“Yeah,” Alex agreed before they both burst into laughter. But in the back of her mind, Sam felt something knocking at the corner—a question about tomorrow, about what would happen when the weekend was over. She pressed her fingernails into her palm, the slight pain anchoring her in the moment. She didn’t have to figure it out today.
After driving back from the city Saturday morning, they settled into the comfort of Sam’s house. By afternoon, Sam’s old bedroom had become their sanctuary. Inside, time seemed to stand still, and the world outside—its weights and responsibilities—felt like just a theory, something they might consider later, maybe, if they felt like it.
Sam was flipping grilled cheese sandwiches as Alex padded into the kitchen. Sam felt her breath catch when she turned and saw her wearing one of her shirts and nothing else, the hem barely brushing the tops of her thighs. Her hair was loose and partly tangled from their time in bed, and her cheeks were flushed with sleep. She didn’t think she had ever seen anything so beautiful. She quickly turned back to the stove so Alex wouldn’t see that her eyes had begun to tear up.
Alex walked over and pressed her body against Sam’s back, wrapping her arms around Sam’s waist as she did so. “Hmm, grilled cheese,” she said. “You make the best grilled cheese sandwiches.”
Sam laughed. “Flattery will get you everywhere, but it won’t get you forgiven for stealing all of the blankets.”
“I was cold and naked,” Alex muffled into her back. “I made a judgment call.”
Sam turned into Alex’s arms and gave her a soft kiss. Alex hummed contentedly. Reluctantly, Sam pulled away. “These are going to burn if we’re not careful,” she warned.
“Well, we can’t have that,” Alex said, reaching around Sam to turn off the burner. She kept Sam’s gaze as she moved the skillet with the sandwiches away from the heat. Sam opened and closed her mouth, gaping like a fish.
“If I’m not mistaken…” Alex drifted back until she hit the center island, then pushed herself up to sit on it. “I think we started something here on this countertop a few days ago,” she paused to pull Sam’s shirt up and over her head before tossing it lightly aside, “and we never got to finish it.” She grinned and ran one of her hands down the center of her body in invitation.
Sam bit her lip and stared, a slow grin beginning to spread across her face. She glanced back at the skillet to make sure the stove was off, then slowly moved between Alex’s legs. “I thinkyou’re right,” she whispered, leaning in to capture Alex’s lips in hers in a kiss that burned with immediate heat.
Later, they lay sprawled across the couch, limbs tangled, the air heavy with lazy intimacy. They had finished their reheated grilled cheese, and now neither of them spoke. The room smelled faintly of toast and skin.
Alex’s hand rested on the bare skin of Sam’s thigh, tracing light, absentminded circles. “I don’t think there’s any place I’d rather be than right here. Like this.”
Sam didn’t answer right away. Just let her hand slide under the hem of Alex’s shirt, fingertips brushing the curve of her back. “I like this day,” she finally said.
“It’s not over yet.”
“Exactly.”
Alex’s mouth curled at the corner. She reached up and kissed her then, slow and sure like a promise.
Neither of them moved for a long time after that.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Over the next week, she and Alex spent as much time together as possible, much of it with Sophie. To Sam’s surprise, Sophie finally warmed up to her. Her time with her dad made her realize how much she enjoyed sports and outdoor activities. And Sam, a former college athlete and experienced backpacker, became Sophie’s new hero. It also helped that Sam was still a kid at heart, and her playful spirit quickly won Sophie over.
Sam had never been certain if she wanted children. Growing up with a single mom made her very aware of how expensive children could be. Although she earned a decent salary as a marketing manager, she still didn’t think it would ever be enough to support a family the way she imagined. She also wasn’t sure how good a mom she would be. She knew her mother had done everything she could in raising her, but still felt like she hadn’t had enough time to learn everything from her. Despite all this, she found herself falling hard for Sophie. They spent hours together, hiking through trails from Sam’s childhood, playing ball in the yard, or just chatting about the most random things while eating ice cream.
Initially, Alex seemed hesitant whenever Sam and Sophie were together. She hovered in doorways watching them, arms crossed, shoulders tense, and a mix of worry and hope on her face. But as the two became nearly inseparable, Sam saw Alex’s hypervigilance begin to fade and her body language soften.
Alex’s parents not only appeared to respect their growing closeness, but they were also more than happy to help watch Sophieso that Sam and Alex could have some time alone. Most often, that meant Alex could slip away after Sophie’s bedtime to spend each night at Sam’s house. They spent hours getting reacquainted, exploring each other’s bodies into the late hours of the night. Sometimes they would lie in each other’s arms and talk about anything and everything. Then Alex would steal away before dawn to make sure she was there when Sophie woke up.
Tonight, however, was the first night that Alex and Sophie would spend together at Sam’s. Sam had spent the entire morning preparing a space for Sophie at her mother’s house. Since Sam and Alex had been crashing in Sam’s room, that wasn’t a good option for Sophie. Sam wasn’t ready to move into her mom’s old room, even though she had done a lot of work in there. The loss was still too fresh. Instead, she made a makeshift area for Sophie in a small room next to her own, which her mother had used as both a sewing room and a library. She found a small bed and a beanbag chair to put in the room. To give the space a more Sophie-like feel, she hung up some purple curtains to drape the walls. On the floor by the bed, she put some old books from her childhood that she thought Sophie might enjoy. It wasn’t much, but she was still getting the house ready to sell, so there were limits on what she felt she could do.
When Alex pulled in later that evening, Sam was waiting for her on the porch. She could see Sophie waving her arms excitedly in the back seat, and it brought a smile to her face. She was realizing there was almost nothing like the pure, unconditional love of a child. It was a feeling she could get used to.
Alex hopped out of the car, a smile breaking across her face as she watched Sophie’s excitement. She had barely shut her own door before the back one flew open and Sophie jumped out of the vehicle on her own.
“Sam! We’re here!” Sophie yelled, waving enthusiastically at Sam. She ran down the driveway and up the stairs onto the porch, opening her arms wide.
Sam laughed as she caught the little girl and spun her around. She felt Sophie’s small, warm body against her and inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo, a wave of happiness washing over her.
“We missed you,” Sophie said, muffled against Sam’s shoulder.
Sam looked over Sophie’s head at Alex, who was watching them with a gentle expression. She gave Sophie one final squeeze before setting her back on her feet on the porch. “I missed you, too, sweetie.” She ruffled Sophie’s hair before turning her attention to Alex. “Hi,” she said softly.
“Hi,” Alex murmured back. Sam reached out a hand and squeezed Alex’s arm before dropping it again. So far, they’d been cautious about showing of affection in front of Sophie, but the young girl was pretty observant. Sam had noticed her watching them a few times with a furrowed brow and thought it was only a matter of time before they needed to have that conversation.
