“With the garden?” His eyes brightened.
“Yeah, with Liam starting his new job and me working overtime at the hospital, and now the house, we can use all the extra help we can get. Mom, that means you, too.”
April—Mom—jerked as my words sank in. “R-really?”
I smiled warmly and crossed the living space to pull her into a hug. “Really. I hope you’ll come by when you can. Madison and your husband, too. You’re both welcome.”
“Epic,” Madison said and we laughed.
“Thank you,” Mom said quietly and I squeezed her hand.
“We better get going,” Mrs. Walsh said. “We’ve got a bit of a drive back to Nassau. Why don’t we come by this weekend and we’ll help the both of you get settled?”
“We’d love that,” I told them.
We stood on the porch as Mom and Madison waved their goodbyes and Mr. and Mrs. Walsh honked their horn. The urgency that had always plagued me, always urging me to keep moving so nothing could hurt me was absent. I didn’t miss it. In its place was contentment. Peace.
Liam turned to me and tugged me to the steps where we sat and watched the afternoon turn into evening.
“I’m so happy,” I said and clasped the hand resting on my thigh.
He lifted the other to brush away a lock of hair from my cheek and cupped my head to bring me in for a soft kiss. “I’m glad, but I’ll be reminding you of this when we’re knee deep in paint and wood stain.”
A contented smile teased at my lips. “You do that.”
I leaned my head against his chest and let the sound of his heartbeat fill my ears. Our lives had been intertwined for years. First as friends, then as lovers. Now, we were starting a new life, together, and this house felt like a tangible symbol of the future. A promise. It wouldn’t be easy, my own experiences had taught me that, but knowing Liam was there by my side would make whatever curves we had yet to face easier to bear.
With a hand covering my stomach, I stretched up so I could whisper in his ear.
The house wasn’t the only symbol of our future together, after all.
