“This calls for a special treat,” he said, changing the line of conversation. “Good thing I chose to make your favorite.”
“What?” Sarah asked, her eyes glittering with enthusiasm.
“Strawberry cheesecake.”
“Yay!” his daughter exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.
Paul laughed as he went into the kitchen and removed the sweet confection from the refrigerator. Cutting a reasonable slice for each of them, he brought back the cake to the dining room. Sarah immediately tucked into hers, earning a few chuckles from Paul and Aaron. Aaron took a few bites of his own piece, then without warning, his pager went off. He reached down to look at it, and his face fell.
“It’s work,” he informed the table. “I gotta go.”
“That’s fine, babe. I understand,” Sarah assured him.
“I’ll take Sarah home when we’re done here,” Paul informed him.
“Okay, see you later,” he said, placing a quick kiss against Sarah’s lips and turning to leave. “Thanks for dinner, Paul. I really appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it,” Paul responded. Aaron gave him a grateful smile before heading for the door.
When they finished eating their cake, Paul suggested they sit out on the back porch, which Sarah agreed to. They made their way outside and settled into the Adirondacks facing the water. The two sat in comfortable silence, taking in the soft orange and pink hues of twilight as the ebb and flow of the ocean filled the air in a tranquil manner. Even the chirping of crickets out in the shrubs added to the light ambience.
“I miss this,” Sarah said, causing Paul to turn his head to look over at her. “We haven’t done this in a long while. I’m grateful for it.”
Paul’s gaze returned to the water as he nodded in understanding. “Are you happy, Sarah?” he asked.
His daughter looked over at him, and he turned to look back at her. “I am happy, Dad,” she replied with a bright smile. “I haven’t been this happy since…”
“Since your mother,” Paul finished for her.
Sarah nodded. “Ever since she died, it’s felt as if she took a piece of me with her. But now, with this pregnancy and the fact that I am marrying the man I love very much, it feels like I’ve healed,” she offered.
“I’m glad for that,” Paul responded. “I only want you to be happy, and no matter what that entails, I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you,” he said seriously.
Sarah smiled appreciatively back at him before turning her head forward, but just as quickly, it jerked back in his direction, and a smirk played on her lips.
“Now that we’ve spoken about my personal life, it’s time to delve into yours,” she said.
Paul pulled himself up in the chair as he prepared himself for her question.
“Have you ever thought about getting back in the saddle? What about going on a date?”
Paul gave a short laugh as he considered her question. He drew in a deep breath before releasing it and turning back to her.
“I have thought about it. Dating, I mean.”
“But?” Sarah pressed.
Paul released another heavy breath, and his head swiveled back around to stare ahead of him once more.
“I am hesitant to put myself out there because it feels like a betrayal to Nat and what we shared,” he confessed.
Sarah bobbed her head contemplatively.
“I also don’t want to damage our relationship by adding someone new to the dynamics.” He looked over at her.
Sarah’s brow furrowed in confusion.
“You’ve only ever witnessed your mother and me together, and in that lifetime, we were very happy and in love. I’m afraid that if I find that with someone else, it will hurt you, and I wouldn’t forgive myself if I ever became the cause of your pain,” he revealed.
