Why the hell did I knock?
I hadn’t knocked since our first few days together. Theo had even shown me where the spare key was so I never had to stand outside, even when I was meeting them there and they weren’t home yet.
What was I doing?
Within seconds, the door swung open to reveal Debbie in her pajamas, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth.
“Willie Wee!” she said around the toothbrush, which made the words come out as something closer to “Wizzie Woo.”
“Hey there, princess. Finish brushing your teeth. Get those back ones good for me, okay?”
She hated brushing her teeth. I had to constantly remind her to brush long enough to get them good and clean.
She disappeared toward the bathroom, and Theo appeared a moment later, looking slightly frazzled and completely beautiful in his rumpled cardigan.
“How did it go with Mrs. Chen?” he asked, stepping aside to let me in.
“She fired me,” I said, and was surprised to hear how lost I sounded.
Theo’s expression shifted from casual interest to concern. “Fired you?”
“She said she doesn’t need help anymore, which is good. She’s feeling better, but . . .” I trailed off, suddenly uncertain how to explain what I was feeling.
“But?” Theo prompted gently as he guided me toward the couch.
I struggled to meet his gaze, mumbling my next words toward folded hands. “But now I don’t have an excuse to come over every night.”
The words hung in the air between us.
Theo’s eyes widened slightly, and I realized what I’d just admitted.
“Do you need an excuse?” he asked quietly.
My eyes shot upward, and I looked at him—really looked at him—at the way his hair stuck up despite his obvious attempts to tame it, at the soft brown eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses, at the mouth that smiled so easily and kissed me like I was the most precious thing in the world.
“No,” I said, taking his hands in mine. “I guess . . . I don’t need an excuse. I just need you.”
His smile started small and spread across his entire face like sunrise painting the sky with every beautiful color that had ever existed or would ever shine in the heavens.
“Good,” he said, reaching up to cup my cheek. “Because we need you, too. Both of us.”
From the bathroom came the sound of running water and Debbie’s voice calling out, “Are you kissing again? I want to see!”
We both laughed, and I leaned forward to press my forehead against his.
“I know it’s too soon and I shouldn’t say anything so crazy or silly or deep, especially because I’m not very deep most of thetime and we’ve only known each other a couple of months and you have a life and a daughter and—”
“I love you,” he cut me off.
And turned my whole being to ice and fire and warmth and light and—
“I think I loved you that first day. It just took a little time to realize it.”
My mouth opened.
Then closed.
Then opened again.
