It never is with him.
“Yes,” I say without hesitation.
And I am.
My job has grown in ways I never imagined. What started as event planning for one casino turned into a full portfolio. I manage major galas now. Charity auctions. Corporate launches. I’ve built a reputation in a city that once intimidated me.
Jesse’s bar thrives too.
He hired a manager three years ago so he wouldn’t miss bedtime. Or Saturday mornings. Or school performances.
He still works hard.
He just doesn’t work at the expense of this.
Of us.
He reaches for my hand under the table, thumb brushing over my knuckles. “Good.”
Later, when the girls are running wild on the playground, I lean back against the bench and watch them.
Amber is fearless. Alysa negotiates every climb like a contract.
They’re so different.
They’re so ours.
“You ever think about how ridiculous it was?” I ask Jesse.
“What?”
“That I showed up to meet you in spandex because I thought you were a cyclist.”
He laughs softly. “Best misunderstanding of my life.”
“I was mortified.”
“You climbed on anyway.”
I glance at him.
“You remember that?”
“Every detail.”
He nudges my knee with his.
“You showed up. Even when you were scared.”
“That’s what you said.”
“And you were right.”
I smile.
Back then, I thought bravery was getting on a motorcycle.
Now I know it’s a hundred smaller things.
