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“Mom, he came back. He told me he would.”
I nod, the tears now covering my face. “He did, sweetie.” Max reaches out and touches my cheek. I lean into it, and his thumb swipes away the tear. He offers, his hand to mine and I take it.
“My beautiful girls,” he says. I kiss him one more time, much to the chagrin of our daughter before he helps my dad put his luggage in the car. We walk back into the restaurant, and Miriam turns in her chair, watching us. She notices my splotchy face. I mouth Thank you, and Miriam nods once, turning back to the Bad Biddies Club.
When Max and Dad rejoin us, they find an extra chair for Max and set it next to me. Max grabs my hand and holds it on his thigh. I catch him staring at me, several times, and he grins when I look at him.
This feels surreal, like I’m dreaming. However, his warm hand doesn’t let go of mine the entire meal.
He’s here. He’s never leaving.
My whole body relaxes, maybe for the first time in ten years.
Max
“Sweetheart, can I talk to your mom privately for a second?”
“You just want to kiss again, don’t you?” Olive asks, sticking out his tongue in disgust again.
She’s on to me. “Maybe.”
“Okay, fine,” she says. “Can I have screentime?”
Looking to Emily for permission, I get a small nod. “Sure,” I say.
Olive grabs the iPad on the side table next to the couch and runs upstairs, her feet slamming into the steps.
“Be careful,” Emily yells after her. Her shoulders hunch as she turns back to me.
“I’m sorry I didn’t explain before I left.” Although we touched at the restaurant, I’m searching her eyes for explicit permission.
“You’ll just have to make it up to me.” She rests her hands on my shoulders, and I pull her by the waist to my chest. My breath shudders, and she chuckles. She knows what she does to me.
“So, what are we going to do?” I ask.
“You’ll move into the tiny house,” she says. I drop my lips to her neck, and she giggles. “You’re trying to worm your way into the main house, huh?”
“Maybe.” I take her lips with mine. She melts into the kiss, letting my tongue pass her lips, and I really kiss her, long and deep.
She pulls away. “We have to be smart about this.”
“We do?” I ask. Resting my hands on my hips, I can’t help but laugh at how flustered I make her.
“We’ve only really known each other for two weeks total. I mean, I need to make sure.”
“Em, there’s a human being up there that has half of each of our DNA.”
“I know that,” she says. She’s pacing now. “I want to take it slow.”
“But I lo—”
“Don’t say that.” She holds out a hand to stop me. “It’s crazy. No one falls in love after two weeks.”
A full-on laugh leaves my lips. “Really? I’m pretty sure I told you I loved you for the first time after five days. And you said it back, if I recall.”
“We’re adults now. You’re unemployed.”
“Well, when you put it like that.”
