Nicholas Sparks - Message in a Bottle

“I appreciate your doing this for him.”

“Hey—you forget this is what I do for a living.” After making sure that Kevin was still reading, he scooted his chair a little closer. “I missed you these last couple of weeks,” he said quietly, taking her hand in his.

“I missed you, too.”

“You look wonderful,” he added. “You were easily the prettiest woman who got off the plane.”

Despite herself, Theresa blushed.

“Thanks. . . . You look good yourself—especially wearing that shirt.”

“I thought you might like it.”

“Are you disappointed that we’re not staying at your place?”

“Not really. I understand your reasons—Kevin doesn’t know me from Adam, and I’d rather let him get comfortable with me on his own terms than push it on him. Like you said, he’s been through enough already.”

“You know that it means we won’t be able to spend much time alone this weekend, don’t you?”

“I’ll take you any way I can get you,” he said.

Theresa glanced inside again, and when she saw that Kevin was immersed in the book, she leaned over and kissed Garrett. Despite the fact that she wouldn’t be with him all night, she found herself surprisingly happy. Sitting beside him and seeing the way he looked at her made her heartbeat surge.

“I wish we didn’t live so far apart,” she said. “You’re kind of addicting.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

* * *

Three hours later, long after Kevin was asleep, Theresa quietly led Garrett to the door. After stepping out into the hall and closing the door behind them, they kissed for a long time, both of them finding it hard to let each other go. In his arms Theresa felt like a teenager again, as if she were sneaking a kiss on her parents’ porch, and it somehow added to the excitement she was feeling.

“I wish you could stay here tonight,” she whispered.

“I do, too.”

“Is it as difficult for you to say good night as it is for me?”

“I’d be willing to bet it’s a lot more difficult for me. I’m going home to an empty house.”

“Don’t say that. You’ll make me feel guilty.”

“Maybe a little guilt is a good thing. Lets me know you care.”

“I wouldn’t be down here if I didn’t.” They kissed again, hungrily.

Pulling back, he mumbled, “I should really be going.” He didn’t sound as if he meant it.

“I know.”

“But I don’t want to,” he said with a boyish smile.

“I know what you mean,” she said. “But you have to. You’ve got to teach us how to dive tomorrow.”

“I’d rather teach you a couple of other things I know.”

“I think you did that the last time I was here,” she said coyly.

“I know. But practice makes perfect.”

“Then we’ll have to find some time to practice while I’m here.”

“You think that might happen?”

“i think,” she said honestly, “that when it comes to us, anything is possible.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I’m right,” she said before kissing him one last time. “I usually am.” She gently pulled away from him and backed toward the door.

“That’s what I like about you, Theresa—your confidence. You always know what’s going on.”

“Go home, Garrett,” she said demurely. “And do me a favor?”

“Anything.”

“Dream about me, okay?”

* * *

Kevin woke early the next morning and opened the curtains, letting sunlight flood into the room. Theresa squinted and rolled over, trying to get a few more minutes’ rest, but Kevin was persistent. “Mom—you’ve got to take the test before we go,” he said excitedly.

Theresa groaned. Turning over, she checked the clock. A little after six A.M. She’d been in bed less than five hours.

“It’s too early,” she said, closing her eyes again. “Can you give me a few more minutes, honey?”

“We don’t have time,” he said, sitting on her bed and nudging her shoulder gently. “You haven’t even read the first section yet.”

“Did you finish it all last night?”

“Yep,” he said. “My test is over there, but don’t copy, okay? I don’t want to get into trouble.”

“I don’t think you’d get in trouble,” she said groggily. “We know the teacher, you know.”

“But it wouldn’t be fair. And besides, you have to know this stuff, just like mr. blake . . . I mean Garrett . . . said, otherwise you could run into trouble.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, sitting up slowly. She rubbed her eyes. “Do they have any instant coffee in the bathroom?”

“I didn’t see any, but if you want, I’ll run down the hall and get you a Coke.”

“I have some change in my purse. . . .”

Kevin jumped up and began rummaging through her handbag. After finding a few quarters, he ran out the front door, his hair tousled from sleeping. She heard his feet thumping as he raced down the hall. After standing and stretching her arms above her head, she made her way to the small table. She picked up the book and started in on the first chapter just as he returned with two Cokes. “Here you go,” he said, putting one on the table beside her. “I’m going to shower and get ready. Where’d you put my swimsuit?”

Ah, the endless energy of childhood , she thought. “It’s in the top drawer, next to your socks.”

“Okay,” he said, pulling the drawer open, “got it.” He went to the bathroom and Theresa listened as the shower was turned on. Opening her Coke, she returned to the book.

Luckily Garrett had been right when he’d told her that the information wasn’t difficult. It was easy reading with pictures describing the equipment, and she was finished by the time Kevin was dressed. After finding her test, she set it in front of her. Kevin walked over and stood behind her as she glanced at the first question. Remembering where she’d read about it, she began to flip back through the book to the appropriate page.

“Mom, that’s an easy one. You don’t need the book for that.”

“At six in the morning, I need all the help I can get,” she grumbled, not feeling the least bit guilty about it. Garrett had said she could use the book, hadn’t he?

Kevin continued to look over her shoulder as she answered the first couple of questions, commenting, “No, you’re looking in the wrong place,” or, “Are you sure you read the chapters?” until she finally told him to go watch television.

“But there’s nothing on,” he said, sounding dejected.

“Then read something.”

“I didn’t bring anything.”

“Then sit quietly.”

“I am.”

“No, you’re not. You’re standing over my shoulder.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Just sit on the bed, okay? And don’t say anything.”

“I’m not saying anything.”

“You’re talking right now.”

“That’s because you’re talking to me.”

“Can’t you let me take the test in peace?”

“Okay. I won’t say another word. I’ll be as quiet as a mouse.”

And he was—for two minutes. Then he started whistling.

She put her pen down and faced him. “Why are you whistling?”

“I’m bored.”

“Then turn on the TV.”

“There’s nothing on. . . .”

And so it went until she finally finished. It had taken almost an hour to do something she could have done in her office in half the time. She took a long, hot shower and dressed, putting on her swimsuit beneath her clothes. Kevin, now famished, wanted to go to McDonald’s again, but she drew the line and suggested that they have breakfast at the Waffle House across the street.

“But I don’t like their food.”

“You haven’t ever eaten there before.”