it up. Now tell me again. Are you sure the CBD oil is safe for my arthritis?”
I chuckle. “You’re not going to get high from it, if that’s what you’re asking. Gwen has tested it and then tested it again. She’s the best in the business. I think it’s going to work great for your pain and swollen knuckles. But if you’re that worried about ingesting it, Gwen also has a cream with the same formulation. I used it on my groin injury, and I was back practicing with the team in three days. Gwen is a miracle worker.”
Blanche is still staring at Robert’s Facebook page. “If you say so.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Hey, I need your help with something.”
She sighs low and deep. “I already know what it’s about. Why were you and Cora acting so strange at career day? You young people make love so much harder than it has to be.”
There’s the familiar pinch behind my ribs again. “What do you mean?”
“You and Cora keep pushing each other away whenever things get a little uncomfortable. That’s no way to treat your partner. I think because the two of you are friends and have been for so long, you’re used to talking to each other a certain way and taking each other for granted. But love is vulnerability and intimacy. That is a gift given freely to your special someone, and you need to treat it like the most fragile glass because it can crack. And then the crack spreads until the whole damn thing fractures.”
I kiss her on the forehead. “How did you get so damn wise?”
“A fifty-year marriage to the most wonderful man I’ve ever known. But don’t think it was all a bed of roses. We made it work because we chose each other. Every single day.”
God, I’m such an asshole. And the fact that I’ve been saying that to myself over and over since Cora and I kissed says something about me and my ability to be in a serious relationship. I need to do some work on myself. I make an internal promise to do just that and also to apologize profusely to Cora who I know is on her way over here to get a good look at Robert. I promise myself I’ll be the best damn partner I can possibly be for as long as we have.
And after our special night together, I feel like we’ve already started over.
I take hold of the computer’s mouse. “So now that we’ve broken down the meaning of love, what can we find out about Robert?”
I scroll through his social media feed. Like most older men, he doesn’t leave many clues. A meme here and there and some outdoorsy photos. When I click on the ‘about’ tab, I breathe a sigh of relief. He’s listed as divorced. I’m not sure how Blanche is going to feel about that, though, since she’s widowed. And for all we know, he could be in a serious relationship and just not have thought to announce that to the world via Facebook. He could already even be remarried.
“Do you think you want to send him an IM?” I ask. “Break the ice?”
“What is an IM?”
“Instant message.”
She narrows her eyes. “Let’s wait until Cora gets here.” With a little sigh, Blanche peers over my shoulder. “It doesn’t happen to have any pictures of him, does it?”
I scroll through his photo albums, but all I can find is a family photo of him with some adults that are probably his kids. He’s a tall man, but he’s standing in the back and wearing a cowboy hat, so you can’t really see his face.
I tap on it and zoom in, but that just makes it grainier.
Blanche grimaces. “He doesn’t look like my Robert. He looks like Mel Gibson in The Man Without a Face.”
“Well, at least you know he’s not one of those recluses who are going to have to be removed from their house with a crane when they die.”
She swats me on my forearm. “Blaine Rice, you don’t talk about people like that! Just because you’re a professional athlete without an ounce of body fat doesn’t mean that you’re better than those of us who do.” She pats her stomach. “Just wait until you get to be my age, smarty pants.”
The door opens and my girl steps inside, her eyes lighting up when she sees me. My stomach flips over as I stand to sweep her in my arms.
“I’m going to