Page 8 of Waves
“Kids?”
“None that I am aware of fathering.”
“You scoundrel.” I laughed along with him and stabbed at my salad.
“What about you?”
“Let’s see... At this age, I’ve got only one good friend left. As for family: Mom’s buried in the family plot, Dad lives in Seattle and is on his third marriage, my sister’s married with two kids, and my brother’s married only to his job but still managed to reproduce somehow. I have a degree and a dog.”
“He’s a hell of a dog, though,” Kai said with a grin in Ishmael’s direction.
I snorted in laughter at his rationale. “Yeah, Ishmael is a good boy.”
“Why didn’t you get married, too?”
“I almost did, once.”
“And?”
“And... I did say almost, didn’t I?”
“Sorry.” Kai grimaced.
“Don’t be,” I said with a quick sigh.
I knew now that I saved myself from the expense of an inevitable divorce. My only regret was not acknowledging it sooner.
The rest of the evening went well while we chatted and ate. The conversation continued even when Kai helped me clear the table. I learned enough from my previous relationship to realize no one wanted to hear me enthuse about my seal study or the latest breakthroughs in marine biology, but Kai politely feigned interest. Once the dishes were done and we put everything away, the time came for us to part ways again.
“Okay, where to?” I asked, before grabbing my keys.
Kai kept smiling while he shifted from foot to foot. “You know, I was thinking, and you have already done so much. I can’t be a burden to you anymore.”
“If I minded, I wouldn’t have offered.”
“I know. I can’t thank you enough, really. You’ve done plenty for me already. I am more than capable of walking home and sorting this mess out myself.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I insist.”
I returned the car keys on the peg by the door with a small frown. He already stayed longer than I expected, yet I almost didn’t want him to leave so soon. “Well, it’s been nice,” I said, offering a hand.
Kai took my hand in his, giving mine a brisk shake while he smiled. His good mood overflowed onto me until we were both grinning. “Thanks, Ezra.”
When Kai opened the kitchen door, I leaned through the doorway to smack the garage door button on the wall for him. The door rose with a steady crank and groan, and Kai waved while he waited.
“See you around?” I asked before he ducked out of the garage.
“Sure,” he called back.
* * *
KAI
I stared at the twilight sky overhead while I walked down the road. Today had been unprecedentedly cold, and it would only get colder once any remaining sunlight disappeared. I really needed to find my darn coat. The sooner I did, the sooner I could go home. I was ready for this day to be over.
Yet, even as my feet carried me farther down the road, I found myself wanting to turn around and walk back more than once. Though I was certain Ezra remained unaware, he felt like more than a mere stranger to me after being near him for so long. Now that we spent an evening together—up-close and enjoying each other’s company—he almost felt like an actual friend.