Rhett comes into the kitchen, naked but for a pair of white shorts, and he still looks perfect in a way that makes my heart squeeze.
“Good morning,” he says softly.
“Morning,” I murmur, feeling shy and giddy all at once.
He nods to my almost-empty cup. “Do you want a refill?”
“Yes, please,” I say.
He refills my cup and makes one for himself. He comes and sits down opposite me, placing my cup in front of me. I pick it up and sip my coffee, feeling suddenly shy. We need a big conversation, and I don’t know how to start it. We sit there in silence for a moment, drinking in the quiet, before he breaks it.
“Pippa, we need to talk about us.”
I nod, expecting something heavy or dramatic. But he just smiles at me, warm and calm, and I feel a rush of relief. It seems he knows where to go with this, even if I don’t.
“I meant it,” he says, moving to sit beside me. “When I gave you the ring back. I really want us to be engaged. For real. You and me. That’s it.”
My heart stutters. “You really want to get serious with Mrs. Jessica Rabbit?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.
He cups my face gently. “Yup. I want to get serious, very serious with Mrs. Jessica Rabbit.”
“Ok, that’s good. Because Mrs. Jessica Rabbit wants that too,” I say, looking at my ring, which always makes me smile, and this time is no exception. “And you know what else? I think I’m going to accept Max’s offer.”
“Good. Because I want you here with me, in New York. I want us to build our life together. I want you to move in with me, and not just for convenience, but because I want you here. I want to fall asleep beside you every night and wake up with you every morning.”
Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, but they’re happy ones. I throw my arms around him, hugging him tight. “I want that too,” I murmur. “I can’t believe this is real.”
He laughs softly, kissing the top of my head. “It’s real, Pippa. And it’s ours.”
We get ready, and then we spend the day talking about the logistics of my move and how we’ll manage our schedules. Everyplan, every word makes life feel more tangible, more ours. We only take a break for lunch and then get right back to it.
Eventually, when I feel like we have worked out enough details for our plan not to seem like a whim, I pick up my phone and call my parents. The line connects almost immediately, and their excited, squealing voices fill my ears when I give them my news. I laugh and cry at the same time, sharing the details, explaining everything to them. Their excitement for my new life and career makes my heart swell.
When I end the call, I dial Sandra and Lucy in the group chat. Their shrieks of delight are loud enough to make me tear up again, and we spend a long, giddy half hour talking about wedding plans, Manhattan life, and how I should play the part of Jessica Rabbit as the face of RIP.
Rhett smiles indulgently at me as he passes by on the way to his study. When I finally hang up and go to him, he pulls me close.
“We’ve got a friend coming over for dinner tonight,” he says casually, as if it’s a minor detail, but there’s a glint in his eyes. “I’ll cook if you want to go upstairs and get gorgeous.”
“Who is it?” I ask.
“You’ll see,” he says with a mysterious smile.
I laugh, feeling a surge of excitement and nervous energy as I head upstairs. I sit on the bed for a moment while I think about what to wear. Once we decided I was definitely staying, I unpacked my things again as we talked, and they are now in Rhett’s room. Oops, our room.
Just as I’m starting to pull together an outfit, my cell phone rings. The name on the screen makes me pause. Maria. I pick the cell phone up and swipe to answer her call. I bring the cell phone up to my ear.
“Hello,” I say.
“Pippa, hi,” she says, her voice rushing, slightly panicked. “I just wanted to call and apologize. About the video. I didn’t think it would upset you. I thought … I thought you’d see the funny side of it.”
I inhale slowly, realizing how tense I’ve been since I saw her name on my cell phone screen. “I’m sorry too. I overreacted. It was unexpected and embarrassing, yes, but I … I shouldn’t have rushed out like that.”
There’s a pause, then a laugh through the line. “Pippa, you’re mad, you know. The video of you was a brilliant touch. Honestly. I chose it because it shows you as someone funny, confident, hot, someone they’d all love. That’s why I put it together. I knew our group would eat it up.”
I smile, a warm, relieved feeling spreading through me. “Thank you, for seeing me that way. I needed to hear that.”
She laughs again, light and melodic. “You’re welcome. Don’t make plans for Friday. We’re going for cocktails. Just you and me and all those texts I’ve had from my guy friends about how to contact you.”
