“Why?” Her beautiful blue and green eyes, red rimmed and empty, crash into mine. “Why, when you look like that, and you’re kind and funny, why would you want to be with a widow who lives in a completely different city, with two kids, who cannot give you a child of your own? Why are you showing me kindness when all I bring to the table is chaos?”
“Well, first, you deserve kindness from everyone regardless of what you think you bring to the table.”
I take a step closer.
“Second,youare kind and funny and look like that.” I wiggle my eyebrows suggestively, but she still doesn’t even smile; tough crowd tonight.
“Third, you can’t help who your heart decides is worthy of falling for, and Natalie, I’m so glad mine chose you.”
The air between us is heavy and emotionally charged, even more so now that I hold her hands and refuse to drop her tragic eyes.
“Fourth, I love your kids. I know the more I get to know them, the deeper I will fall in love with them, because they were raised by you.”
I wrap her in a hug. “Shit, Bella was so special to me, even before I knew she was yours.” I know she needs this hug the moment her head falls on my chest, and she melts in my arms. Even with her arms at her side, her body starts molding to mine.Her brain might be fighting this, but her body speaks a different truth.
“Fifth, who said I wanted a child of my own? You need to get out of your head and actually ask me these questions—which we can talk about,” I add when she tenses under my hands. “But now is not the time.”
My hands rake her back, letting her know I’m here. “I could keep going, but I think you got the gist of it.” My heart thunders in my chest, matching hers. I just confessed a lot, but she deserved to know. I’m all in.
I kiss the top of her head. “You’re worthy of kindness, love, and companionship on the good days when you dress like an Argentinian Goddess and on days where you look like you haven’t showered in five days.”
She laughs softly, but a laugh that reminds me of all things good. I wish I could bottle the sound and let it out when I’m having a bad day. I’m certain her laugh alone could make all my problems disappear.
“I’m so tired,” she mumbles.
“I know.” I kiss the top of her head again. “Why don’t you go shower? I can order dinner and see what else needs to be done here. Where’s Vero?
She pushes back from me, but this time, she’s not pushingmeaway, just adding space so she can speak freely instead of muffled sounds against my chest. “Sleeping. She’s been sleeping a lot. Her room is next to the bathroom, so I’ll hear her if she wakes up. Are you sure?”
“Positive.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
I offer her a smile, one she returns before disappearing into the back of the house, and I get to work.
42
HE WOULD HAVE LIKED YOU
We Hug Now by Sydney Rose
Natalie
“What is all this?”I ask Holden, who’s placing a tray with food on the coffee table, wearing my lemon print apron.
“Dinner for you. Is Vero still asleep? I made her food too.”
I nod, hugging him, my only reply. “Thank you.”
He kisses my wet, freshly-washed hair, ushering me to the couch to eat. It not only smells like delicious food, but it’s also clean. “Did you clean everything else?”
He hums, looking at my shoulder with concern. He grabs something, looking even more worried than before, until I see it’s a clump of hair. Concerning if you’re a regular person, but not as much for me. “It happens. Hysterectomy side effect,” I mention.
He stares at it before putting it in his pocket.
“Are we going to talk about the chunk of hair you just put in your pocket?”
His shoulders shrug with a slight shake of his head. “I’ll throw it away later. My pocket is dirtier than your floor right now.”
