Is this what I’ve been missing all my life?
“Sav,” Logan murmurs knowingly and pulls me into his chest, shielding me from the hurt.
I’m sad and embarrassed and feel terrible for ruining the mood, so I bury my face into his t-shirt and wonder if I can spend the rest of my life in this spot. I can’t remember the last time I cried over my parents, and I blame jet lag for this little breakdown I’m having. Jet lag and Logan’s amazing parents who chose him and raised him to be an incredible human and accidentally sent him right to me when I needed him most. They love him so much that they let him go halfway across the world because it was whatheneeded.
It was never about them.
“Hey, Sav?” Logan says, his voice a rumble in my ear. His hand rubs my back, as soothing as always.
“Hmm?”
“Mind if I pick you up? Mum has tissues in the car if you need them, and I reckon we can find some ice cream on the way home to distract you from that proper muppet of a mother of yours.”
“Okay.” After so many hours stuck on a plane, ice cream sounds amazing. I grip his shirt in my fingers and take a steadying breath. “I can walk,” I mumble.
“I know you can.” He picks me up anyway, tucking me around his torso like a koala and pressing a kiss to my temple as he starts walking. “Come on, my little spitfire. Let’s get you some ice cream.”
“And maybe a nap?” Mr. Callahan says with a chuckle.
“Richard!” Mrs. Callahan whisper-scolds.
“What?” He drops his voice too, but I can still hear their argument as we follow them through the doors into the Aussie sunshine. “A nap always makesyoufeel better.”
“Yes, well, I’ve never experienced what she’s feeling, have I? My mom was fantastic, and you know it. I think this hurt runs deeper than what a little cat-nap can fix.”
“Worth a shot, at least.”
“We don’t want her to think we’re treating her trauma lightly, Rich.”
“Trauma? Nancy, I really think you’ve been reading too many self-help books.”
“Hush!”
“I’m just saying if she’s strong enough to put up with Logan on a daily basis, then she’s strong enough to not havetrauma.”
“That’s not how trauma works, Richard!”
Amusement bursts out of me in an undignified snort that quickly turns into silent, body-shaking laughter. Logan joins in a second later and has to put me on my feet and lean us both into a pillar in the parking garage because he’s laughing so hard.
When we can breathe again, he lifts his head and grins at me. “You good?” he asks, reaching up to tuck some hair behind my ear. “Really?”
I nod, and I think I mean it. I learned a long time ago not to waste energy on hoping my parents would understand my dreams; I just wasn’t prepared for the stark contrast between my mom and Mrs. Callahan. It caught me by surprise, but I’m okay. “I adore your mom,” I tell Logan, pressing my palm to his cheek.
His smile softens. “She’s adored you since the day I first told her your name. Likely before that. I think I hateyourmum, though.”
“Maybe she’ll get better over time?”
“Wouldn’t change my opinion of her much if she did. But I might have to thank her someday.”
I frown. “Why?”
Adjusting his hold on me, he leans in closer and brushes his nose against mine. “If she hadn’t been so terrible, you might not have gone to California.” He presses a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “She might have found a man who actually caught your interest.” He kisses the other corner. “You might have had a reason to stay in the States instead of coming home with me.”
No matter how many times I kiss this man, it never gets old. Another four months from now—another fourdecadesfrom now—I’ll still crave moments like this. I lose myself in the taste of him, practically forgetting Logan’s parents are waiting for us somewhere up ahead.
When he breaks away, both of us breathing heavily, the smile on his face is so adorable that I can’t help but laugh again and cup his face with both hands. He’sso happy. I knew getting him back to Australia was the right way to go, but I’ve never seen this much light in his eyes, like he has everything he could ever want right in front of him.
I know the feeling.
