UNTANGLING THE KNOT - Chapter Forty-two
Chloe reached the picnic blanket two steps ahead of Gabriella and flopped down on it panting. “Man, Gabriella’s pretty fast.”
“Yeah,” Ryan said, smiling at Chloe. “And it must be twice as hard for her since her legs are so short.”
“I. Heard. That,” Gabriella said between breaths as she slowed to a stop in front of them. She hadn’t run like that for a long
time.
She reached down and grabbed her glass filled with Sangria and took a huge gulp. Cold and delicious.
She held it up to her forehead to cool down.“Wow! I guess I need to go back to working-out more often,” she said when she could speak
again.
Peter must have seen Chloe and Gabriella return since he trotted back up from the reservoir where she’d seen him tossing pebbles into the
water.
“Hey, Dad, can I have some bread to feed the ducks?” he asked.
“Sure, sport.” Ryan reached over and tore off some of the French bread.
“Will you come, too?” Peter pleaded.
Ryan smiled and pushed himself off the blanket. “Okay, sounds fun.”
“Mind if I tag along?” Gabriella asked Peter.
Peter’s answer was to put his hand in hers and tug her toward the water.
“Guess not,” Ryan said with a laugh.
They ambled down to the edge of the reservoir to a spot not far from the ducks. Ryan started tearing off pieces of bread and handing them to Peter and then Gabriella to toss. She smiled, delighted.
“Something else I haven’t done in a long time,” she stated.
The three of them stood there quietly, throwing bread into the water and watching the ducks chase it.
Who knew feeding ducks could be so meditative, Gabriella thought. The sound of quacking filled the air and back on the picnic blanket Grace was shuffling a deck of cards, preparing to play a game with Chloe. This was perfection, she thought to herself, smiling in pleasure.
“What was that for?” Ryan asked.
Gabriella didn’t know if she wanted to, or even could explain. She was sure when you lived this life every day you must take it for granted.
“I was only thinking how nice it was to be out here in the sun,” she answered simply.
Ryan handed the last handful of bread to Peter and then rubbed the crumbs off on his shorts.
“I forget sometimes that the kids have such fun hanging out like this,” he said.
“You’re so lucky,” Gabriella answered him wistfully. “I know I could do this for myself, but somehow kids show you how to really enjoy it. You know what I mean?” She looked up at Ryan questioning.
The reflection of the water sparkled in his eyes and Gabriella lost herself for a moment. She wondered what it would be like to have Ryan look at her with the same adoration he held for his kids. She loved to watch him with them.
“Sure, but then, just when you start to enjoy it, they turn on you. Just wait. You’ll see.” He laughed.
“When are we going to eat, Dad?” Peter whined, not two seconds later. “I’m hungry.”
“See,” Ryan said, smiling.
He tussled Peter’s hair and sent him up to the picnic blanket. For a moment Gabriella thought Ryan was going to take her hand, and a thrill went through her, but he simply touched her elbow to urge her after Peter.
“You really love kids, huh?” Ryan said as they walked. “Would you want to have a lot someday?”
The question startled her. “Well, I guess I hope someday I’ll have at least one. Although, I’ll admit I’m more than a little terrified at the thought of taking care of a baby.”
“That’s understandable,” Ryan said. “The lack of sleep, the constant crying, not to mention the possibility of dropping them.” He shivered, as if frightened by the very idea.
Gabriella stared at him, horrified.
“Just kidding,” he said, seeing her expression. “Pretty much all you do is feed, burp, change, nap, and then start all over again. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. The harder part starts when they actually begin talking. It’s all downhill from there,” he joked.
Gabriella socked him gently in the arm and rolled her eyes. “Riiight,” she drawled looking over at Chloe playing cards with Grace, and at Peter who was now taking the lids off of all the food. “You can’t tell me this isn’t the best age.”
“Funny,” Ryan said almost nostalgically, “you end up feeling that way about every age. Ironically, at the same time, you wish they would grow out of whatever new terror technique they’ve recently acquired.”
“No, it’s my turn,” Peter yelled at Chloe when she picked up the cards to re-shuffle. “You promised Gran. You told me I got to play next.” Peter peered at Ryan for help, but he only glanced at Gabriella and raised his eyebrows.
“Whining is a not one of the best parts of this age,” he said.
“Can’t you do something?” She laughed and put her hands over her ears. “Maybe try putting some food in his mouth. It might muffle the sound.”
Ryan stuffed a bite of sandwich at Peter while his mouth was still open in complaint. He somehow managed to whine through the peanut butter and jelly, but it definitely was quieter.
“I’m impressed,” he said. “All these years and I never thought of that. Although”—he scratched his head—“it means I’m going to have to start carrying PB & J sandwiches with me everywhere.”
“Better than tuna fish,” she said.
