“So, talking about your fears with people is embarrassing.”
“Okay, that’s fair,” I say. “I’ll start. I’m scared of losing you and Brandon.”
“What?”
“I said, I’m scared of losing you and my son.”
“But you’ve only just met both of us.”
“That’s right, and the idea of losing you, no matter how outrageous it might be, horrifies me.”
“Wow,” she says. “I’ve never had anyone care that much about me.”
“Never?”
“No,” she shakes her head.
“I’m sure your parents cared.”
“I didn’t know my dad,” she says. “I was raised by my mom.”
“Is that right?”
“Yeah, I mean, she was a good mom, and she worked hard to take care of me. Actually, that’s how I met Alexis. We went to the same private school. Without my mom’s sacrifices, I never would have gone to a place like that.”
“Your mother sounds like a wonderful person.”
“She was.”
“Was?”
“She passed away a few years ago,” Polly says.
“That must have been hard.”
“You have no idea.”
“Oh,” I chuckle sadly.” I think I might have a little bit of an idea.”
“I’m sorry,” she says quickly. “I didn’t mean.”
“It’s okay,” I hold my hand up. “It’s okay. I know that you didn’t mean anything by it, but you know, I’ve experienced a lot of loss, Polly. In fact, it seems as though you and I have lost the same girl.”
“So we have.”
“She was a good person.”
“The best person,” she agrees.
“Tell me what you liked best about Alexis,” I say. I’m ready to take a little drive down memory lane.
“Hmm,” she says. “What I liked best? That’s a hard one.”
“I liked her laugh,” I say. “She was always ready with an easy laugh and a good joke.”
“I taught her those jokes, you know,” Polly laughs. “She didn’t know a single joke when she started at our school.”
“No jokes at all?”