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MY HAPPY ENDING
PRESENT
“Idon’t think I’m ready,” I whisper, smoothing my hands over my dress. “You think you are?”
I glance over at Abraham through the mirror as he watches me fidget, nervous.
“I’ve waited this long,” he tells me. “I don’t mind waiting longer if you need more time.” He stands, and in his slacks and sweater he looks closer to the professor I once fell in love with. When he stands behind me, I lean back, laying my head on him.
“No, I don’t want you to wait anymore. Six months is enough.”
His hands meet my shoulders as he corrects me. “Six years is more like it.”
“You know what I mean,” I say with a chuckle. “You’ve been in Boston for six months. You’ve been waiting to meet Penny for six months.”
“And Jilly,” he replies as he takes a step back, glancing at his watch. “And if we don’t hurry, we’re going to be late.”
I do a quick mental check. Purse? Check. Phone? Check. Keys? Check. Wallet? Check.
“Come on, beautiful girl,” he calls out from his place by the bedroom door. I cross the room in a hurry, careful to watch my step as we walk out into the hallway.
“You have your keys?” I ask, running my hand over my hair before feeling for both of my earrings.
“I do,Stellina,” he reassures me, taking his hand in mine as we step out of his apartment. “Let’s get out of here.”
“It’s okay if we’re late,” I start but he shakes his head as he damn near drags me down the hall to the elevators.
“Not when I want to make a good first impression. Our reservation is at seven. I said we’d be there at seven.” He shakes his free hand, staring at the watch on his wrist again.
“I know you’re nervous, Abraham. It’s okay.”
He doesn’t look at me for a moment, staring at the numbers climb as the elevator rises to the highest level, where his apartment is located. When he finally does, his eyes are glassy.
“What if they don’t like me?”
This is a far cry from the man who wroteI don’t carein large words on a blackboard all those years ago.
“Jilly will love you immediately,” I reassure him. “Penny will probably take time.” I don’t want him to think it’s going to be easy, winning her over. Some days she doesn’t even like me.
Those days are hard, but I try to take it in stride and let her personality blossom without too much policing. If I don’t want to her to be easily silenced in life, I refuse to silence her in her own home.
All while Abraham drives, he’s silent, looking over at me every now and then as we make our way out of the city and into the suburbs.
He slows down as we approach Peter’s house, and when he parks the car outside, he licks his lips and stares out of the window at the dimly lit porch.
“Why does it look like no one is home?”
Under the pressure of his nerves, his accent becomes more pronounced, and I grin at the sound of it.
“They’re home. Come on, Professor.” I push my door open, and he grabs my hand, yanking me back toward him.
I’m surprised by his kiss, by the way his tongue strokes mine. I sigh into the kiss, melting into him as he loves my mouth. And when he pulls away, he says, “You don’t touch a fucking door when I’m around.”
A shot of desire pulses through me as I watch him get out of the car and come around to open the door.
He holds out his hand, helping me out of the car and continues to hold it as we walk up to the porch. The automatic lights turn on as we approach and I can hear the girls’ voices as they talk loudly, likely to their father.
Abraham knocks with his free hand, still holding mine in his other.
