His words made my eyes misty. Cutter was such a good boy with a steep hill to climb.
Antonia opened the front door, and I followed her out. We walked side by side, our arms brushing often as we made our way to the café. We made idle chitchat and paused to let the sun warm our faces.
Inside the café, Samira came around to hug Antonia as if she hadn’t seen her in months and not hours. “Breakfast is on the house today.”
“Absolutely not,” we said in unison.
Samira waved our words away. “My place, my rules.”
I shook my head as we stepped up to the counter. We ordered our usual, plus a bag of doughnuts to go. We took our coffees to the same table as before and sat down.
“How’d you sleep?”
Antonia blushed.
Was it because of me?
“Honestly, for sleeping on the couch, pretty well. I was oddly relaxed when I fell asleep.”
Was she relaxed because of me? I couldn’t keep the thought out of my head, even if I tried. I smirked but looked away, hoping she didn’t see me.
Suddenly, my coffee cup was really important. I lifted it, took a drink, and then asked, “Why are you sleeping on the couch?”
“My parents were in the guest room and ...” She took a deep shuddering inhale. “I don’t know how I feel about sleeping in Miri’s room without her there. Granted, I did use her amazing tub, but that room was her sanctuary, and ...” Antonia trailed off.
“I get it,” I said. “After Brianna left, I couldn’t sleep in the bed we’d shared. Everything smelled like her, which made the pain worse.”
Antonia’s eyes found mine. “Do you think keeping the house is a smart idea?”
I nodded but then wondered if I was being selfish. At first, I hated the thought of losing Cutter. Now, the idea of losing Antonia twisted my guts into a pretzel. She had a life in Boston, likely a much flashier and more entertaining one. The small-town life wasn’t for everyone, and I greedily wanted her to stay.
She gazed out the window and sighed. “That’s Miri’s house. It was her dream. Her blood, sweat, and tears. Not to mention, it’s a damn money pit, and I think it needs a new roof.” Antonia sighed. “Selling makes sense. It would put money in a college fund for the kids.”
“But . . .”
Antonia inhaled and sat up straighter. “But it’s their home and their connection to their mom. I have the finances to keep it, do therepairs, and make it into the home she thought it would be. I also have a penthouse in the city. I’m either going to have to sell or rent it out because paying for both seems like a bad financial decision.”
“Where’s your penthouse?”
“On the wharf. I have amazing views, but the tourists in the summer can be an issue.”
“And you live there by yourself?” I hadn’t asked much about her relationship—well, previous relationship.
Antonia smiled softly. “Yes, which is why the breakup was so easy. We weren’t moving in together anytime soon. I think at most, we have a toothbrush at each other’s places.”
Phew.
“I imagine you do well at your job, but without prying too much, are you able to afford both?”
She nodded. “I bought my place for a very good deal a few years back, and I went to school on a scholarship, so I was able to double up payments.” Antonia sighed. “Maybe I keep it and it’s a place for us to stay on the weekends or for vacations. As it is, I need to be in Boston for work at least twice a week and will need a place to stay.”
“That’ll save on hotel expenses for sure.”
“Yeah.” She picked her cup up and took a drink.
Samira brought our food over, along with two fresh cups of coffee. “Sorry about the delay. Where’s Scout?” she asked.
“He stayed with the kids this morning.”
