I’d give anything to have just one more day like this.
All too soon, Lincoln says, “We need to leave, baby. Before they realize we’re watching and call the police.”
Reluctantly, I agree. I wish we could stay longer, but I don’t want to freak them out if they see us.
Lincoln maneuvers me back over to my seat, making sure I’m comfortable, and buckles me in. I watch out the window for as long as I can when we pull away. As much as it hurts to leave, I still feel a lightness in my chest at the short visit.
It’s hard to believe that we could have been looking at our great-great-great-grandchildren. Seeing them makes me want to get back to our own kids and hold them tight.
My eyes droop, and I fight hard to stay awake. I hate sleeping so much. My life is already going to be short enough. I don’t want to sleep away the time I have left.
“Pizza,” I say slowly, and Lincoln looks over at me. “And mooovie… with the kidsss.”
I feel the smile he gives all the way to my toes. “That sounds perfect. Any particular movie you want to watch?”
“Let themm… pick.”
He laughs, the sound rich and deep. “Sure you want to do that? They’ll spend half the night fussing over which one to watch.”
I smile and snuggle deeper into the pillow. “We can… waaatch… both.”
Leaning on the console, he grabs my hand and brings it to his mouth. I love when he does that. Even after eighteen years of marriage, I still get flutters in my stomach when he does so.
We stop by our favorite pizza shop. Instead of leaving me in the car by myself, Lincoln calls in our order and we both wait in the car. Thirty minutes later, we’re pulling into the driveway. Jenna’s on the couch with Gemma beside her. They are both watching something on Gemma’s iPad. Gray’s on his stomach on the floor playing one of his games on the Xbox.
All three of their attention comes to us when we walk through the door. Lincoln carries me to the couch and gently sets me down, so my back is propped up on the stack of pillows that’s permanently part of the décor now. After kissing the top of my head and murmuring he’s grabbing the pizza from the car, he turns and leaves.
Jenna’s curious eyes are trained on me. She knows all about the women’s journals. Although I told her where we were going, I haven’t been brave enough to tell her mine and Lincoln’s belief that we are the couples from the journals. For some reason, I want to keep that a secret between me and Lincoln. She only knows we went to one of Clara’s relative’s home to possibly give them the journals.
“How did it go?” she asks after I let her know I’m okay with a smile.
“Good. The… fammmily… is beautiful.”
“Did you give them the journals?”
“No.” I take a breath and let it out slowly. “We… decideeed… to not aaapproach… them.”
She nods, flipping a long chunk of hair over her shoulder. “Probably for the best. I’m sure it would be a big shock to have complete strangers approach and say you have their great-great-grandmother’s journals.”
Lincoln comes back in the house with three pizza boxes. “We got you pizza to take home to Bryant and Violet.”
“Oh. You didn’t have to do that.”
Lincoln shrugs, setting the boxes on the living room side of the bar. “It was Molly’s idea.”
“For watchinnng… the kidsss.”
She gives me a straight-faced look. “You know better than to think you need to pay me in some way to watch the kids.” She reaches out and runs her fingers through Gemma’s hair. “I love them like they’re my own.”
My fingers twitch on my thighs, wanting to grab Jenna’s hand. As if sensing my need, Jenna grabs my hand and squeezes my fingers.
“I… know… you… do,” I say slowly.
She gets up from the couch and bends down. Her embrace is tight when I’m enveloped in her arms. Pulling back, she kisses my cheek and murmurs in my ear, “Love you, Molly.”
Turning my head, I kiss her cheek in return. “Love… yooou… too.”
After Lincoln walks Jenna to the door, he informs the kids we’re having a movie and pizza night in our bedroom. Seeing the excitement on their faces sends warmth to my chest. I laugh when the bickering between Gray and Gemma starts about which movie to watch first. Gray, being an amazing older brother,