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I shrugged, feeling even more awkward to have blurted out such a personal question. “He’s always gone. That…that must be hard.”

Her face softened. “Oh. Yes. Well, everyone has different relationships. How Allie wound up with Shawn is a mystery, isn’t it?”

“You have a point.” I lifted my brows in question. I wasn’t judging my parents. At least not anymore. It was just that I really didn’t understand. I could never be married to someone who was always gone. Who didn’t want me to be part of their lives. I just wanted to understand why it worked for them.

Mom took my hand and squeezed. “You know your dad has had a hard life. Music is what keeps him solid. I respect that his life requires this of him, and he respects that I’m…very independent. I don’t think I could do what Allie does. Live with a man all the time?” She shuddered. “It just isn’t me. I know you never had the home life your friends had, and I’m sorry if that hurt you, but it’s just who we are.”

It was a very simple, honest explanation. One I suspected I would never fully understand. “I’m sorry I’ve been so distant. I won’t be doing that anymore.”

Mom smiled over my shoulder. “You two are good together. It was really nice to meet you, Isaac.”

I felt myself calm as Isaac’s hand pressed against the small of my back.

“Can’t wait to see you at the ballpark,” Isaac said.

“We’ll try to keep Shawn in line,” she laughed.

“I’ll bring gifts to lunch tomorrow. He can fanboy all he wants.”

I pressed into my boyfriend. “That’s really nice.”

He shrugged, a look in his eyes I couldn’t decipher. But Mom seemed to understand. “Go. Get out of here before the mosquitos start feasting.”

Isaac offered me his elbow and I wrapped my hands around his bicep. Walking slow like this meant our bodies were flush instead of slightly apart. It was intimate and safe at the same time. I leaned my temple against his shoulder and sighed. This. This right here was perfection.

“We should walk to the park more often,” he said quietly. “It’s beautiful in the evening.”

Sure enough, the sky was streaked pink and orange, but darkness ruled. Lights lined the sidewalks, nestled in between tropical foliage. The palm trees were lined with little twinkle lights. Other musicians replaced Travis and Kristen, strumming guitars and crooning songs with words I couldn’t decipher.

“It’s magical,” I agreed. The scent of hibiscus and other flowers floated on the air, but it was the overwhelming musk of Isaac that made me lightheaded. I couldn’t imagine how it was possible to feel more in love. I didn’t doubt for a second that this incredible combination of friendship and chemistry was absolutely love.

“I want this,” Isaac said as we came to the entrance to the park, slowing to stop and turning to face me. “I was happy, Kate. I truly was. But I had no idea.” He shook his head. “I had no idea what I was missing. And now that I know…I can’t go back and be happy again.”

“Isaac.” My heart pounded because I felt the same way. If you asked me in February if I was happy I would have enthusiastically said yes, with the caveat I was sick of bad dates. But I had no idea. My whole life was fuller somehow. I still had my family and friends, but now I had a satisfying work life with even more friends and sense of accomplishment that lasted instead of fizzling as I jumped onto the next project.

And that didn’t even touch the life changing reality that Isaac brought with him. I loved him. He made me happy. Ecstatically happy. I looked forward to waking up, to every glimpse I might get of him during the day, and especially slipping into bed with him beside me each night. I loved his family, his daughter. Love erupted out of me there was so much of it.

“That old life is nothing but a memory,” he kept on. “It’s the black and white old movie part of my life and now we’re in high definition ultra–HD. Everything’s brighter, crisper, more real. I love you so much, Kate. I want this to be my life. Our life.”

I held my breath. “I love you, too. I never want to go back.”

“Then we won’t,” he said firmly.

“Just like that?”

“Hell yeah.” He turned back towards home, this time holding my hand so we could walk a little faster along the busy road. We ducked into the neighborhood and down the street just as the mosquitoes really started biting.

“Little vampires,” Isaac muttered as he quickly opened his side door, swatting one off the back of his hand. “Can’t they take a night off?”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not how nature works.”

“Well it should. You should be able to put up a sign that says ‘Not Tonight Satan’ and the mosquitos are required to leave you alone.”

I kicked off my shoes and stripped out of the long-sleeved shirt I wore to protect my arms. “If you could invent that you’d be a billionaire and a hero.”

“I better get to work then. When I have all my riches I can buy the team from Stirling and never have to worry he’ll make another stupid decision that affects my whole life.” He wrapped me up, gazing down at me. “I mean it, Kate. You’re stuck with me forever.”

A little, tiny part of me was still scared this was too fast, but the rest of me couldn’t deny that I was madly in love with Isaac and delaying even a moment of happiness was a waste of time. “It won’t always be like this. You even said yourself, you’re good at starting things.”