Chrissy falls asleep on the couch, so I carry her to her room. She’s light because she’s too skinny for her age but has put ona few pounds since we’ve moved here, which makes me happy. I’m sure it’ll make her doctor happy when we go for her physical that’s coming up.
“I’m going to bed too,” Cammy says when I come back into the living room. “I have work in the morning.”
“And you need to fill out the application for school. I know tomorrow is the deadline,” I tell her.
She groans. “Night, Cass.”
I sit on the couch beside Harmon. “You can go home if you want.”
“Why would I want that?”
“I don’t know. This is…” I gesture around.
“Exactly what I always wished I had.”
My chest fills with warmth, and I lean against him. His fingers run through my hair.
“Camarra wants to go back to school?”
“She wants to be a nurse.”
“That’s admirable.”
“She’s dreamed of it since we found out Chrissy has epilepsy.”
“Does she have a school in mind?”
“Ideally, she wants to go to Rosewood, but she’s putting in applications at Lucas and Brantley too.”
“Do you want to go back to school?” he asks, his nails raking against my scalp gently.
“Never thought about it. Didn’t think I’d ever be able to.”
“You could if you wanted to.”
“I don’t even know what I’d do, Harmon. I’ve never had time to… think about me and do what I want.”
“You can do that now.”
I sigh, my brain capacity dwindling.
“I don’t know,” I say. “I don’t even know what I like.”
“Understandable, but you have plenty of time to figure that out now. Don’t forget about yourself.”
I glance up at him. “Have you been talking to Cammy?”
He smirks, grasps my chin, and brings his lips to mine.
“I just want you to be happy,” he whispers.
“I’m trying.”
We stay on the couch for a while, cuddling together. The TV shuts off at some point from not being in use, so we’re sitting in the dim room. I’m not tired, but I am content sitting like this with him. The quiet is comforting, his scent keeping me calm.
“Do you want to go lie down?”
“Sure.”