“Gifts. They are gifts.”
“They are health hazards.”
“Agree to disagree.”
Speaking of Purrsephone—who was currently at home, ruling our house with an iron paw and probably plotting something nefarious—my phone buzzed with a notification. I pulled it out and found a text from our personal assistant Leslie, complete with a photo.
The image showed Purrsephone curled up on our couch, wearing a tiny party hat, looking deeply offended by its existence. The caption read:She knows something importantis happening. She’s not happy about being excluded. Happy anniversary, boys.
I showed Samuel, and he burst out laughing.
“God, I love that cat.”
“You love that cat more than you love me.”
“Impossible.” He pulled me closer, wrapping an arm around my waist. “But she’s a close second.”
Across the room, the director clinked a glass and called for everyone’s attention. There would be speeches soon. Toasts. Probably tears, knowing this crowd.
But for this moment, I just stood there with Samuel’s arm around me, looking at a photo of our ridiculous cat in a party hat, feeling something I’d spent most of my life convinced I’d never find.
Content. Loved. Home.
“Hey,” Samuel whispered. “You know what I was thinking about earlier?”
“Hmm?”
“That list. The one you won’t let me see.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “The naughty list.”
I felt heat creep up my neck. “That’s private.”
He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “I was wondering... have we crossed everything off yet?”
“Most things.”
“Most?” His eyebrows rose. “There are still a few items remaining?”
“One or two.” I smiled, slow and deliberate. “I’ve been saving them for a special occasion.”
“Like an anniversary?”
“Exactly like an anniversary.”
Samuel’s grip on my waist tightened. “How long do we have to stay at this party?”
“At least through the speeches. Possibly the toasts.”
“And after that?”
I turned to face him fully, letting him see everything I was feeling. The love and desire. The certainty that whatever came next, we’d face it together.
“After that,” I said, “we go home, apologize to Purrsephone for leaving her with Leslie, and I show you exactly what’s left on that list.”
Samuel’s smile was everything. “Best anniversary ever.”
“It’s only the first one.”
“First of many.” He kissed me again, soft and sweet and full of promise. “First of many.”
