Page 133 of Effortless

“Maybe.”

Abriella smiled widely. “Thought so. Over in the desk, you’ll find what you’re looking for in the top drawer.”

Tom gave his mother a look, but stood from the couch and headed for the desk. In the top drawer of the old desk, he found a black velvet ring box. Inside rested his mother’s princess cut diamond engagement ring sitting on top of a crown of diamonds. The white gold band gleamed, telling him someone had recently gotten it cleaned.

For a long while, Tom stared at the ring, but said nothing. His mother was the first to speak.

“It’s okay not to know when, Tommaso.”

“Is it?”

“You know her, and that’s what matters.” Abriella tilted her head to the side as she stared at him, saying, “You’re happier, now. Maybe that’s what you needed, Tommaso. Maybe that’s what you were looking for. Every man needs a good woman in this life. Seems you found yours a little earlier than most.”

Tom kept looking at the ring. “I still can’t believe you knew I was coming to ask you about this.”

Abriella laughed. “Of course, I did, Tommaso. I was the first woman to have ever loved you—you’re my boy, and I know you. I know your heart. She gets to be the last woman to love you, though. I’m glad it’s her.”

Tom crossed the room again, and dropped a kiss to his mother’s head. “Love you, Ma.”

She reached up and patted his neck tenderly. “Go, and take your sisters to the movie. Say hello to Camilla for me when she calls.”

“I will, Ma.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CAMILLA RIPPED open the top of the brown envelope, and took a deep breath. She had no reason to be nervous. There was no reason to think she had failed, or would be staring at bad grades for the final semester. Still, she took her sweet ass time pulling the records out.

She didn’t bother peering over the individual class scores, and things that had been included by the professor. No, she went straight to the average—the GPA score.

Three-point-eight.

Camilla grinned.

Yes.

“Well?” August demanded.

Camilla gave her friend a look. “What do you think?”

“You failed.”

“August!”

Her friend laughed, and snatched the papers right out of Camilla’s hand. She looked them over, and nodded like she hadn’t expected to see anything different than what she was looking at.

“I knew it,” August said. “Five more years, Cam.”

“Maybe four. Who knows?”

“You know. You’ve always known what you wanted.”

Camilla nodded. “True. So hey, you want to hit the diner or something to celebrate? It’s the end of May, school is all over, and I have nowhere to be.”

August wrapped an arm around Camilla’s shoulder with a laugh. “Sounds like heaven, right?”

“Yep.”

“Well, I would go to the diner, but we should probably hold off just a couple of more minutes.”