d done more with friends, but it wasn’t the same in her eyes. She wasn’t even sure why she cared so much though and was trying to get past that.

One thing she’d learned about herself was, if she wanted to do something, she was damn well going to do it even if it meant doing it alone.

She was thrilled. Not only did she not have to go alone but also Rick was the one who suggested this.

“I noticed that you liked a lot of the handcrafted pieces or designs when we went furniture shopping. I remember coming here as a kid and figured it’d get us out of the house.”

They were at an indoor market full of handcrafted Christmas items and more in Glens Falls. Rick’s hometown that she’d never been to. It was only an hour or so from Colonie, but she’d never had a reason to come to this town.

She’d been to Lake George before, which was close by, but never Glens Falls.

“I do like handmade things. I wish I was crafty,” she said.

“Have you ever tried to make things?” he asked.

She laughed. “No. It might be good to get a hobby, but I’m not sure what. I like quilts and stuff but don’t think I want to make one. I don’t wear enough jewelry to buy supplies to make pieces. I think that is the bigger issue. I’d probably only want to make one of something and it’s not so much the time but everything you need to buy to do it and then store it.”

And when those words were out of her mouth she thought she was back with Mike and wanted to pinch herself.

He’d always complained there wasn’t enough room in their apartment for things. Or that she wouldn’t have the time to start and complete something.

She didn’t think Mike knocked her down as much as he was discouraging. Never encouraging, and that fell back on her.

She wasn’t letting anyone do that in her life again though.

“Don’t think like that,” Rick said. “If you buy too much and don’t use it, then donate it. Or sell it. Or give gifts with it until you use it all.”

“You know,” she said, “you’re right. I just don’t know what it is I’d want to make.”

He parked his SUV and they got out. “Then you can walk around and look at things and get ideas. Maybe buy something you like and when we get back to my place look it over more to see if you could do it. YouTube is great for those things.”

“You’re good for me,” she said.

“I’m glad,” he said. “But why say that?”

“Because you are encouraging me to try something new when for years I’ve talked myself out of stuff even though I’ve wanted to do it.”

“I think we are both an example of life passing us by and settling. No more,” he said, grabbing her hand and threading their fingers together. Yeah, again, something she hadn’t done with a guy before. Walked holding hands.

Only in high school. That wasn’t a guy though. A boy. Her first boyfriend that lasted a few months.

“That’s right,” she said. “No more.”

The two of them walked from booth to booth. They weren’t buying, rather just browsing, but she was fine with that for now. “I need to get these cookies,” he said.

“Then get them,” she said. “Don’t deprive yourself of things.”

“I know,” he said. “It’s only a half a dozen. You’ll share them with me, right, and not make me feel like a slug if I eat them all this weekend?”

She looked at the lemon and raspberry cookies in a container. “I will. And they are fruit, so not bad.”

“You always find the positive in everything,” he said, grabbing the container. “I need that more in my life.”

He paid and they walked away and she had to stop and think—when was the last time someone told her that that didn’t pertain to her job—and she realized not often. Or not for years.

She’d always been that person in school. The happy one that looked at the good and not the bad or negative, and yet for years she’d lost that.

She wondered if that was what Trey meant a few years ago when he said he’d noticed she wasn’t as happy anymore and should have said something.