"I am not like Laura Ingalls."

Ben walks up to me and takes my hair in two hands. "I don't know. Put this in a couple braids, put on one of those long granny dresses...I can see it."

I smack him in his stomach with the back of my hand, since my hands are full.

"I hear she's feisty too." He takes my bag, then pair by pair, puts my shoes in it.

"Thank you."

"Let's go get dinner, Ms. Duncan."

"Why thank you, Mr. Falco."

He puts my bag over his shoulder and holds my hand. "Not that it's even dinner time yet, but..."

"But you're starving."

"That's an understatement."

We're at the restaurant and seated in under an hour.

"Wow. Another cozy place, Ben. How do you find these places?"

"I type in 'cozy places.'"

"Really?"

He nods. "Cozy restaurants."

"It's nice here. I love the gingham tablecloths. My mom loves gingham."

"Is gingham a color?"

I start cracking up. "No. It's the little checkered squares."

"Ah. Very Ingalls-like."

"Yes. Very. You snot."

"So, Rose, what made you go back to school this semester? We never did talk about that."

"A couple reasons."

"Like?"

"Like...I was getting bored at home."

"Understandable. What is the other reason?"

"Well...my parents didn't really want me to take off another semester, and Holly begged me to live with her and Griffin. And Knox, when he's around."

"Knox?"

"He barely stays at the house anymore. Pretty much just when there's a party going on. He only lives in Teaneck, so I think he commutes most days. I've only seen him once since I've been living there."

"Ok. So...you're back at school 'cause you're bored and you want to please your parents and Holly."

"Pretty much." Do I tell him the real reason I forced myself to come back to school?

"Hmmm. Sounds legit. So why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing."

"You're blushing."

I bring my hand up to my face. "I am not."

"You are too."

I cover my mouth and say, "I was hoping to run into you."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

"You heard me."

He reaches over and lowers my hand from my mouth. "I'm glad you did."

"Well, I also need to continue my education." I backpedal. I don't want to seem too desperate.

He laughs. "You still going for education?"

"I really don't know. My intention was to dance for a living and then teach it when I was older and exhausted from dance. I really didn't know about teaching in a real cla.s.sroom." I shrug. "I guess I'll have to think about it."

"Me too."

"You're rethinking the psychology thing?"

"I don't know. I guess I want to get through this next phase in my life before deciding about the future again."

"One step at a time."

"You're learning, half-pint."

The rest of the night is fun and easy. We've gotten the dark subjects out of our system and are able to laugh the rest of the time. In the car ride back, Ben cranks up the country station and starts singing along to the chorus of some of the songs.

"So you have been listening to country," I shout over the music.

"You betcha, half-pint."

Because I'm high on Ben at the moment, I join him in belting out the words. For the first time in a mighty long time, I feel like myself again.

38.

BEN.

"So I'm kind of torn," I tell Rose, standing at her front door. "I want to be a gentleman and say goodnight at the door, but I really don't want to say goodnight yet." With the tips of my fingers, I make circles on the top of her hand. Then I bring my gaze back up to her face. "I can stare at your face all night."

Immediately, her hand flies to her scar.

"Rose." I lower her hand and replace it with mine. "You're beautiful with or without the scar. Don't ever cover it for me." I slide my finger down the length of it, like I've done before. "I know you cover it with makeup, but please know, in front of me, you don't have to."

She smiles and leans into my hand.

"You wear what's comfortable for you, but don't think you need to hide your real self for me. I love the real you."

She closes her eyes and inhales. "I don't want you to leave yet." She opens her eyes. "Wanna come in?"

"I'd love to."

"Hey, you two." We're greeted by Holly, Mick, Griffin, and Cali.

"Hey," Rose says quietly.

"Hey."

"Ben," Holly says, standing up from the couch.

"Holly," I say with a straight face, only pretending to be annoyed at how we left things the first day of school.

"Where've you been?" She comes up and hugs me.

"Home," I say, not leaning in to hug her back.

"Don't be mad at me, Ben. I was standing up for my girl here," she says, hugging Rose. "So when did you come back?"

"Wednesday."

"Were you sick?" Holly continues with her questioning.

"Geez, Holl, cut the guy a break. Let him in the door first," Griffin teasingly scolds her.

Rose closes the door behind us and asks, "You want a drink, Ben?"

"Whatever you got. Soda Iced Tea?"

"I think we have cola."

"That's fine." I follow Rose into the kitchen.

"Sorry about the houseful, I didn't realize they'd be home on Valentine's night."

"I don't mind if you don't."

She shrugs.

"You're still not comfortable around them?" I ask quietly.

She pours the soda she got from the fridge into two ice-filled mugs. "Not really. Holly, yes, but...I know this is Griffin's house and all, but I don't know."

"You don't know him well yet?"

"Actually, I kinda do. I've known him as long as I've known Holly, it's just...I really don't know." She hands me the mug and sits at the island.

I pull out the stool next to where she's sitting and sit facing her. Then I turn her stool so she's facing me.

"I gotta get over myself, I think," she says, shaking her head. "Hey, want some chocolate pudding?"

"Sure. I'll get it. You sit." I get up, then ask, "That is, if you don't mind me going in your refrigerator."

"Don't be silly. Spoons are in the drawer next to the sink."

Back at the island, I open our pudding cups and give one to Rose. "Cheers," I offer, holding up my cup. "To my new girlfriend."

She holds up her cup. "To my new boyfriend."

When I see her cheeks turn rosy peach, I can't even explain how it makes me feel right now. I'm her boyfriend. She's my girlfriend. And for the first time in forever, that means more to me than any other thing on Earth. I got Rose. And she loves me. Nothing else matters. Not baseball. Not the f.u.c.king cancer. Not losing my leg. I have the best girl in the world sitting in front of me. What more could I possibly want?

She's smirking. "What are you thinking? You have this funny look on your face."

"What am I thinking?" I ask her. "I'm thinking how I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have you as my girlfriend. G.o.d, I love you, half-pint."

She blushes again. "I love you too."

We've just sc.r.a.ped our pudding cups clean when Holly walks in. "We're just starting another movie. Wanna watch it with us?"

Rose and I look at each other.

"It's up to you, half-pint."