And that was all he could ask for.
By early May, Lucy had been "trial living" with Jake for six weeks.
And she had to admit—it was working.
She loved morning coffee with him. Loved coming home to someone after brutal restaurant shifts. Loved the comfort of shared space and shared life.
Her apartment sat empty, collecting dust. She hadn't been there in three weeks.
"I think I'm ready," Lucy told Rei over lunch.
"Ready for what?"
"To give up my apartment. To really move in with Jake."
Rei's eyes went wide. "Lucy! That's huge!"
"I know. I'm terrified. But also—I've basically been living with him for two months. It seems silly to keep paying rent on an apartment I never use."
"So tell him. Tell Jake you're ready."
"What if he's changed his mind? What if two months of me leaving my stuff everywhere has made him realize he doesn't actually want to live with me?"
"Lucy. That man is so in love with you it's disgusting. He definitely still wants you to move in."
That evening, Lucy made dinner at Jake's place—their place?—and tried to figure out how to bring it up.
"So," Lucy started as they ate. "I've been thinking about the trial run."
"Yeah?"
"It's been six weeks. I think—I think it's going well. Really well."
"I think so too."
"And I was thinking—maybe I'm ready to make it official. Give up my apartment. Really move in here. With you. If that's still something you want."
Jake set down his fork. "Lucy, are you sure? I don't want you to feel pressured—"
"I'm not feeling pressured. I'm ready. Or as ready as I'll ever be. Jake, I've been living here for six weeks and it feels right. It feels like home. And I don't want to keep holding back, keep waiting for something to go wrong. I want to be all in."
"All in?"
"All in. Fully committed. Living together, building a life together. No more trial runs or test periods. Just—us. Together."
Jake pulled her close and kissed her. "Yes. Absolutely yes. Move in. Really move in. Bring your chaos gremlin energy and your kitchen equipment hoarding and everything else."
"I don't hoard kitchen equipment."
"Lucy, you have four whisks."
"Different sizes for different uses!"
"Exactly. Hoarding."
Lucy laughed and felt lighter than she had in months. She was doing this. Really doing this. Committing fully to Jake, to their relationship, to this life they were building.
It was terrifying. But it was also right.