“Or egg salad,” he shot back.
They sat on the blanket and laid the food around them. Gabriella handed her bologna sandwich over to Peter who had already finished a half of the peanut butter and jelly one. Then she reached over to grab some French bread and cheese just as Ryan reached for it as well.
Gabriella was scared the cheese would melt there was so much heat from their fingers touching.
“Why don’t you cut the bread and I’ll get the cheese,” Ryan suggested.
Gabriella picked up the knife as Ryan handed her the cutting board and she started cutting thin slices of bread.
“I’ll take some of that when you’re done,”Grace said softly.
Gabriella looked up, startled by the voice. She had forgotten anyone else was even with them.
“Sure,” she said.
She went to pick up her glass of Sangria and realized it was almost empty. Ryan immediately offered her more, but Gabriella’s guilt finally kicked in. Somewhere during the race with Chloe, she’d decided she must have lost her mind, because she was obviously not thinking straight. For a while there she had felt like she was part of all of this. In the background, she heard Peter still complaining about things not being fair. No kidding, she thought, resigning herself to water.
Grace reached across Gabriella to grab some bread, and Gabriella realized she had completely forgotten the request. She slapped her hand on her
forehead.
“Sorry, Grace,” she said. “I honestly don’t know where my head is today.”
The corners of Grace’s mouth tilted upward as she answered. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I have many days like that myself. In fact,” she continued, turning to Ryan with a gleam in her eye, “I had one the other day. I meant to tell you, I won’t be able to pick the kids up from school on Tuesday after all.”
Gabriella watched Ryan run his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated.
“Okay, Mom. I’ll reschedule my physical therapy.”
“Oh, honey,” Grace said with concern, “Darn it. I’m so sorry. I really don’t want you to do that.” She paused as if thinking and then snapped her fingers. “I know. What about Gabriella? You wouldn’t mind, would you, Gabriella?”
“Um, no, of course not. I mean, of course I wouldn’t mind,” Gabriella stammered. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, she acknowledged to herself. It was just that every time she remembered to stay uninvolved, something came along to ruin her resolve.
“I’d be happy to,” she finished truthfully.
“It would only be for a little while,” Ryan told her apologetically. “Just, Mandy’s working and I really need them to work on my knee before the season
starts back up again.”
“It’s no problem. Honestly,” Gabriella reassured him. Truthfully, the problem wouldn’t be handling the kids; it would be handling herself around Ryan when he got home. She’d simply have to leave right away.
“Yeah,” Ryan said, smiling at Chloe. “And it must be twice as hard for her since her legs are so short.”
“I. Heard. That,” Gabriella said between breaths as she slowed to a stop in front of them. She hadn’t run like that for a long
time.
She reached down and grabbed her glass filled with Sangria and took a huge gulp. Cold and delicious.
She held it up to her forehead to cool down.“Wow! I guess I need to go back to working-out more often,” she said when she could speak
again.
Peter must have seen Chloe and Gabriella return since he trotted back up from the reservoir where she’d seen him tossing pebbles into the
water.
“Hey, Dad, can I have some bread to feed the ducks?” he asked.
“Sure, sport.” Ryan reached over and tore off some of the French bread.
“Will you come, too?” Peter pleaded.
Ryan smiled and pushed himself off the blanket. “Okay, sounds fun.”
“Mind if I tag along?” Gabriella asked Peter.
Peter’s answer was to put his hand in hers and tug her toward the water.
“Guess not,” Ryan said with a laugh.
They ambled down to the edge of the reservoir to a spot not far from the ducks. Ryan started tearing off pieces of bread and handing them to Peter and then Gabriella to toss. She smiled, delighted.
“Something else I haven’t done in a long time,” she stated.
The three of them stood there quietly, throwing bread into the water and watching the ducks chase it.
Who knew feeding ducks could be so meditative, Gabriella thought. The sound of quacking filled the air and back on the picnic blanket Grace was shuffling a deck of cards, preparing to play a game with Chloe. This was perfection, she thought to herself, smiling in pleasure.
“What was that for?” Ryan asked.
Gabriella didn’t know if she wanted to, or even could explain. She was sure when you lived this life every day you must take it for granted.
“I was only thinking how nice it was to be out here in the sun,” she answered simply.
Ryan handed the last handful of bread to Peter and then rubbed the crumbs off on his shorts.
“I forget sometimes that the kids have such fun hanging out like this,” he said.
“You’re so lucky,” Gabriella answered him wistfully. “I know I could do this for myself, but somehow kids show you how to really enjoy it. You know what I mean?” She looked up at Ryan questioning.
The reflection of the water sparkled in his eyes and Gabriella lost herself for a moment. She wondered what it would be like to have Ryan look at her with the same adoration he held for his kids. She loved to watch him with them.
