Falling With Grace

My teeth bit into my lip as I stewed on the bittersweet memories.

“Without doing that.”

I frowned. “Doing what?”

“Worrying your lip like that.” He switched to English, his eyes darting to his sleeping mother beside me. “We’re not in a place to take care of how you’re making me feel.”

I gave a self-satisfying grin, tucked my chin to my chest, and bit away the smirk. “Sorry.”

Heat prickled my neck and cheeks. A warm fuzzy flutter hit my belly like the plane fell from the sky.

“Don’t be.”

I glanced out the window, the clouds now veiling the windows as we descended. The pregnant pause between us replaced the feel-good butterflies with itchy ants, urging me to fill the void. “I was thinking about how the clouds looked like snow.”

“They do, don’t they?”

I nodded. “The last time I saw snow, I’d pelted my friend Megan in the face with a snowball. We were having a snowball fight in my front yard, and I nearly broke her nose.”

“Ouch.”

I laughed. “She made it up by whitewashing me until I couldn’t breathe, so.” I shrugged one shoulder.

“I rarely see it except when I travel to the States, but that’s not often.”

“I’m surprised you found the time to have a vacation.”

“Who said it was for vacation?” His steepled fingers slipped over his lips for a brief moment before he pulled them down.

“How very Zen of you.” I leered.

“I witnessed my father endure years of stress, never taking the time to unwind. This life will gnaw at you if you allow it.”

Don’t I know it?

“You’re going to like this, Grace. It was done with you in mind.”

“Like what?”

“This vaca—” He frowned.

My brows rose, and a broad smile formed. “A vacation?”

“You’re good.”

I laughed. “What did I do?”

“Lulled me into a sense of ease so I’d spill my guts to you.”

“I would never do that.” My cheeks ached. “Did it work?”

“Obviously.”

I shrugged, flipping my hands in front of me. “To be fair, I didn’t initiate the conversation.”

He droppedhis steepled hands and laid them flat on the armrests. “I’ll give you that.”

“So—”