God, how had we stopped communicating for so many weeks? Months? I mean, I was glad we were now, but starting back up was tough. So many damn roadblocks.
“Didn’t we go over this last night? There is nothing about you”—I squeezed her biceps—“not a thingthat I find unsexy.”
She refused to make eye contact. “Sure.”
This woman. Stubborn didn’t cover it, though I liked seeing her spunky side again. “Grace, like I said, no adult-lactation kink here, but I find you absolutely attractive when I see you nursing Mia. It’s not like the nursing is sexy, but more that you, with your body, are making this baby of ours that you already grewinside youflourish on the outside. And again, you are doing that withyour body.I mean, it’s damn miraculous. I can’t do that, don’t you see?”
She was facing me now, tears streaming down her face as she listened.
“Women should rule the world because they created it and everyone in it. So yes, I find you sexy. Nursing, pumping, whatever. I am in awe of you, baby, and I wish like hell you could see it.”
She leaned forward, pressing her lips to mine before sitting back in her seat. “Aidan Russo, I fucking love you.”
My smile met hers. “That’s awesome, Grace Russo, because I fucking love you too.”
With that, we headed into the house where Mia was absolutely waiting up for us with some sore gums that would only be soothed by a little Tylenol and time with her mom.
As I closed up the house for the night, I heard Grace singing Miley Cyrus’s “Used to be Young” and shook my head with a smile. She loved Miley and enjoyed expounding to anyone who would listen to her about how the media spun Miley’s narrative to be a negative one. I poked my head in to tease her a bit but stopped when I saw the way she was looking at Mia as she serenaded her while Mia nursed. Mia’s gaze was locked on Grace’s, her hand on Grace’s mouth. The love between the two of them was palpable and fucking beautiful.
My mom’s words in mind, I silently slid my phone out of my back pocket and took a picture before backing out of the room. Many more to take to make up for the past few months, but I would do better for the two loves of my life. We had this.
Chapter13
Holiday Glow
Grace
I was wiped. The library had been a zoo. With two days until Christmas, parents had been in, stocking up on books for their little ones over the holidays. We had activity bags to go with different art projects for kids to do while at home with their families. Tim was a machine, handing out paper bags, reading to kids, and arguing with Aslan as she vocalized her displeasure for Tim daring to run out of treats for her. The nerve.
I kept busy finishing grants that had a deadline of year’s end. With the bookstore and the school, we were working on a big grant that would run through the Library of Congress. It was a bit ambitious, but I thought we had a shot at it. We weren’t as big as some of their award recipients in the past like First Book or Dolly’s Imagination Library, but we were just as vital and in our rural area. Book access was an issue for some.
By the time I took a break after grant writing and filling in downstairs when Gabby had to leave, taking her opinionated feline with her, I realized it was the afternoon and my breakfast was a distant memory and lunch was past. I was just mentally taking an inventory on any food we had in the kitchen that wasn’t loaded with sugar when the door opened and Allyson ducked inside.
“Hey, stranger,” I called as she made her way to the circulation desk where I was standing with Tim.
Tim snorted at Allyson’s T-shirt, which saidI Run on Coffee and Christmas Cheer.“Nice shirt.”
“Ditto,” Allyson said, high-fiving Tim for his ugly Christmas sweatshirt that statedDon We Now Our Gay Apparelin rainbow colors.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?” I said, grateful for the lull so that I had a moment to visit with a friend before wrapping everything up for the day.
The library had limited hours for Christmas Eve. We were closed, of course, on Christmas. I was hoping to finish all I needed to do so that I could actually enjoy the next two days at home. Tim had volunteered to man the library tomorrow with Gabby, so I wouldn’t be back in here until the twenty-sixth.
“A little birdy called the café and asked if we could do a delivery,” Allyson said as she placed a bag on the counter.
Looking inside, I saw some of her wrap sandwiches, two side Caesars, and a variety of pastries and cookies.
“Score!” Tim said, pulling the buffet out on the desk.
I looked from the food to Allyson. “Aidan?”
“Got it in one,” she said. “He called and said he knew you were swamped today and hadn’t brought your lunch, but he was hung up in Champaign doing last-minute shopping with his mom before she headed back. I volunteered to bring some food by.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” I said half-heartedly as I grabbed the salad and dug in. “So good,” I said around a mouthful.
“Clearly you’re conflicted about this gift from your beloved,” Tim said, taking a bite of a chocolate peanut butter cookie with a moan that was positively pornographic. After he finished chewing, he continued. “I don’t have such feelings. Aidan just jumped up a few points in my book because I’m assuming you aren’t eating all this, so I’m going to do you a favor and share with you.”
“Oh, he asked me to bring your favorite wrap,” Allyson said, turning the wraps over to read the labels. “Here you go,” she handed one to him.
