“Julian. This is beautiful.” I ran my fingers over the embossed letters, then looked up at him suspiciously. “Wait a minute. You already had this made? How long have you had this?”
He had the grace to look slightly sheepish. “A couple weeks.”
“A couple weeks?”
“I asked my assistant to have it made.” He nodded.
“Julian, you had this made before I even got a job.”
“It was just a matter of time before you found something.” He shrugged, like it wasn’t a big deal.
The thoughtfulness of it hit me. This man had such faith in me that he'd ordered this weeks ago, when I was still doubting myself, unsure I’d find anything. Still pushing back on his help. He'd been planning for my success before I'd even believed it.
I looked at him standing there, trying to act casual about something so incredibly thoughtful. I found myself staring at his face, noticing the way his eyes crinkled slightly when he was being modest about something he was proud of. And suddenly, completely inappropriately, I had the strongest urge to kiss him.
The thought hit me so hard I almost took a step back.
No. Get it together, I told myself.This is your friend. Your very kind, very generous friend who has done nothing but help you. Do not make this weird by reading romantic intentions into human decency.
“Thank you,” I managed, my voice coming out slightly hoarse. “It's perfect.”
“You're going to do great things with this job.”
Three weeks in,I had found my rhythm. The work was everything I had hoped, and David gave me autonomy. Most of the other attorneyswere collaborative instead of competitive. Childcare worked itself into a pattern none of us had planned but all of us kept. Raschad picked up the boys on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Julian had Micah and Zhaire on Wednesdays, what they had started callingmen's time,which mostly meant karate class, hardware stores and ice cream.
Tuesday lunches at Maple's had become Tuesday and Friday lunches, plus any day either of us could clear an hour. Harrison's office was a block from WadeHouse. Some days he walked over with takeout. Other days I went to him with sandwiches and ate at the table in his office while I talked about my cases.
Driving home from work one night, I thought about how far I had come since leaving New Jersey. Micah was thriving and surrounded by more love than either of us had ever imagined. And I was doing work that mattered, in a town that was starting to feel like home.
For the first time in years, I was not just surviving.
12/
pretty brown eyes
THIS CHAPTER HAS A SOUNDTRACK
Breakin’ My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)byMint Condition
alyssa
It was Saturday afternoon,and the entire Wade family had taken over Lennox Falls Community Park like it was a family reunion. It was the first official game of the season, which qualified as a major event. Coolers, folding chairs, a whole portable canopy covered the Wades’ commandeered section. Micah was out of the car and gone toward his team before I finished telling him to go.
Aunt Lorraine spotted me halfway across the grass and waved me up like I was late. “There she is. Alyssa, baby, come on, we saved you a spot.” I climbed the bleachers, Simone shifted Zaria to make room, and Lorraine reached over and patted my knee without looking — the way she’d been patting my knee since the wedding.
Khaz came up the bleachers with a tray off coffee and leaned past Simone to hand me a cup. “From Eighth. Hazelnut.”
“How’d you know I like hazelnut?”
“Family group chat. Asked everybody’s order, Julian said hazelnut for you.” He shrugged like it was nothing and took the seat behind me.
I didn’t know what to do with that, so I said just thank you and drank my coffee.
Julian was already pacing the sideline, whistle in hand, callingkeep your pad level lowandrun your routeslike he was mic’d up for ESPN. Zion and Tre were there in matching Wade Athletics Youth League shirts wrangling the kids, giving pep talks and walking through plays. Raschad was out of town for the week, and Simone had him on FaceTime to watch the game.
The first quarter went fast, Micah made a tackle, somebody scoredon an end-around Lorraine treated like the Super Bowl, and Simone screamedthat’s MY BABYenough times to start losing her voice.
“Mom, did you see me?” Micah hollered up from the sideline.
