“Only if you want to. I … um …” He rubs the back of his neck nervously.
“Do it,” Riley urges.
I throw my arms around him, not caring that everyone is watching. “Yes, I’ll move in with you. I love you.”
Jax seems genuinely shocked by my answer. “I love you too.”
“Get a room,” Everett calls out.
“We have a room,” Jax shoots back. “We used it extensively last night.”
“Jax.” His mother gasps while his brothers whoop.
I’m laughing and crying and so incredibly happy I might burst.
The afternoon is lazy and perfect. Some people nap. Some watch football. Riley and Everett disappear onto the porch for what they claim is fresh air, but I think they are making out.
I find Maggie in the kitchen helping clean up.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
“Yeah. Just thinking.” She smiles.
“About?”
“About how different this is from our family Christmases.” She dries a plate. “No judgment. No criticism. No feeling like I must be perfect. Just ... acceptance.”
“I know what you mean.”
“Do you think Mom and Dad will ever forgive us? For choosing this instead of what they wanted?” she asks.
I think about that. “Maybe. Eventually. But, Maggie? Even if they don’t, we made the right choice. For us.”
“Yeah.” She smiles. “We really did.”
Ford walks in with more dishes. “Need help?”
“Sure,” Maggie says, and I notice the way her cheeks flush slightly.
Interesting. I leave them to it and find Jax on the porch, staring out at the snow-covered fields.
“Hey,” I say, wrapping my arms around him from behind.
“Hey, yourself.” He turns, pulling me in front of him so my back is against his chest. “What are you thinking about?”
“About how perfect today has been. About how lucky I am.”
“I’m the lucky one.”
“We can both be lucky.”
“Deal.” He kisses the top of my head. “So, you're moving here in a week.”
“I’m moving here in a week.” I nod.
“In with me too,” he asks.
“Yep.”
