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All I knew was that I was going to spend the rest of my life with this woman and I was going to work every day to make that commitment a joy instead of a burden. I would shoulder every weight, weather every storm, for the chance to do that by her side. I was a sunflower, living by the light she gave, using that energy to grow and show the world how amazing she was.
Nova handed Creamsicle to me while she got herself a plate, and I tucked the kitten into my shirt pocket. Luna kissed the fuzzy head and looked up at me with so much love I could hardly breathe.
“Have I mentioned lately that you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me?”
“No, but you’re in good company because I could say the same thing about you.”
She snuggled against my side, her purr quietly rumbling.
I had definitely been a saint in a past life. It was the only explanation I could think of for Luna to have chosen me, for us to have taken so many chances on each other and still be standing here together. Fate might be fickle, but it had blessed me a million times over, and I was going to hold on to that forever.
“I’m going to miss being neighbors with Auggie.”
“You and I both know he’s going to visit all the time,” Luca reminded me.
“He’d better.”
Luca and I sat among the stacks of boxes in our new townhouse. It was a sweet two-story, three-bedroom place, with an open to below so I could hang my hoop from the beams in the ceiling, and a snazzy kitchen where Luca could make whatever he wanted and watch me while I practiced.
We were still taking things one beautiful step at a time, but we were definitely moving forward. Buying the townhouse together was our next step. Our second bedroom was my office to stay organized for running the studio, and the third bedroom was all set up so we could accommodate all of our niblings when they visited. Between Stella’s girls and the herd of little ones Nicky and her pack had brought into the world, we definitely needed the space. Once the pack babies were a little older, we could put in bunk beds, but they were too tiny to safely use them for a while yet.
For now we were surrounded by boxes, both of our lives mixed together and jumbled in cardboard, waiting to be tucked away in a new harmony. We spent most days together anyway, alternating between my place and his, and now we would get to spend even more time together. Creamsicle, now fully grown, was stretched out on a box, deep in sleep.
“What should we order for dinner?” Luca asked.
“Moving and pizza usually go together pretty well. And we can eat it cold tomorrow because I have no idea where our microwave is.”
“I’m down for pizza. I can’t wait to be able to use the kitchen. I’m gonna make you so many delicious things.”
“I definitely would not say no to some of those strawberry chocolate scones you brought home from the bakery the other day.”
“They’re even better fresh from the oven with some melted butter.”
“Fuck yeah.”
Luca was still working at the bakery and had been promoted to assistant manager with Jasper going on parental leave. He was happier than he’d never been, and we coordinated as many of our hours as we could to match. I snuck in performances at the club every so often, but it was no longer a weekly thing and I’d weaned down my clients over the last year, keeping the option open, but not feeling the need to take advantage of it. I taught at my studio most days, covering all of the sunrise classes and all of the late-night options, and scheduling programs to train the club performers in hoop and silks. I even let Auggie lovingly bully me into attending therapy so I could unpack my copious amounts of baggage. It was rough, but no worse than the spiraling I used to do on the regular.
Luca and I had both taken a week off for the move so we could leisurely unpack and get ready for our housewarming the following weekend.
“Is the bed frame together? Or are we sleeping on our mattress on the floor?” I asked.
“I think they set it up. All your nesting supplies are up there too. Why don’t you go unpack that, and I’ll tackle getting the kitchen up and running?”
“Sounds like a plan. Make sure you dig out Creamsicle’s food so he doesn’t scream us awake in the night because he’s starving.” I gave him a quick kiss before retreating upstairs with my box cutter.
I was fussing around with my mountain of blankets and pillows when Luca called me down for the pizza’s arrival.
I stopped short halfway down the stairs, seeing our whole box-filled living room lit up with fairy lights and electronic candles. “What’s going on?”
“It’s Tuesday.” He grinned at me and pulled me the rest of the way down the stairs to settle me on the couch, where he had unpacked a stack of blankets.
“I kind of figured we were skipping date night with the move.”
“Not a chance. Tuesdays are our special day forever. Besides, this is a special Tuesday.”
I examined him carefully in the dim light. “What makes it special?”
“It’s the two-year anniversary of our very first Tuesday. I figured it would be the most appropriate day for this.”
