gave in to mine.
“You can’t kiss me like that if you live here with another woman.”
“Oh, I live here with another woman alright,” I tease, and her eyes narrow to slits. “She’s a real beauty. Blonde and slim. Blue eyes and smart. She’s a real princess.”
The angry energy vibrating off Emily almost electrocutes me. I can’t wait to get her in this bed and spark when we connect.
“I hate you,” she says as a tear slips from her eye.
“You just said you loved me,” I remind her, smiling at her like the mean bastard I am. “Besides, the other woman is only six. I think she’ll understand.”
The silent pause weighs heavily between us until reality settles in.
“But the sandals . . .” she whispers.
“They’re yours, babe. Did you forget about them?” They’re the shoes I kept the night I walked her home. Maybe she did forget. Maybe they didn’t mean anything to her.
“Why are they by the front door?”
“We’re waiting for Cinderella to come home.”
She stares at me. It takes a minute before my implication hits home.
“See, I know a fairy tale or two myself. And those shoes are waiting for the woman they fit, but after chasing her, I knew she needed to make her own decision.” I stare back at her. “Are you back for good, Emily?”
“I don’t have a place to live.” She chuckles quietly as another tear slips down her cheek.
“Yes, you do, baby, and you know it. You need to stay right here where you belong. With me and Katie.”
She nods, and the tears fall faster, and the scene would break my heart if I didn’t think they were tears of something other than sadness.
“I love you, too,” I say when I realize I hadn’t said it back to her. “I want you to stay with me and Katie. I pick you. Pick us.”
“Us?” she whispers.
“Me and Katie and you.”
“I do, Jess.” The tears fall harder as she leans into me. “I do.”
Our mouths come together again, this time sweeter, until I walk her to the bed, where I plan to be anything but sweet with her.
My Emily has come back to me, and I’m going to show her she’s my precious rose in a garden.
And I’d find her and pick her, again and again and again.
Epilogue
Speak from the heart.
[Emily]
On a beautiful fall day, amid the vibrant yellows, reds, and oranges of the trees overhanging Nana’s backyard, Jess and I sit on a blanket where he’s prepared a picnic lunch for us. It’s one of those gorgeous pleasant and warm afternoons that make you want to be outdoors one last time before winter hits. Katie is off at school, talking successfully and making new friends, and Jess wants a few hours alone together to play hooky from life. The backyard feels romantic because of all the different moments we’ve shared together here, both before I went away and after I came back for good.
“Wine in the afternoon,” I tease as he reaches into the basket and pulls a bottle of white zinfandel.
“My girl likes sweet things,” he teases back. He knows how much I love this wine.
“And, we have much to celebrate.” He pours a glass of my favorite Michigan wine and hands it to me. He pours himself a glass even though he doesn’t really like the sweet stuff, and he clinks the edge of his flute to mine. “I love you.”
While that’s celebratory in and of itself, I know that can’t be it, but I say the words back to him and we drink.
“I have some news,” he begins again, and I look up at him. His hair is loose and a bit shorter, brushing the sides of his jaw. His eyes match the sky today, and the intensity in them is softer than usual. I wait with anxious anticipation and watch as he lowers to his side. “The design for the radio sold.”
“Oh, my gosh. That’s amazing!” I still don’t understand all the electrical jargon, but I’m so proud of him. I set my wine glass to the side and lean forward to kiss him, which heats up beyond a little congratulatory kiss. When we break apart, I bite my lip in restraint. I want more of him, but we haven’t eaten yet, and this moment seems important to him.
“I’m so excited for you, Jess. This is so great.” He knows I mean it. The inventor in him needed to share what he’d done and prove he didn’t need a fancy workspace