Kimberly doesn’t speak for a moment, letting me process my own words.
“I want to date him, normally. We haven’t had a chance to just be a normal couple, and while I want to be with him all the time, we need to get out of our bubble.”
“Good, those are both great. What else?” Kimberly asks.
“I want him to meet my family.” Imagining a day spentwith Thomas, my sisters and grandmother makes my heart flutter in excitement. I want that. The comfort of all my favorite people in one place.
There’s a hint of nervousness when I think about it, because what if they don’t like him when they get to know him? At the same time, I know how easy it is to know and love Thomas, so the fear disappears as soon as it appears. They also will love him because I do.
“What went through your brain just now?” Kimberly wonders.
“I got worried they wouldn’t like him, but then I realized that if I love him, then they will, too. He’s easy to love.”
“Tell me more,” Kimberly prompts.
“I want to meet his family. I’ve met some of them, but not his parents. It’s going to be scary, but I know if he’s what I want, then it’s what I have to do.”
“Those are very good goals, Hannah. Are there any more?”
“Not right now.”
“Good. How are you going to achieve those goals?”
This is easier I suppose. “Go on dates, see if I can go to a Sunday brunch with Thomas, and coordinate something with my family to meet him as my partner.”
“Wonderful. It seems like you have a good grasp on what you want, Hannah. I know how hard your anxiety can make things, but I’m proud of you, and how far you’ve come, especially with this huge change in your life.”
“Thank you,” I murmur, my cheeks flushing. It feels good to make a plan for a few things, and as always, there’s still work to be done, but it’s a good start.
48
THOMAS
Iknock on Hannah’s apartment door, my nerves brimming on edge. We’ve been apart for less than twenty-four hours, yet it feels like days. She opens the door and within a second, I’m pulling her into my arms.
Having her back in my embrace feels right. All the fear and anxiety of her pulling away drifts off, leaving me in the here and now. “Hey freckles,” I whisper against the top of her head.
“Hi,” she mumbles, squeezing me tightly.
“I missed you.”
“I missed you, too,” she admits, and those three words help me breathe better.
I lead her over to the couch, sitting down and pulling her into my lap. “Where’s Arson?” she asks, glancing around.
“He’s at home. He and Travis, Andrew’s dog, tend to get really playful, and we didn’t want them to be too hyper in the house around the new baby,” I explain.
“That makes sense. How is the new baby?”
“He’s so adorable. I wish you could have met him, Han.He has the same red hair that Josie does, and he looks like both of them.”
“I bet he’s perfect,” she says with a smile.
“How was visiting your family?” I ask.
“Good.” Hannah leans her head on my shoulder, her body melting into mine. “Can we talk?”
“Of course we can talk, baby. You know I’m always here for you.” I brush some of her hair away from her face.
