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I grabbed a napkin and tried to wipe it, but I must not have done a very good job because Tori laughed once I was done. “Here. Let me help you.”
She poured some water onto a napkin and leaned in close to wipe my face. The delicate touch of her fingers took me back to our time together earlier in the day, and all I wanted was to feel that touch once again.
“After we finish these s’mores, I think it’s time for all of us to go to bed.” Tori directed her attention at Bella and Emery. “Do you two want to share a tent or does one of you want to sleep with me and the other with Rosemary?”
Emery took Bella’s hand and lifted them high in the air. “We are sharing!”
“Yeah. No grown-ups allowed,” Bella added, the comment sending her and Emery into another fit of giggles.
“That’s too bad, isn’t it?” Tori smirked at me, and all I wanted to do was pull her into the tent and have my way with her, but I’d have to be patient.
“The worst, but I guess we’ll be okay.”
We finished our s’mores, then walked the girls to the communal bathroom to get ready for bed. After spending much too long there, we came back to our campsite and each read them a book as they laid in their sleeping bags and began to drift off to sleep. When we zipped up their tent, I could still hear them whispering and laughing together, but that was fine. One late night wasn’t going to hurt them. I had other things on my mind right now.
I took Tori’s hand and we walked the few feet to our tent. As soon as it was zippered shut, l laid down and pulled her on top of me, immediately connecting my lips with hers.
Tori’s eyes initially went wide in surprise, but she quickly melted into the kiss. I thought I would be ravenous by the time I got Tori alone, but right now, feeling her on top of me while she kissed me slowly and gently was more than enough.
After a few minutes, Tori pulled away from the kiss. She smiled down at me and moved a piece of hair behind my ear. “I love you so much. I’ve been denying it for so long, and I have no idea how. My heart is completely yours.”
My body tingled from my toes all the way up to my nose. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced in so long and honestly thought I never would again. I loved it. I wanted to bask in this feeling forever. “I love you too, Tori.”
“So, I know I’ve been teasing you all night, but now that I have you alone, all I want to do is hold you. Is it okay if I just hold you tonight?”
“That sounds perfect.” And it really did. That’s all I needed from Tori, no matter how amazing everything else was.
Tori rolled off me, and we opened up our sleeping bags so we could lay on mine and cover with hers. Once we were covered, Tori wrapped her arms around me from behind, and even though we were out in the middle of nowhere, it felt like I was finally home.
“I’ve missed this,” Tori said as she buried her head into my neck.
“Me too.” I wiggled back against her in an attempt to get as close as possible. “Will you watch the sunrise with me tomorrow? Willow always loved watching it and I haven’t done it in so long. I finally feel ready to.”
“Of course. I’d do anything for you.”
***
Tori and I were met with many complaints and groans when we woke Emery and Bella up the next day, but we were somehow able to convince them to sit and watch the sunrise with us.
Tori and I sat next to each other, and Emery and Bella sat on either side of us. As the sun rose in front of us, showing off beautiful hues of orange and yellow, I knew someone else was there with us too.
“Have you ever seen anything so gorgeous?” I whispered to myself more than anyone else.
Tori stared over at me with so much love in her eyes that if I hadn’t been sitting, it would have knocked me over. “No, I really haven’t.”
Her words were so perfect, I didn’t even think twice when she leaned in and placed a quick, but perfect, kiss on my lips.
“Did you just kiss my mama?” Emery asked as soon as I pulled away.
Tori’s face immediately turned the cutest shade of red. “I did. Is that okay?”
Emery simply shrugged in response. “I don’t care. You’re the grown-up. Do what you want.”
Everything was so simple for kids. They didn’t overthink it. They didn’t get stuck on what everything meant. They just lived. And that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to live these days with Tori, and for once, not get stuck on every little thing.
So, that’s what I did. The two months that followed were some of the best of my life, because I allowed my heart to be open, and opening my heart to Tori made every day more beautiful. It made me feel like a kid again.
“Happy birthday,” Tori said as she woke up and gave me a kiss on the cheek, the same way she did every morning.
