Josephine laughed. “Remember when we played Pictionary with Gladys? You two spent ten minutes arguing over whether your stick figure was supposed to be a horse or a giraffe.”
I crossed my arms. “It was a horse, obviously.”
Topher groaned. “A horse? It had horns!”
I shrugged innocently. “That’s just artistic flair.”
Topher shook his head, drawing his cards. “This is why ‘friendly’ isn’t in our vocabulary.”
“You should’ve known better than to challenge me to anything,” I teased, the warmth from his earlier touch still buzzing through me. “Remember the last time we played Monopoly?”
Topher winced dramatically. “Don’t remind me. I’m still recovering from losing Park Place.” He held up his single card with a smirk. “UNO!”
I quickly threw down a yellow three, but not before our hands brushed against each other again. This time, Topher’s fingers lingered, curling around mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. My heart stuttered in my chest, and a giddy rush spread through me. Every touch, every stolen glance, made it harder to focus on the game. I squeezed his hand back, barely able to keep the grin off my face.
I tried to keep my eyes on the game, but the warmth of his hand made it impossible to focus. Curiosity got the better of me, and I glanced at him, only to find his eyes already on me. His gaze was steady, and the soft, heartwarming smile that tugged at his lips sent a rush of heat through me, making my pulse race all over again.
Josephine’s eyes flickered to our joined hands, and she smiled knowingly. “You know, I’m happy both of you came with me to the doctor today.” Her voice was soft, almost tender. “It means a lot to have you here.”
I felt another slight tug in my chest, her words pulling at something deeper. The moment felt sweet, almost like we were a little team.
Then, with a glint in her eye, Josephine’s tone shifted to one of pure mischief. She slapped down a Draw Four card with the precision of someone who had planned this moment all along, her grin wide as Topher groaned.
“Ruthless,” he muttered.
Josephine grinned proudly. “And don’t you forget it.”
The room filled with laughter, but all I could focus on was the warmth of Topher’s hand still in mine and the way each little touch made me feel like I was floating.
I was ready to throw another teasing jab when the door creaked open, cutting through the moment.
Alex stepped inside, his expression serious as his eyes landed on our intertwined hands. Something shifted in his face, a quick flicker of surprise, before he masked it. “Dr. Julius wants to speak with you, Mrs. Brodie. Nothing urgent, just some health updates. But immediate family only.”
As I stood up and walked to follow Alex to the door, Topher shifted in his seat, his eyes meeting mine. He looked uneasy, his brow furrowed. His fingers twitched slightly, like he wanted to say something.
Without thinking, I smiled softly and reached out, my hand brushing gently against his shoulder. “I’ll be right back.”
He nodded, and the tension in his eyes eased.
I left with Alex, his overly crisp shirt and tousled brown hair doing nothing to stir the emotions they once had. I could objectively admit that Alex was still ridiculously good-looking, but in a “Ken doll who models for budget cologne ads” kind of way. His shirt was so crisp that it looked as if it had just been steamed, and his hair was perfectly styled, with what I knew was an entire shelf of hair products.
“How are you?” Alex asked, his voice softer than I expected, like he was actually interested in the answer for once.
I raised an eyebrow, half expecting a catch. “I’m really good. I’ve been considering returning to school for a career in social work. I might want to be a therapist.”
Alex blinked, clearly taken aback. “A therapist? Really?”
“Yeah.” I nodded, surprising even myself with how sure I sounded. “I think I’d be good at it.”
To my surprise, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “You would be. You’ve always had a way of helping people, getting them to open up.”
I grinned, feeling a wave of genuine happiness wash over me. How did this happen? Life was good, and I was right where I was supposed to be. Almost four weeks ago, I’d been fired, evicted, and dumped in one spectacularly bad string of events. Now, there I was, feeling on top of the world. It was almost ridiculous. Who would’ve guessed I’d be smiling at my ex, feeling generous enough even to humor this conversation?
“Thanks,” I said, the absurdity of it all settling in. “Things have been really... falling into place.”
His eyes roamed over my face like he was searching for something. “You look so good. Really. You’ve got this glow about you.”
I looked terrific, and I knew it. I couldn’t stop smiling. I’d slipped into a simple, fitted dress that hugged my curves in all the right places, and my hair was having one of those rare, glorious days where it fell in soft waves as if I’d just stepped out of a shampoo commercial. For once, Alex’s polished, over-the-top appearance didn’t rattle me. I felt fantastic, and it showed.
