Our bodies are slick with sweat and I love how that feels too.

              I keep going. Harder. Faster. For her. For me. Because I want to keep this up. I want to keep this feeling. Of her. Of being happy.

              This isn’t a fucking game anymore. No charades here. I don’t know exactly what to call it, but whatever it is, it’s ours. I’m going to latch onto it. And never let go.

***

              Chey’s half on top of me, my hand in her hair, her breath on my chest. She’s not asleep, though we’ve laid here about thirty minutes, neither of us talking.

              We have so much shit to deal with: my mom, my upcoming court date, her panic. It’s all there, but not right now because in this room, it’s like there’s no one but us.

              I sit up, not wanting to leave the bed, but I have to piss and we have a lot of shit to do. I’m on the edge of the bed, my white comforter around her. “No,” Chey says reaching for me.

              “I need to get up.”

              “You need to stay in this bed because if you get up, I have to get up, and I’m exhausted.” It’s crazy, but I hear the smile in her voice.

              I turn to her. “I know I wore you out, but—” My words are cut off with her playful shove. Laughing, I try to get out of the bed, but then she’s sitting up, naked behind me. One of her arms is wrapped around my shoulder and the other, under my other arm. She latches her hands together.

              “You’re not going anywhere.”

              “Or I’ll just take you with me,” I smirk. She laughs and I’m laughing again. I look to the side so I can see her had peeking over my shoulder. “I know I’m hard to resist.”

              That earns me an eye roll.

              The words are out of place here, but they come out anyway. “I want to make it up to Mom. Do something for her today. You wanna go?”

              Another smile. It goes straight to my dick, making me hard. Chey rests her chin on my shoulder. “I wouldn’t let you go without me.”

              “About what you told me earlier…”

              “I know. I need to deal with it.”

              “I’ll help you.” Who knows if I even can, but I want her to know I’ll be there.

              “I know,” she answers again. “Now come on. Let’s go see your mom.”

***

              “I still can’t believe you’re tatted. That’s badass.” I wink at Mom. We’re sitting on a blanket outside the apartment complex. I don’t know if it was smart to bring her out here, but she wanted some fresh air and fuck, if there’s one thing you should be able to have, it’s air.

              We had a picnic, though she didn’t each much. Hell, I don’t really know if she ate anything, but she’s smiling and keeps looking up at the sun or over at me and Chey.

              “I’m a badass Mom. What can I say?”

              Cheyenne, Mom and I all laugh. I look at her. Her blue eyes that match mine, but with those purple circles around them. But her smile. It’s so big, so bright, so fucking happy.

              Christ, I’m going to miss her. She’s all I’ve ever had.

              “Don’t,” she whispers, somehow reading my thoughts. Chey reaches over and squeezes my hand. I try to smile. I’m not sure how real it looks, but I manage it.

              Clouds are starting to ease in and I know we don’t have much more time. I’m surprised we even got this much warmth and sunshine today.

              “Did it hurt?” I ask her.

              “Yes! Didn’t yours?”

              “Pfft. No.”

              “She did awesome though. She didn’t flinch once,” Cheyenne adds. I’m jealous she had that with Mom, but glad too. Glad if anyone had to be there for her besides me that it was my girl.

              “That’s because it was my baby’s name. How can I flinch doing one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever done?”

              Her words hit me in the chest. It’s like a hammer to my heart, beating it, but somehow it won’t break either. It’s bruised. Bruised as hell, but it won’t shatter over something she did for me.

              I reach over and take her hand. I have Chey’s on one side and Mom’s on the other. And I think… I wonder if maybe this—This moment is one of the most beautiful for me. I never really cared about beauty before. Not unless I was looking at a girl to hook up with and that’s a different kind of beauty. I wonder if I’ll look for it now. In other places.

              “I’m sorry. About yesterday.” I didn’t plan to bring it up, but I think needs to be said. “I was a jerk, but I’m glad you did it. I’m honored you did it.”

              Her eyes swim with tears. “I know, baby boy. I know.” Then she looks over at Chey. “Let’s talk about you. I want to know everything I can about the girl who stole Colton’s heart.”

              When Chey looks at me, I see she has tears in her eyes too. I nod my head at her and she starts to talk. I watch and listen to them as Chey tells Mom about her dancing. How much she loves it. How it gave her something to focus on when her mom left. She tells her about her mom too. Not all the details, but how things hadn’t been perfect and how she recently found out she passed away.

              They talk about school and how Cheyenne loves English, but she’s thinking about doing something to help kids. Psychology or something. I can’t believe I didn’t know that. That I didn’t take the time to ask. There are so many things I’ve been doing wrong—for years and as I watch them, my girl and my dying mom, I know I need to fix it. Make it better.

              They get on the subject of pictures. It’s getting cooler outside and I see Mom shiver.

              “Why don’t we go inside and look at some? Show Chey I’ve always been as gorgeous as I am now.”

              They agree and I have to lift Mom to put her in the chair. I feel her bones through her skin, and that robe she still wears.

              Another hammer. More shots, hitting the target they aim for.

              We spend an hour going through old pictures. Cheyenne laughs and cries. Mom does too. I almost feel on the outside looking in, but it’s okay. I’m a part of it too. She’s always worked so hard. She didn’t have a lot of friends. Her spare time was spent with me until I was too much of an asshole son and was out all the time. Still, me or work. That’s all she ever cared about.

              It’s fun watching her with Chey. Like she has a friend, or a daughter. I wonder if she sees it that way. I’m glad I gave it to her.

              Mom finally admits she’s getting tired. She hugs Chey goodbye before I help her to her room. She’s in bed and I lean over to kiss her forehead, but she stops me.

              “Thank you.” Her hand cups my cheek and tears spill down her face. “This day has been perfect, Colton. Just like you, it will always be a part of me.”

              I shake my head. My eyes ache as I try to fight back tears. I can’t do this. We can’t do this now. It’s not time. I’m not ready.

              “We’ll have more of them.” I tell her, but I can’t look her in the eyes when I say it. “I promise.”

              “I know.” She leans her forehead against mine and we just sit there. I close my eyes because I’m fucking weak and I can’t handle seeing her. To see if she doesn’t believe we’ll have more days like this and wishing I gave her some earlier.

              I know she wants to say more. I feel it in the way her hand touches my cheek, but she doesn’t. All she says is, “Now go spend the day with that girl of yours. She’s something special.”