“Sure, but then, just when you start to enjoy it, they turn on you. Just wait. You’ll see.” He laughed.
“When are we going to eat, Dad?” Peter whined, not two seconds later. “I’m hungry.”
“See,” Ryan said, smiling.
He tussled Peter’s hair and sent him up to the picnic blanket. For a moment Gabriella thought Ryan was going to take her hand, and a thrill went through her, but he simply touched her elbow to urge her after Peter.
“You really love kids, huh?” Ryan said as they walked. “Would you want to have a lot someday?”
The question startled her. “Well, I guess I hope someday I’ll have at least one. Although, I’ll admit I’m more than a little terrified at the thought of taking care of a baby.”
“That’s understandable,” Ryan said. “The lack of sleep, the constant crying, not to mention the possibility of dropping them.” He shivered, as if frightened by the very idea.
Gabriella stared at him, horrified.
“Just kidding,” he said, seeing her expression. “Pretty much all you do is feed, burp, change, nap, and then start all over again. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. The harder part starts when they actually begin talking. It’s all downhill from there,” he joked.
Gabriella socked him gently in the arm and rolled her eyes. “Riiight,” she drawled looking over at Chloe playing cards with Grace, and at Peter who was now taking the lids off of all the food. “You can’t tell me this isn’t the best age.”
“Funny,” Ryan said almost nostalgically, “you end up feeling that way about every age. Ironically, at the same time, you wish they would grow out of whatever new terror technique they’ve recently acquired.”
“No, it’s my turn,” Peter yelled at Chloe when she picked up the cards to re-shuffle. “You promised Gran. You told me I got to play next.” Peter peered at Ryan for help, but he only glanced at Gabriella and raised his eyebrows.
“Whining is a not one of the best parts of this age,” he said.
“Can’t you do something?” She laughed and put her hands over her ears. “Maybe try putting some food in his mouth. It might muffle the sound.”
Ryan stuffed a bite of sandwich at Peter while his mouth was still open in complaint. He somehow managed to whine through the peanut butter and jelly, but it definitely was quieter.
“I’m impressed,” he said. “All these years and I never thought of that. Although”—he scratched his head—“it means I’m going to have to start carrying PB & J sandwiches with me everywhere.”
“Better than tuna fish,” she said.
“Or egg salad,” he shot back.
They sat on the blanket and laid the food around them. Gabriella handed her bologna sandwich over to Peter who had already finished a half of the peanut butter and jelly one. Then she reached over to grab some French bread and cheese just as Ryan reached for it as well.
Gabriella was scared the cheese would melt there was so much heat from their fingers touching.
“Why don’t you cut the bread and I’ll get the cheese,” Ryan suggested.
Gabriella picked up the knife as Ryan handed her the cutting board and she started cutting thin slices of bread.
“I’ll take some of that when you’re done,”Grace said softly.
Gabriella looked up, startled by the voice. She had forgotten anyone else was even with them.
“Sure,” she said.
She went to pick up her glass of Sangria and realized it was almost empty. Ryan immediately offered her more, but Gabriella’s guilt finally kicked in. Somewhere during the race with Chloe, she’d decided she must have lost her mind, because she was obviously not thinking straight. For a while there she had felt like she was part of all of this. In the background, she heard Peter still complaining about things not being fair. No kidding, she thought, resigning herself to water.
Grace reached across Gabriella to grab some bread, and Gabriella realized she had completely forgotten the request. She slapped her hand on her
forehead.
“Sorry, Grace,” she said. “I honestly don’t know where my head is today.”
The corners of Grace’s mouth tilted upward as she answered. “Don’t worry, sweetie. I have many days like that myself. In fact,” she continued, turning to Ryan with a gleam in her eye, “I had one the other day. I meant to tell you, I won’t be able to pick the kids up from school on Tuesday after all.”
Gabriella watched Ryan run his hands through his hair, clearly frustrated.
“Okay, Mom. I’ll reschedule my physical therapy.”
“Oh, honey,” Grace said with concern, “Darn it. I’m so sorry. I really don’t want you to do that.” She paused as if thinking and then snapped her fingers. “I know. What about Gabriella? You wouldn’t mind, would you, Gabriella?”
“Um, no, of course not. I mean, of course I wouldn’t mind,” Gabriella stammered. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, she acknowledged to herself. It was just that every time she remembered to stay uninvolved, something came along to ruin her resolve.
“I’d be happy to,” she finished truthfully.
“It would only be for a little while,” Ryan told her apologetically. “Just, Mandy’s working and I really need them to work on my knee before the season
starts back up again.”
“It’s no problem. Honestly,” Gabriella reassured him. Truthfully, the problem wouldn’t be handling the kids; it would be handling herself around Ryan when he got home. She’d simply have to leave right away.