She lifts her head, eyes soft but steady.“No.”
Relief tears through me so sharp it almost hurts.I kiss her forehead, her temple, her lips.“Then I’ll hold onto that.And tomorrow, and the day after, and every one after that, I’ll give you more reasons not to regret me.”
She swallows hard, her hand sliding into mine, our fingers lacing.
****
Two days later, wego to the farmer’s market in town with Ivy.It was Zora’s idea, neutral ground, safe, casual.Ivy darts between stalls with Bun-Bun under her arm, demanding samples of peaches and cookies.
I walk beside Zora, and without thinking, I reach for her hand.She stiffens for half a second before she lets me hold it.And when Ivy spins around and sees us, her eyes go wide.
“Are you holding hands?”she squeals, pointing like she’d just caught us in some scandal.
Zora flushes, but before she could pull away, I lean down, brush a soft kiss across her lips, and answer, “Yeah, Trouble.We are.”
Ivy’s grin nearly splits her face.“Does that mean you’re boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Zora sputters, cheeks burning, but I just laugh, ruffling Ivy’s curls.“It means I love your mommy.And I’m not going anywhere.”
Ivy shrieks with delight, skipping ahead like the world has just given her candy.Zora looks at me, torn between panic and something else.Something soft.Something like hope.
“You can’t just...”she starts.
“Yes, I can,” I cut in gently, squeezing her hand.“I’m not hiding how I feel about you anymore.And I don’t want Ivy thinking she has to hide how happy she makes me either.”
Her eyes shimmer, her lips parting, but she doesn’t argue.
She just walked with me, our hands linked, while our daughter skipped ahead, singing to Bun-Bun.And for the first time, it felt real.
Like a future.
Like a family.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Just Like Always
