“Yes.” She pauses. “I mean,oui.” She’s still not smiling, which tells me she doesn’t really want to move to Paris. She wants to run.
“What about your job?”
She shrugs. “I could find something there. Maybe work in a café.”
“Is that what you really want?”
Slowly, her head moves back and forth. A sob erupts. “I just want to stop feeling this pain.” Her hand is pressing on the center of her chest. “It’s like the wound just keeps getting reopened over and over again. I’m sick of it, Hudson. I want to stop thinking about her. It hurts too much.”
“I know.” God. I’m in uncharted territory. Willa’s always been open with me, but this is different. “Tell me what you want. I’ll get it for you. I’ll do whatever it is you need to do. Tell me how I can help. Do you want me to hire movers? We can store your things for now…”
“No.” Willa flops onto the sofa. “All of this stuff is just that—stuff. I don’t want it anymore. I want a fresh start.”
Looking around the room, I spot her duffle bag. “Let’s go. Pack this up. I’ll get Barney’s gear.”
And the weirdest thing happens. She laughs. Not her cackle or her giggle. Just a laugh. To be honest, I’d worry if I hadn’t seen it for myself. She doesn’t look crazy. She looks—I don’t know. Resolved? She stands and comes to me; all the while I hold my breath. I’m the most frightened I’ve ever been in my life because whatever she says next, will change everything. I know it like I know my own name. I look down at her, a Mona Lisa smile on her face, and wait.
“I love you, Hudson.”
What?
Neither one of us has said it before. I’d wanted to, but it never felt like the right time.
“I love you too, Willa.”
“I know.” She places her hands in mine. “I know.”
Hopefully she knows because I try to show her each and every day how much she means to me, but men don’t always know what they’re doing when it comes to shit like that.
“You know?”
“I do.”
“I’m glad.”
“Me too.”
We’re quiet for a minute or two. “Do you still want to move to Paris?” Because I could probably figure it out.
“No. I’d like to visit someday.”
“Done.” Honeymoon.
“Do you want to move back into my place?”
She frowns. “Maybe. I was thinking it’d be nice to have a yard. Maybe get a dog.”
“A dog?” I’ve always wanted a dog. “How do you think Barney would feel about a dog brother or sister?”
She giggles. Finally. “He’d adapt.”
I’ve no doubt. “House hunting together could be fun.”
“I agree.”
“Let’s make a list of what we’re looking for. We’ll get online and look at listings. That’d be fun, wouldn’t it?”
“It would. Let’s do it.” Pulling her with me, we sit on the couch. “One thing though.”
