Page 213 of When Love Takes Root

And because I wanted ours to last.

She smiled.

I kissed her forehead, then her cheeks, then her lips.

The kiss started slow, then deepened.

The room faded.

For the first time in a long time, everything felt right.

Even if part of me was still learning to trust it.

Dinner came after that, but it felt like communion.

We ate shrimp and grits, honey-glazed cornbread, roasted vegetables, lemon pound cake bites, and peach cobbler cheesecake jars Aunt Hilary had labeled Do Not Let Justice Touch. Celeste laughed until tears gathered again, and I watched her across the table with gratitude pressing hard against my ribs.

We talked about her salon, my business, the kids, Kayden’s boxing stance, Maya’s sketches, JJ pretending he wasn’t emotional, and Skye announcing that any future baby brother would need to be “cute but obedient.”

Celeste smiled over coffee. “JJ finally gave me the graduation ticket count.”

“He gave me mine yesterday,” I said.

Her eyes lifted. “JJ invited you?”

“He did.”

“What’d he say?”

“I asked if he’d already cleared it with you.” I smiled. “He looked me dead in my face and said, ‘I’m asking you.’”

The emotion that crossed her face made me reach for her hand across the table.

“And Kayden?” she asked

I rubbed my thumb over her knuckles. “Told me I’m sitting beside him.”

Her lips parted.

“He asked you?”

“Tried to make it sound like crowd control.” I smiled. “Said somebody needed to keep me from embarrassing JJ when they called his name.”

Celeste laughed, but her eyes filled. “You’re absolutely going to embarrass him.”

“Without shame, love.”

She squeezed my hand. “He’ll love it.”

“I think he will too.”

She blinked hard, then shook her head. “And Skye is still talking about that imaginary baby brother.”

“That child’ll be the end of us.”

“She’ll be somebody’s judge.”

“She already is.”