Rika's smile is radiant. She lifts up on her toes and kisses me again, soft and sweet and full of promise. She tilts her face up to look at me, her blue eyes serious.
"Forever is a long time."
"Not long enough," I say and mean it. "Not nearly long enough."
I lift her hand to my lips and kiss her knuckles.
"I love you," I murmur against her skin.
"I love you too," she says. "Thank you for not giving up on me."
"Never," I promise. "Not in a million years."
And I feel something settle deep in my bones.
Peace. Belonging. Home.
And I'm never letting go.
Chapter 21
Rika
Somedaysliketoday,I have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.
I pause at the bottom of the stairs, one hand resting on the worn post, and just watch.
The kitchen is alive with motion and sound. Noah is at the stove, his broad shoulders moving with confidence as he flips eggs in the pan. Zoe is slumped at the table, scrolling through her phone with one hand while shoving a piece of toast into her mouth with the other. Matthew is bouncing in his chair, chattering nonstop about this new robot TV show while Mr. Gears sits propped against him on the chair.
Morning sunlight slants through the window above the sink, painting everything in shades of gold and amber. The coffee maker gurgles its final notes. The scent of butter and eggs and fresh toast fills the air.
This is perfect. More than perfect. This is mine. My family. My happiness.
And it feels whole.
Noah glances up, catching me watching, and his hazel eyes warm with appreciation as he takes in my outfit. Just looking at him makes my stomach flip even after four months of waking up beside him.
I have a confession to make. I didn't make him wait to move in with me. How could I? After that morning in the driveway of his grandfather's house, I swore to myself that I wouldn't let him sleep another day out of my bed.
And I didn't. I have no regrets either.
This morning, he's wearing dark jeans and a charcoal sports jacket over a crisp white shirt, and he looks unfairly handsome in that effortless way that should be illegal before eight a.m.
"Morning, beautiful," he says.
Heat blooms in my cheeks, and I'm grateful Zoe is too absorbed in her phone to notice. I cross to the coffee maker and pour myself a mug, wrapping my hands around the warm ceramic.
"Morning." I lean against the counter, taking him in properly now. There's a nervous energy radiating off him. His movementsare just a touch too quick, his smile just a bit too bright. "You okay?"
"Fine." He plates eggs with practiced ease and slides them in front of the kids. "Just, you know. First-day jitters."
My heart squeezes. Right. Today is Noah's first day teaching at Saltford Bay Middle School.
"You'll nail it. The kids will love you."
"At least I know this kiddo loves me and my lame jokes, right, buddy?"
I watch as he ruffles Matthew's green hair in passing, the gesture so natural and unconscious it makes my throat tight in the best possible way.
