That one question
Has me keeping you.”
“Chase.” His name came out of me with a crack and tears pricked my eyes. My heart melted at the words he created about us. I knew it was him who created it because of the gusto he put into saying them. He was proud of them and the way his eyes stared me down had me knowing he wanted to hear exactly what I thought of it. “I love it so much.”
“It’s not too much?” he questioned.
“No. It’s simple and sweet. Pure to no fault and it’s absolutely us.”
“I want to publish it.”
His words should have shocked me, but they didn’t because I knew at some point this would come up. This was him telling me he was still writing, like I hoped he had been.
“When?”
“Wait.” He moved forward in his chair. “You don’t want to know more?”
“Why should I? Your work is fantastic and if publishing is something you want to do, I am here to support you, Chase.”
He leaned back and shook his head in shock.
“Chase.” I squeezed his hand. “I used to read all your work. Anywhere I could find it, I devoured it. I followed you on Live Journal and any social media I could get my hands on because I knew you posted your poems every few weeks.”
“It was all about you.” He admitted and part of my heart sang.
“I always had this little bit of hope that they were, but I never wanted to assume.” I smiled down at where our hands were connected, looking from his wedding band to mine.
“It’s only ever been about you, Erica. All of it. That’s why I want your blessing in this, because these poems aren’t just about you, they are about us, our story together, our journey. I want others to know that love can last a lifetime even when you aren’t together. I want them to feel what we’ve felt all these years, together and apart.”
“I would love to read them all.”
I smiled at Chase, watching as excitement filled his face and he scrolled through his phone.
“I’m emailing them to you now. Read them, see what you think. If there is anything you don’t want, we don’t have to put it in. I don’t want this to be just about the words either. I want to add photos. I want this to be our story to the world, not just my story about us.”
“I love that idea.”
“I love that you are completely on board with this. I thought I was going to have to convince you.”
Chase laughed at me, but I put his doubts to rest.
“Chase.” I leaned forward and placed a hand on his cheek. “Don’t think I don’t know that you persuaded Max to let me start working the photo shoots at work, that you made my dreams come true of being a photographer, but not making it feel like work.”
His eyes softened and my assumption I’d had for years was finally confirmed.
“I’m here to make your dreams come true now, Chase. Whatever they may be.”
Chase leaned in the other half of the table, his lips pressing against mine in a fiery kiss that showed just how much adoration was shared between the two of us in this exact moment.
“My dreams have already come true, with just having you.”
