“None taken,” she said with a smile.
“Just that people talk about it, and I know it didn’t happen with me and Molly exactly, but it feels that way to me. Like, once you and I were finally over, and I saw her – like,reallysaw her – I was in love with her. People who haven’t experienced that might not understand, but it’s real. I know she’s right over there, but I miss her being next to me. Then, at night, it’s the same, even though she’s right next to me, but it’s because we’re falling asleep, so I can’t talk to her until we wake up. I can’t explain it, but it’s–”
“It’s better,” India said. “Because you feel like you’ve met your match.”
“Is that how it feels with Maisie?”
India nodded slowly and said, “I’m taking her skiing.”
“You are?”
“Yes,” she said. “For Christmas.”
“Then, I hope she doesn’t ruin your plans by spraining her ankle.”
“She can’t ruin them. If she did that, we would just stay home, and I’d be okay with that, too.”
“Damn. She reallyisthe one, huh?” Finley joked.
India turned to her and said, “I’m sorry, Fin.”
“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that.”
“No, I know. I just needed to say that I’m sorry about that whole thing.”
“It’s okay. It’s in the past.”
“I was going to ask you to marry me, Finley. That’s why I was so upset that we had to cancel the trip.”
“What?” Finley had been about to put the bottle to her lips, but she lowered it.
“I had a ring and everything. I planned the perfect proposal forme, not for you.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“It’s taken me years to figure this all out, but that would have been a mistake.”
“Us getting married? Yeah, it would’ve been a mistake, for sure.” Finley turned a little to look at Molly. “I think we were both meant for other people.”
“I agree.”
“And my person is ordering food right now, so I think I’m going to go over there and eat with her. I need to make sure she doesn’t put extra ketchup on my fries. We’re okay, though, yeah?”
“Yes, we’re good, Fin.”
“Hey, what did you do with that ring?”
“Oh, burned it in effigy,” she joked.
Finley laughed and said, “Got it. Talk later?”
“Sure,” India said.
She watched Finley arrive at the table with Molly, Myra, and Elisa, and she walked over to Maisie, sitting down next to her.
“Hey, babe,” Maisie said.
India just smiled at her and waited, knowing what would happen next. Then, sure enough, Maisie’s hand went to her thigh, and India clasped it in her own.
