on her shoulders and took things in turn, dealing with things in a matter-of-fact way that precluded panic or anger.
“Are you checking up on me? Or do you need something?”
“Neither.”
She stopped in front of him. “So you’re just out here taking in the night air? Looking at the stars?”
“They’re beautiful here, aren’t they?”
Athena leaned her head back and looked at the sky.
Deep velvet black, sparkling lights, so much easier to see in an atmosphere unpolluted with artificial lights.
“They are.”
“Thank you for doing more than expected.” There were a lot of other things he wanted to say, but that seemed like a good one to start out with.
“You’re welcome.” Her face turned back to his, and her eyes blinked. “I’m kinda surprised you noticed.”
He swallowed. He deserved that. “Maybe I’m making a few changes.”
“Good luck with that.” The words came out kind of light, and he felt like she thought he wasn’t going to be able to do it.
“You used to have faith in me.”
She tilted her head. “Maybe because you were my brother’s friend, and I had faith in him, and I just transferred it to you.”
“Your brother and I are still friends.”
“I know.”
“Don’t I get the transfer of faith still?”
“I guess I lost it when you thought alcohol was going to solve your problems.” Her words were direct, as was her gaze. He wouldn’t have expected anything else to come from Athena. That was the kind of person she was. Direct. Straight to the point.
“Did you tell me there was a different way?”
“I believe I did. I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t listen to me.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I have no one to blame for my problems but myself.”
“That’s a start.”
“It’s a start in the direction I don’t intend to deviate from.”
If she were thinking that he might be going back to what he had been, that this was just a temporary thing, he wanted to make sure she understood it wasn’t.
He felt that was key in getting her to trust him. In getting her to want more with him.
“I suppose time will tell.”
“How much time?” he couldn’t help but say. Maybe he was biting off more than he could chew. He was trying to figure out how to become a dad.
Maybe it was too much to try to figure out how to become a man that was worthy of a woman like Athena.
He laughed at that, because he was pretty sure that Athena wouldn’t say that anyone needed to be worthy of her. That was just the way he thought in his head.
“I don’t know. How much time do those things take? How much time do you spend doing something before you realize it’s what you’re going to keep doing? How much time does it take to form a new habit?” She looked back up at the stars, her voice a little muted. “I’ve heard that once you’re addicted to alcohol, the desire for it never leaves.” She looked back down. “I guess that’s forever.”
“Really? Once a man makes a mistake, he pays for it forever?” Surely not.
“You reap what you sow. You can’t change it, can’t change the seed you put in the ground when it’s time for harvest.”
“But you can start sowing something else. You can always start sowing something else.”
“I guess. But most crops take months if not years to reap the harvest from. Life is no different.”
“Then maybe it takes faith.”
“Maybe it does.”
“So I guess I’m gonna need to find someone who’s got a lot of faith.”
“I guess you will.”
He didn’t know what he was expecting. For her to say hey, that’s me. Or I could have faith. Or even acknowledge that he was trying.
He didn’t know. He didn’t know what he wanted, what he expected.
It didn’t matter anyway. She didn’t say anything else but turned away from him and walked up the steps and into his house.
Leaving him standing out in the dark, under the stars, alone.
Chapter 11
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize the baby was going to wake up with a fever this morning.” Reagan’s voice held regret and tones of worry.
“Of course you didn’t.” Athena squeezed her phone, worried for Reagan and her little one.
“I have a doctor’s appointment for her and was just getting ready to leave. But I wanted you to know I wasn’t going to be able to make it to help today,” Reagan said, her voice muffled like she was holding her phone with her shoulder while she held the baby.
Athena forced