Josh| Violet will be out for your blood and I’ll help her hunt you down
Those weren’t the only texts he had waiting for him.
His mom’s had come through the latest. Looked like she was up burning the midnight oil prepping for a big court case.
But that wasn’t important. Whatwasimportant was that she fulfilled every promise she’d made him in therapy, and more.
He teared up when he read her messages.
Mom| Make sure you call me when she says yes.
Mom| What time is your brunch? I think it’ll be about 4am here.
Mom| I’ll have my phone on, you make sure to wake me up, I don’t care about sleep, it’ll be a miracle if I get any anyway
Mom| I’m too excited
Mom| I want to FaceTime with Audrey as soon as you slip Nana’s ring on her finger.
Mom| And make sure to text Gladys too. She’ll want to know.
Mom| I can’t wait for you to come home.
Mom| Your father would be so proud of you. I know I am.
Mom| He would have loved Audrey like his own daughter. I know I do.
Mom| And I love you.
It was true.
Dad would have loved her. He would have loved her so much.
Audrey was the only one who didn’t know it yet, but Theo had already made brunch reservations at a café—a real one, in a historic building with classic cast-iron tables outside and bursting with fresh springtime flowers, covered in wisteria and surrounded by blossoming pink cherry trees. In about an hour and a half, they’d sit at their table outside in the sun and order baguettes served with butter and fresh strawberry jam, freshly baked pain au chocolat, orange juice, œufs cocotte with toast and cheese and whatever else. And they’d order café au lait, rich espresso mixed with milk. Just the way Audrey liked her coffee best.
Theo would pull out the emerald engagement ring he’d been carrying around in his pocket for the past five hundred days—
—he’d kneel before her—
And he’d ask for her hand.
He’d kneel with a decent hip, with relatively steady hands, without fear, without anxiety, only a heart filled with hope and love, and he’d ask Audrey to be his forever. To let him be hers for the rest of their lives.
And he would stop counting the days.
Because now he wouldn’t have to anymore—he would just live them with her.
He would do anything for Audrey.
He would kill for her. He would die for her.
But these days, what he wanted most was tolivefor her.
The corner of Theo’s mouth twitched, and he felt both dimples fold deeply into his cheeks when he smiled—as wide as he ever had.
“Figured we’d head out to a café and start with some breakfast. And coffee.”
Scent has astronger tie to memory and emotion than any of the other senses.
