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It soared.
“You what?”
“I mean, if you hate it—”
“You what?!” I exclaimed again, stunned by his words. “You bought me an art studio?!”
“Yeah. I know you don’t have as much space to work and figured since you’ll probably be doing a lot more commissions since your gallery show, you’d need the space to make it happen.”
“Damian.”
“Yes?”
“I adore you.”
He laughed and lifted Milo from his lap. “You haven’t even seen it yet. You might hate it.”
“There is literally no way in which I would ever hate this.” I started getting giddy and rubbing my hands. “Can we go look at it?”
“Of course.”
We headed inside, and right as I turned the doorknob, my heart got caught in my throat. It was beautiful, with so much natural light shining through the space. It was all painted white with floor-to-ceiling windows and had different stations where I could set up my supplies.
“It’s over three thousand square feet, and I figured you can have your own showcases here to display your artwork. You can have your fancy galas with your this-time-priced-correctly pieces. I made you a few business cards, too, over here. If you hate the design, you can change it, of course, but—”
I cut him off with my lips on his. He placed Milo down and then he pulled me into a hug.
“You like it?”
“I love it. I don’t deserve this.”
“You deserve everything good in this world, Stella.”
And just like that, the love for this man deepened within my soul.
After spending some time in the studio—my studio—we headed back home. Milo spent most of the day cuddled up between Damian and me. When nightfall came, we put Milo to bed and walked out toward the ocean.
Damian held my hand as we allowed the water to wash over our toes. In my mind, I thanked Kevin for bringing Damian into my life. Quietly, I told Mama how good it felt to be happy for maybe the first time in a long time.
I didn’t even have to wonder anymore if Damian felt the same way about me because every time he touched me, I knew.
We made love on Christmas morning and made love in the sand on Christmas night.
26
Stella
A few days after Christmas,I was still on a high from the holiday. Milo and Damian were inseparable, and every time I saw them together, my heart would soar. I spent the morning getting everything organized for my studio. I sat at my computer, making lists of things I’d need and deciding how I’d set up the space. There were so many possibilities for how the studio could be used, and I was more than excited to explore them all.
As I was sitting at my computer, I gasped when an email popped up. Followed by another. And another.
A flood of commissions began to hit my inbox, and I felt an overwhelming sense of excitement. “Oh my goodness,” I muttered. I rushed from the living room to see Damian, and without any lead-up, I shouted, “Five!”
He raised an eyebrow from his own work. “Five?”
“Sorry. Excited. I mean, firstly, before I explode, hi, how are you? How was your day?” I asked, trying to control my excitement.
He snickered a little. “Good and good. Now, tell me your news before you explode.”
