Page 59 of It's a Widow Thing

Her gorgeous face lit up. “Surprise.”

“Wow. I’d say so.” He reached for her hand, wondering if he was in a dream. “Please. Come in.” He turned toward the kitchen. “Brian! Alyshia! Sabrina is here.”

Sabrina wrapped her fingers tightly around his. “They know.”

“I know!” Alyshia reappeared. “Glad you made it,” she said to Sabrina. “Michael, Brian and I are going to bed. You two feel free to take the living room. Sabrina, I put out extra towels for you in the guest room.”

“Thanks, Alyshia. You’re the best.”

“My absolute pleasure.” She unleashed a self-satisfied grin, then scampered down the hall.

Michael turned back to Sabrina. “Guest room? Are you staying?” This was the best news ever. Well, maybe notever. Better news would be that she was taking him home.

“It’s late. I didn’t want to drive back to the city tonight. Plus, you and I have a lot to talk about. And the last time we had a serious conversation while driving, it didn’t turn out the way either of us wanted.”

“Did you bring pajamas?”

“I grabbed a few things from my apartment before I hopped in your car. Don’t worry, I left the flannel back at home. Not that you should concern yourself with that. The doctor said you need to avoid excitement.”

“I’m excited you’re here, so it’s too late.” His brain was still racing to catch up with all of this. “What made you come tonight? We could’ve talked on the phone. I know your work schedule is crazy. And this whole thing has already been a total bummer for you.”

She raised her hand and pressed a finger to his lips. “Shush. I had to see you in person, okay? Can we sit down somewhere? To talk?”

Michael glanced at the couch, and although Alyshia had said they could have the room, he wanted more privacy than that. “Come on. We’ll go to the guest room.” He flipped off the TV, took her hand, and led her down the hall, past Zoe’s room. Once inside, he closed the door behind them.

Sabrina sat on the bed, looking like everything he had ever wanted. His brother’s words popped into his head—the stuff about working things out together rather than trying to solve problems on his own. Which was why he decided that this would be the one time that he wouldn’t make a preemptive strike. He wasn’t going to start explaining himself or making a case for them being together. He was going to take a deep breath and shut the hell up for a minute. “What did you want to talk about?”

She patted the spot on the mattress next to her. He didn’t need a more elaborate invitation than that. “I came to Connecticut tonight because I have to tell you what I didn’t say in the car yesterday. And what I didn’t say at the hospital.”

“Okay…” It took a serious amount of effort to force his brain to stomp on the brakes and simply prepare himself to listen. “Remember, I’m supposed to avoid excitement. I think that includes cliffhangers in conversation.”

She smiled and looked him right in the eye. “I love you, Michael.”

That was it. That was all she said. And he quickly realized that it was all he needed. He didn’t need a speech or a profession of love. He had simply needed to hear the words, delivered by the one woman from whom he’d so desperately wanted them. “Really?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“So I love you and you love me.”

This time, she laughed. “You are really starting to figure out this relationship stuff, aren’t you?”

“I know. I sound like an idiot. It just…” He heard the wobble in his own voice. He felt a hum go through his body, all the way down to the soles of his feet. “I always wondered what this would feel like. And then I met you and I wondered twice as hard. Three times. Or ten. And now I know why people freak out about love and write songs and books about it. Because it’s the best feeling in the whole world.”

“I don’t know what I can promise you, Michael. Other than that I will try my hardest every day to do right by you.”

He had to correct her. “Do right byus. It’s you and me. Together.”

“Yes. Exactly. I’m not ready for marriage. I’m not ready to get engaged. But I’m ready to be with you every day. I’m ready to be your person and for you to be mine.”

“Will you come to Thanksgiving with my family?” Despite what he’d promised himself about not pushing her, he couldn’t help but want it all.

“Yes.”

“Christmas?”

“Of course. I’d love to.”

“Can we move in together?”