When we arrived at Anna’s, Gia came barreling toward Lucia the second the door opened, her little arms outstretched.
“Mama!” she squealed, wrapping herself around Lucia’s legs.
Lucia scooped her up, peppering kisses all over her face. “Hey, baby girl. Were you good for Anna?”
Gia nodded vigorously, her curls bouncing. “We had a tea party!”
Anna appeared behind her, looking exhausted but smiling. “She’s a whirlwind, but she’s a sweetheart.”
“Thank you,” Lucia said sincerely. “I owe you one.”
Anna waved her off. “You owe me nothing. Go enjoy your day.”
I reached out to ruffle Gia’s hair. “You ready to hang out with us, kiddo?”
She grinned at me, her big green eyes lighting up. “Yes! Can we go to the park?
“Park it is,” I said, glancing at Lucia. “What do you think?”
She nodded, her smile soft but full of something that made my chest feel too tight again. “Sounds perfect.”
The day passed in a blur of laughter and easy moments. At the park, Gia dragged me onto the swings and made Lucia push us both, her giggles filling the air. We built a castle out of sand, which Gia declared was “the best ever.” I didn’t have the heart to correct her.
Lucia watched us with that quiet, loving expression that melted me every time. She joined in, of course, chasing Gia around the grass until they both collapsed in a heap, laughing.
By the time the sun started to dip, the three of us were sprawled out on a picnic blanket, Gia half asleep against Lucia’s side, clutching her favorite stuffed bunny.
“This,” I said, glancing between them, “is a pretty good day.”
Lucia smiled at me, her eyes soft. “Yeah. It really is.”
I didn’t know what the future held, but at that moment, I didn’t care. All I knew was that I wanted more days like this. More mornings waking up beside her. More afternoons with Gia’s laughter filling the air. More moments where everything felt this simple and right.
It was interrupted by my phone ringing. I peered over, wondering who would be calling when I had had Anna clear my schedule for the day.
“Hello?” I said into the phone.
“Wright, it’s Paul. I am here with Claudia and the rest of the team. We wanted to officially tell you the good news.” I felt my heart rate pick up.
“The contract will be hitting your inbox soon, but the Belen team would like to extend a two-year renewal to you as a valued member of our team.”
“Thank you so much, sir,” I replied. “It’s an honor, I’ll be sure to look over the contract as soon as possible.”
“We look forward to hearing back from you.”
“What is it?” Lucia whispered to me, nudging my shoulder. I pulled the phone down after saying goodbye.
“I got it.” I sighed, and her eyes widened. “I fucking got the contract!”
“You did!” She jumped up, her eyes were gleaming, and she jumped into my arms. I smiled in surprise, holding her close. “You did it.” She whispered it this time into my ear.
I took her into my arms, squeezing her close, then pulled back and kissed her. Kissing Lucia was like stepping into a moment that the world seemed to create just for us. It wasn’t hurried or uncertain; it was intentional, magnetic. The first brush of her lips was soft, tentative, like she was testing the waters, but even that small touch sent a charge through me.
She tasted like something familiar and entirely new all at once—sweet, warm, and intoxicating. Her lips were impossibly soft, but there was strength in the way she kissed me back, like she wasn’t holding back anymore. It made my chest tighten, my pulse spike, because I’d never wanted anything more than to be right here with her.
The way she leaned into me, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt, made every nerve in my body come alive. I let my hands rest on her waist, feeling the subtle curve of her body and the warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips. I couldn’t help but pull her closer, like I needed her to know how much I wanted her in this moment.
When she sighed softly against my mouth, it was like the last bit of restraint I had dissolved. It wasn’t just a kiss anymore—it was a language, a way of saying everything I hadn’t found the courage to put into words yet.
