I didn’t know where he was going with this but I answered with the truth. “Yes, she does, Bud.”
“Do you think I look like Mitch?” Billy asked.
Oh God.
Oh God.
“Yes,” I answered softly.
“That woman at that restaurant, she said we had a beautiful family,” Billy reminded me and Mitch’s arm around me grew tight.
“She did,” I told him. “And we didn’t get it then but she was right.”
Billy kept hold of my eyes then his shifted to Mitch before they moved to the floor and he asked, “Mitch, you marry Auntie Mara, can Billie and me have your name?”
Oh God!
God, God, God!
“You want it then absolutely,” Mitch replied.
I started deep breathing.
Billy’s eyes came back to me.
Then, even though he whispered it, I heard him when he said, “You should know, I love you too, Auntie Mara.”
Then he disappeared in the shadows.
My breath hitched again and this time I didn’t succeed in holding back the thousands of tears. Luckily, I did succeed in not bursting into loud ones, just lots of silent ones.
Mitch divested me of my wineglass, I burrowed into him and when he’d put my glass by his beer on the coffee table, he pulled me into both of his arms.
It took some time but I pulled myself together.
Then I whispered into his neck, “I love you Detective Mitchell James Lawson.”
Mitch’s arms gave me a squeeze. “I know, baby. I love you too.”
“That was done well, honey.” I shifted to kiss his throat then tilted my head back to look at him to find he’d tipped his down to look at me. “Thank you.”
“Anytime and every time, sweetheart,” Mitch replied.
I liked that.
Anytime and every time, now and throughout our lives with our family.
Again, my soul sighed but my mouth smiled.
“Proud as hell of you, what you did earlier with your mother and aunt,” Mitch told me.
My smile got bigger and I informed him, “Just so you know, your kiss communicated that.”
Mitch smiled back at me. “Right.”
“Something else you should know,” I whispered. “I was able to do that because of you.”
“Mara –” he started but I shook my head and pressed deeper into him.