“I am,” Rae responded, nodding her head and smiling at his concern. Not that she really expected any less. He was sweet, kind. He cared about her, and he was proving it more and more as each day passed. “I actually managed to clean up the whole apartment without sneezing, so that's a good sign, right?” she asked. “Sure, I sound like Chuckie Finster, but a sniffle every now and again won't kill me. Besides, fresh air's good for you.” That was her story, and she was sticking to it.
She paused, then added, “besides, being inside for this long has me itching for a little bit of wide open space.” She pushed some hair behind her ear and smiled up at him. “It's also a little bit frustrating to look over at that crib and see my son not in it, so getting away will be a nice relief.”
With a laugh, she shrugged a shoulder and shook her head. “You wouldn't be responsible. It'd be me and my stubbornness.” And she was definitely stubborn. “I asked Cindy to stop by with some cocoa,” she handed him a thermos and picked her own up from the table. “That way we don't freeze while we're out here, and I have a camp stove to heat up some soup when we get back.”
It took everything she had not to reach up and take his hand, but she resisted the temptation, instead stuffing her hand in her pocket and nodding in the direction of the rink.
Rae chuckled. “Unless you want to change or something, or come in and get warmer for a few minutes before we go, we can head out. I've been looking forward to this,” she confessed. “It's been a long time since I've skated, and it used to be one of my favorite things to do.” She used to test herself, see if her dance moves translated to the ice, but it had been so long, she'd be amazed if she could keep herself standing.
“That is, unless I'm a terrible person for ambushing you, which is entirely possible, too.”