Caleb

“Hmmmm…. maybeeeee… love me?” She giggled and hopped on her heels. “What are we going to be for Halloween?! That’s, like, a key component of being my boyfriend. Ideas?”

“No you seriously look so different! Let me know when my friend Caleb comes back - I’ve been missing him.” He slapped the other boy’s shoulder with a loud laugh, shaking his head. “I’m kidding, you look nice - just like 4 times younger.”

A smile spread across Kheri’s lips. “The very same, and the one and only. I hadn’t gotten to meet you yet and, you see, with all of the things our Sutton has gone through… I would just personally like to let you know that if one hair is out of place on her head and it’s your fault…” Another tight-lipped smile. “It’ll be your head that’s next. And that’s a promise.”

“Baby!!!! I would never hurt you! It’d be gentle squeezes,” she teased before leaning up to kiss his cheek. “Like that!”

“Ah, you see Mate, it’s the charm of the babyface that works for me. Sorry if the rugged look works more for you,” Adam said with a laugh.

“Oh no, I’m really well aware of the fact that you weren’t making a joke, though considering how silly your face looks that might have been the better option. Anyway, Kherington Juliet Weatherby-Rhodes, pleasure, I’m sure.” 

“I wanna squeeze your cheeks all day long now!!!”

“You look like a fuckin’ baby, mate!”

“Oh, was that supposed to be a joke? It looks as weird as it apparently feels.”

“Oh phooey,” she said with a pout. “That sounds magnificent. Maybe tomorrow!” And then the skies let loose and she felt drops of rain splash against her cheeks. She giggled and started running, pulling Caleb along before she stopped abruptly. Then as she stared at him, her hair clinging to her face and his dripping in the rain that had become quite a bit harder. “Wait,” she said, tugging him back towards her. And she didn’t care if the groceries were getting ruined or that she could already feel the shivers settling into her bones. She looked at him and he was the only thing in the world for that moment and she put her hands on his cheeks. “I’m going to kiss you,” she told him softly. looking in his eyes as her mascara ran down her cheeks. And then she kissed him. And not in the way she’d ever kissed him before. She held him tighter to her chest than she had before and she moved her lips against his almost urgently, like she couldn’t get enough. “I love you,” she blurted out, holding him even closer, mumbling against his lips and not caring a bit about the people around them. “I love you.”

“Mmm, you caught me.” She giggled, looking up at him. “I’m absolutely terrified of rain.” But a smirk grew on her face as she looked away. After all, it was quite clear why she was actually looking forward to going home. Still she intertwined his fingers with hers and strolled outside. “I told you, Caleb, it looks like rain!”

Finally a bounce on her toes and a giggle. “Hooray!” It hit her again, how perfect Caleb was for her. How every edge of his puzzle piece clicked into hers. Because she never felt like a burden and she never felt like he didn’t want her. Uncertainty was not a part of their relationship and she felt wonderful about it. “Let’s get home then, it looks like it’s gonna rain soon,” she said with a frown.

“That is so tragically true,” Sutton said with a giggle, though it was strange that on Good Days, Sutton could forget about everything that happened before Caleb. It just felt like them. It felt like everything happiness was supposed to feel like. She looked over at him and shook her head. “Well I was hinting at you spending the night,” she paused to let out an overly dramatic sigh. “But I guess I can get a better blanket.” She thought for a moment. “You know I looooove your homemade stuff…” She stuck her bottom lip out. “So that would be best. But my baby is too perfect for cavities! Duuuhhhh.”