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His dark eyes swirl, and he spins, stepping to my dresser, fingers to the mirror, pulling my cherished photo of him from the corner. A gleeful scoff escapes his throat as he flips the photo and reads, “Patience and our future are wrapped in three special words.”
He recites the inscription that had baffled me for years. I love you was too transparent an answer.
“You never asked me what I meant by this,” he says, waving the photo, a smirk on his handsome face, and I realize the answer has been in front of me all this time.
“Wow,” I snicker, stepping in front of him and taking hold of the picture. “Seven-minute future.” Three words that speak to our past, the patience we would need while separated. Three words that will lead us to our future.
Lucas presses his rear to the dresser, his arms crossed in front of him, eyes glued to me. I know this look. He’s about to reveal another secret. “I told you I didn’t want a girlfriend for all those years because I knew I’d return to Mesa.”
I nod, familiar with his thinking. He never wanted a girl to go through what Jasmine did every year when her guy returned to their hometown. Long distance is the kryptonite to relationships.
“That wasn’t the real reason.” He pushes off the dresser, the tips of his sneakers stopping an inch in front of my bare feet. “It was because I always knew I was coming home to you. That… this”—he wags a finger between our chests—“has always been written in stone.”
He confirms what I always suspected; the words whispered to me before he left town—our future is ours.
I tap his hard chest with my index finger, tilt my head, and respond, “Since we’re playing true confessions… You know how I told you I came over once a week to cook for your parents?”
He slips a hand around my finger and pulls my finger up to his lips, offering a soft kiss. “Ummm-hmmm.”
“Once a month, I had your mom teach me how to make a Jamaican dish. I told them I wanted to surprise you when you got home, but secretly, I knew I would need to know because… well.” It’s my turn to wag a finger between us.
Visions of cooking for my future husband flash in my head, the blur of children running around the dining room table, laughter and love in the air.
Five years we spent apart, yet we both knew what our future would bring. We each took steps to prepare. My heart races for the man I was always destined to love.
“Next barbeque,” he begins, “I’m putting you on jerk chicken and peas and rice duties.” His golden smile lights the pathway to our future. “Can we talk about that kiss?”
A jolt of fear shoots through me. I immediately know which one he’s talking about—the Trent kiss.
“I didn’t…”
He raises a hand to halt me. “Thank you.”
I blink, unsure that I’ve heard correctly. “Wh-wh-what?”
“I needed to see that.” He exhales. “You are the patient one, the one willing to wait to get what you want. I hadn’t realized until you made that bold move that I had pushed you to the edge of your patience.” I nod, pleased he understood my intent and doesn’t harbor any hurt feelings. “Can I ask you to do something for me?” A strange laugh escapes his mouth, and he shakes his head. “Rather to not do something for me.”
I’m way ahead of him. “No worries. I’m not going out with Trent ever again. He’ll be gone in another week, anyway.”
“Maybe not.”
Lucas takes my hand and leads me to my bed. We slip down, side to side, our knees touching. “You know about the Fairbanks interview?”
I nod. I recall the three pen lights on his desktop.
“They offered me the job on the spot.”
“Oh my god, Lucas, that’s great.” I give him a playful shove.
“I turned it down.”
I hold my breath. It’s the right choice for him. He was never Fairbanks material and would have grown to hate working there. Lucas, however, isn’t impulsive. If he turned it down, there is more. I bite my lower lip and pray it’s not what I think it is.
“I gave Dad’s friend Trent’s CV. Trent doesn’t know it yet, but they’re going to reach out next week for an interview. He’s going to crush it.”
“Does this mean…?” My mind races ahead.
“If he gets it, he’s welcome to stay with us. Mom and Dad are already on board. They like having him around, and something tells me he’d enjoy some home-cooked meals.”
