Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty-Six

Caroline

When the road gets tough and the nights are long,

There's a hand to hold, where we all belong.

We may not share blood, but our bond is strong,

In this heart of mine, you're where you belong.

'Cause friends are the family we choose,

With you, there's no way to lose.

Through the highs and the lows, we find our way,

Side by side, come what may.

Laughter and tears, we've seen it all,

Through every stumble, you've answered the call.

No need for words, 'cause you understand,

In this crazy world, you're my right hand.

We'll write our story, day by day,

With every moment, we'll find our way.

No need for blood, no need for name,

'Cause in my heart, it's all the same.

'Cause friends are the family we choose,

With you, there's nothing we can't pursue.

Through the storms and the calm, we find our way,

Side by side, come what may. Side by side, come what may.

I 'm speechless. I swipe a tear from my face. The silence returns to the room.

Calvin is lost in his own world. I'm not sure what the song means to him but to me, it's Grammy-worthy.

I have no blood family. It's precisely what the lyrics said. My friends are my family. Evie, Paul, the other Fab Fifty gals—Barbie, Sam, even Mo. She is the sister I never get along with. Okay, more like the evil stepsister. But still.

And then there's Calvin.

His mind is off somewhere, giving me a chance to take in his strong jaw line, graying sideburns. strong yet gentle hands.

This man has been there for me from the day we met in the ER. He brought me here to recuperate, cheered me up. Isn't that what family is for?

"So, what did you think?" Calvin asks, putting the guitar aside and coming over to the sofa.

I rise from the floor and join him, swallowing hard. "It was perfect."

The edges of his lips lift skyward, spurring butterflies in my belly.

"It's called Side by Side, " he says. Then, "I've been lucky to have loving parents."

I sense there's more. I wait.

"Friends, that's been harder. You know the kind that always have your back."

I want to reinforce that I'm his friend but the words pause on my tongue. The last few days have been both eye-opening and confusing. Calvin is more than a friend. How much more, I don't really know. There's a lot about him I have yet to uncover.

He must sense my increasingly pensive state, and we both linger in our silent reverie. I'm a widow with baggage; Calvin, a bachelor with more going on in his life than I am privy to.

A munching sound startles me and I glance downward.

Rezy is chewing on Calvin's shoe, breaking the mood. Thankfully. What's happening between me and Calvin will become clear one way or another. What I need now is light and airy.

I lift Rezy and explain that I'm taking him outside to do his business. Best to train him even during a snowstorm. His real owners will thank me later.

When I return, I dry off Rezy's feet and find Calvin at the kitchen table, a game of Scrabble open before him.

"Ready for a friendly competition?" he asks, flipping the tiles over.

I'm grateful for the creative tactic to get us back into our comfort zone.

"Friendly? No way. We need something to wager." I pause to think. "Whoever loses has to shovel the walkway."

He smirks. "You're not going to do it no matter who wins. That's my job."

"Old-fashioned gentleman?"

"I've been called worse," he says, smiling.

"Then what should we bet?"

He takes a moment then lifts a finger. "Got it. Loser has to make a snow angel in the front yard."

"What's so awful about that?"

"In his or her underwear."

I look at his face, his game face. "You're serious."

"As a frozen derrière." His eyes burn through me.

I clear my throat. I stick out my hand and we shake. "Bring it on!"