Chapter 40
Mia
It had been two weeks since I’d seen Derek and it was killing me. We’d returned to Melbourne, and it seemed like as soon as we did, the chaos began. Zoe was ecstatic about our decision. All she wanted was for Derek to be happy. Sure, she was going to miss him, but they both knew it was time for them to live again. Time to move on from simply existing. My parents were a little harder to convince that moving away was the best thing for me. Dad had been dead set against it, but after spending some time with Derek, including an afternoon on the golf course, Dad gave his blessing and wished us well.
Derek had to go, so as hard as it was to watch him pack up and drive away, knowing I’d soon be following him made it hurt a little less. I had a few things to finish up before I joined him to begin our new life. A new life I was over the moon about. A new life I couldn’t wait to start, especially knowing I was starting it with Derek.
“So that’s it.” I grinned as I dropped the master set of keys, my set of keys to the gym in Zoe’s outstretched palm.
“Are you sure you want me to do this? I mean, I’m a mess. You barely know me. What if I screw it all up for you, Mia? This place, this place is your everything.”
“Zoe, you’ll be fine. I trust you. You’ve got this. Just believe in yourself, like Derek does. Like I do, and you’ll be fine. And if you get in to trouble, just call. I’m always here.”
“But…”
“No! No buts this time, Zoe. This place, it was my everything. After what happened I needed it to be. Now, well, now I don’t. Now I’m ready to live again. I can’t wait to see what’s next. And it’s time for you too. You’re stronger than you know. Spencer loved you, Zoe, never forget that. He may not be here every day to remind you, and I may not have ever met him, but I know that. And if he loves you even half of the way I feel for Derek, then you’re a very lucky woman.”
Zoe didn’t argue. Instead she jumped forward and hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe but I wasn’t about to push her aside. Zoe was now the manager of my gym. I trusted her with my baby. Truthfully, she was probably the only person I’d ever trust with it.
“I got to go. Derek’s waiting.”
“Give him a hug for me.”
“That I can do,” I promised as I slipped behind the wheel and started the car.
I had no reservations or regrets about leaving. I was getting what I always wanted. A chance. A chance to have the life I’d only dreamed of. And Derek was the man who was offering it up. We hadn’t given up on the idea of having a family, we’d talked about it some and Derek continued to surprise me. He wasn’t against anything. Adoption, surrogacy, fostering. It was all on the table. If I wanted to be a mum, Derek promised he’d find a way to make it happen. But even if we didn’t end up having the houseful of rug rats we’d both dreamed of, with him I knew my life would never be boring.
I glanced in the rear-view mirror, wishing for one last time. Josie hadn’t come to say bye. I’d spoken to her a bit over the last couple of weeks and it seemed every time we made plans to catch up she either cancelled at the last minute or didn’t show at all. It was frustrating as all hell. I just wanted her to give me a hug and tell me I was doing the right thing. She wasn’t there, though. She wasn’t coming. Squeezing my eyes shut, a stray tear escaped and I wiped it away quickly before waving to Zoe and pulling out into the traffic.
I didn’t need to be sad. This was the start of my new adventure. My new life. I couldn’t wait another minute to get on with it.
