merrilyngilmoreâ:
Merrilyn smiled nodding her head. âLess cleaning, both the house and the childâ, she agreed. Melting chocolate in young childâs hands could cause surprisingly big mess. Her smile softened and it was easy to tell from her smile that she appreciated those words a lot. Although the âmeaningful connectionâ made her smile turn slightly amused. âThis is the first time I hear someone describing friendship as a meaningful connectionâ, she teased a bit, but then patted Nickâs arm gently letting the smile soften again. âBut we share that thought. You are dear to me.â Her smile was warm and you could see there was no lie in her words. She did consider Nicholas dear to her heart and she wanted him to know she thought like that. The talk about Justin and Kris made the smile fade a bit and her gaze moved down from Nickâs face and a small sigh came from her lips. âI guess I want to save him from sadness. I know itâs not possible, but..â She shrugged a bit. She knew she asked too much from herself, things that werenât even possible and she knew that, but it didnât mean she didnât try to do them anyway. âAnd.. I guess in some level Iâm scared to give my heart a try after such a long time. I know I talk about love and about loving to others, tell them to take the step and to reach for it, but then I wonât let myself do it. I mean.. The way me and John split up back in the day wasnât the best breakup, especially when the aftermath was the fact he didnât want to have anything to do with his son. Or well, him not wanting to have anything to do with his child was the exact reason why we did part ways. Of course I loved him in a way, as much as you could say you can love someone in the few month long relationship. And after him I havenât dated anyone because I decided to concentrate on raising a child instead of thinking him not having a father.â
âWell,â he said, chuckling, a touch embarrassed, âI suppose I could have used different words.â His cheeks reddened slightly, but it wasnât bad embarrassment. He felt comfortably enough with Merrilyn to make mistakes in her presence. âBut itâs true, is it not?â he asked with a shy grin. His heart warmed in his chest, and he was suddenly very glad that heâd met Merrilyn. In another life, perhaps, he thought maybe they could have even given a relationship a go. Now the thought seemed funny, they were simply too good of friends. âYouâre dear to me too,â he assured her, reaching over to cover her hand with his own. He remained quiet again as Merrilyn spoke, frowning slightly at the mention of saving Kris from sadness. He understood the urge, he really did, but he also knew that too much sheltering could easily do more harm than good. The world could be a cruel place and, unfortunately, everyone would get a taste of that sooner rather than later. It was good she knew she couldnât protect him forever, though Nick still worried about the first time something less than savory happened. For both Merrilyn and Krisâs sakes. âNo, I completely understand,â Nick said, reaching out and taking Merrilynâs hand in his own. He gave it a brief squeeze, hoping to let her know that he was here for her. âIâm a lot like that too. I can preach about things all day, but when it comes to actually doing them myself? Itâs...remarkably difficult. But...â He trailed off, giving her a soft smile. âI took a chance, followed your advice, and now Iâm having a ton of fun with Trinity. Itâs not serious yet, but I think it could be. And if it can happen for me, taking a chance might be just as good a thing for you.â Leading her to the living room, Nick took a seat on his couch, patting the spot beside him as an invitation. âItâs easy, Iâd imagine, to lose yourself in being a parent, and to push the part wanting to date or get back out there down deep. But...well. Sometimes, I think, you just have to take a chance, take that jump. Itâs up to you, of course, but I would encourage you to perhaps talk to Justin. Just to see where heâs at, if nothing else.â He offered her what he hoped was a comforting smile, eager to see her be happy.









