PIECE BY PIECE

“Who knew there would be stuff I could still learn about you.” I pause for a moment as he looks at me, a crooked smile on his mouth. We saunter on downstream for a few more minutes as he recounts some of the more amusing stories over the years from his family reunions. I realize it’s getting harder to make out his features in the dwindling light. “It’s getting dark. We best head back,” I say. He nods in agreement and we head back across the creek. I look for a close by rock but find the path back not quite as easy. “There are less rocks here,” I say as I scan back and forth before deciding on the best option. “Yeah, we crossed further upstream before,” he agrees. I eye my target and hop to the next rock and wobble a bit. “Careful, or you are going to owe me pizza,” he reminds me. “Not on your life, buster,” I say as I carefully step to the next rock that is more jagged than round causing my foot to catch at a slightly awkward angle. “You are really going to get yourself into a pickle,” he warns again. He strides up on an adjacent rock and offers me his hand. My foot slips a little and I grab his hand and he easily steadies my balance. He guides me across, the further spaced rocks not such a challenge for his longer man legs. I take a step onto the second to last rock but it’s loose and I nearly fall backward but Reed is quick and catches me with his left arm around my middle. He straddles two of the rocks but I am on one, so there are three feet on one rock which makes for very little space. He is pressed against me, his face inches from mine. He looks at me with tenderness, his expression is soft and sweet. Good, old, dependable, funny Reed. “You really are beautiful, you know,” he says sweetly as he brushes some hair out of my eyes. I study his face carefully. He looks genuine as he says it. I squint at him, trying to figure him out. I think he’s trying to distract me. I wave off his compliment by rolling my eyes at him and making a pfft sound, not falling for it. I find a different rock and quickly make my way to the shore. I look back at Reed with a smile on my face but when I do I am astonished to see a flash of something akin to hurt cross his features. He recovers quickly and has plastered a weak smile on his face as he also finishes crossing. I stare at him. What had just happened? “So, you are bringing the pizza and gummy bears then,” he says as he steps off the rocks onto the smaller pebbles at the creeks edge. “What? No,” I protest. “I didn’t get my feet wet.” “Neither did I,” he points out. “So then why don’t we split it? Or one brings pizza, one replenishes the gummy bear supply.” “Because if I hadn’t of caught you, you would have fallen into the creek.” “So why didn’t you just let me fall into the creek then and then you would have won fair and square?” “Because then you would have lost and you would have had to walk back in soaking wet feet. Uphill.” I’m stunned silent for a moment before I can say anything. “Um, alright,” I say as cheerily as I can despite the unexpected wave of warmth that weaves its way through my chest. “I will concede but only because you are the most thoughtful person I have ever had the privilege of knowing.” “High praise,” he says with a grin that would make the Cheshire cat jealous. “Yeah, well, don’t let it go to your head.” “Me? Never!” he jokes as he starts back towards my house. It’s only a short walk but it is slightly slower going back as the path is a little more slippery going uphill. And it’s harder on the thighs. I feel him close behind me. I feel it when he puts a hand on my lower back or arm every once in a while to make sure I’m steady and don’t lose my footing. He seems completely oblivious to what he’s doing, like it just comes naturally to him. Maybe he’s always touched me like this and I have just never noticed until now. That was an interesting prospect that was both surprising and disconcerting.