He’s perfect, and he’smine.
Some days it’s nearly impossible to believe I could have been solucky.
Is this the man I get to spend my foreverwith?
And yet, within me, there’s aworry.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, as though he senses thisuneasiness.
“Nothing,” I lie, which earns me a sternlook.
“This horrible thought crosses my mind from time to time. That suddenly I wake up and none of it was real. I’m back in the shelter, having never really known Stan or Charlotte, or Ty, or you… And I’m just this angry kid, but now with the awareness of a life I never got tohave.”
I didn’t think it would affect me so much, but the water shifting in my eyes assures me that the terror of such a reality would be too cruel…and perhaps maybe more real than anything I’ve gotten to experience up to this point in mylife.
He leans closer to me and offers another kiss. Gentle, but filled with that same spark, the one I’ve acclimated to through all the kisses we’veshared.
“Does that feel like a dream?” he asks in a way that suggests just how much he realizes all that he’s able to do tome.
And the life it stirs, the flood of emotion and intoxicating passion, is almost overwhelming when juxtaposed with the fear racing through the back of mymind.
I shake my head. “No.”
He kisses me again, deeper this time, between each one asking, “And…is…this…a…dream?”
“No.”
However, there’s a part of me fearing that at any moment my eyes might pop open and none of it would bereal.
Oh God, please let it all bereal.
* * *
Ty and I walk uphill,across the asphalt street, to the complex where Julio’s swimsuit boutique is located. After taking a light jog that morning with Ty, he encouraged me to make an appointment with Julio so we can grab suits for a party Eric told us about earlier—one his friend Liam plans to meet usat.
We stop in the street and glance between buildingsAandB, designated by iron letters hung on eitherbuilding.
“Which one was it?” Ty asks as we searcharound.
There are four apartment buildings in the complex:A-D. We had this same issue the last time we were here, but I’m struggling to remember which building we guessed wrongbefore.
“B, right?” heasks.
“I genuinely have no idea. I can’t remember if you saidBwas right, and we went toAand it was wrong, orAwas right, and it turned out to beB.”
“Now you’re making me think it wasD.”
I’m laughing. “Can you check on yourphone?”
“Eh, I’ll just call.” Ty takes out his phone and dials the designer. “Hey, Julio, whichbuilding—”
“C!” I distinctly hear Julio say, and I could bash my forehead against thegate.
“Now how did neither of us remember that?” Ty asks before telling Julio we’d be there shortly. We follow the street to theCcomplex and make our way through the building before reaching his familiar door with the signageJulio’s Designsoutfront.
Another guy answers the door. “Hey,” he says, a broad smile stretching across his face as he extends his hand tome.
We shake and then he shakes hands with Ty. “I’m Martin, Julio’spartner.”
