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Standing on my porch, his fist raised to knock on my door.
“Catherine?” His utter disbelief at my sudden appearance echoed my own feelings, except he was the one atmyhouse.
He’d come for me. I knew that down to my bones.
“Elliot.”
Dropping my bag to the ground, I launched myself at him, and he caught me just in time, only losing a step or two. His arms trembled from how tight they locked around me, the breaths he squeezed out of me shuddering and ragged with relief.
“I was coming for you,” I whispered against his ear.
“You were?”
“Mmhmm. A minute later, and we would have missed each other.”
“Good thing I’m never late.”
Joey got tired of being inside the house on her own and let out a cry of indignation. I laughed, and Elliot took my face in his hands and kissed me hard and fast, then pushed the door open the rest of the way to reveal my waiting baby.
He chuffed. “You really were coming for me.”
“Yeah.” I leaned my head against his shoulder. “There are some things I should have said yesterday but didn’t.”
He had Joey out of her car seat and into his arms in seconds, then pulled me into the house with them. Joey plastered herself to his chest, nestling her head beneath his chin, and Elliot closed his eyes with a sigh. In that moment, they both looked right at home.
His eyes opened, and he tucked me under his other arm, his lips touching my forehead, then my temple.
“I want to hear everything you have to say, but first, come home with me.”
I blinked up at him. “I want that more than anything, but you’ll have to give me a few minutes. I need to pack.”
His lids lowered to half-mast. “Because you’re staying.”
I nodded. “Because I’m staying.”
We spent our morning cuddling, just the three of us. Talking about nothing important, touching and hugging, kissing and nuzzling.
My Elliot was ravenous for affection. Once we’d broken the seal a couple months ago, hugs came freely and often. He no longer denied he was a cuddler, and neither did I since he’d turned me into one.
Before him, I’d been just as touch-starved but hadn’t known it. Not until he’d cupped my belly to feel Joey rolling around in there and my heart had nearly broken free from my chest.
Elliot gave me what I needed, even when I didn’t recognize I was missing it.
When Joey started to get fussy, our cuddle session came to an end. I put her down for her morning nap and met Elliot in the study. He was on the couch, his face in his hands. I sat beside him, curling my arm around his back. For a minute, we stayed like that, me holding him while he took deep, heavy breaths.
He picked his head up and cradled my jaw. “I love you, sweetheart.”
I nodded. “I love you too.”
A long exhale, and his forehead rested on mine. “I should have said that sooner. A lot sooner.”
“I should have too.” I cupped the sides of his neck. “I want to stay here. To live here.”
“In my mind, you already did.” He drew back, locking on my eyes. “Another thing I should have said but didn’t.”
“I wish you had, but we both kept our mouths shut when we should have been talking.” I ran my thumb along his bottom lip. “I was afraid you wouldn’t say yes if I’d asked to stay.”
“How could you think that?”
