My boyfriend strolls into my office, smelling like fresh soap and the cologne that makes my senses swim.
“Jabari, what are you doing here?”
He walks right up to me, taking my hands in his. I’m not surewhen I moved from behind my desk or how he pivoted to meet me at the last second. I stare into his brown eyes and blink, surprised by the intensity shining there.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
He traces a finger from my temple to my chin. His gaze roams my face like he’s cataloging every single feature.
My heart picks up speed. “Jabari?”
A slow smile curves over his handsome face, and I know. Somehow, my boyfriend sees every single feature of mine. Tears well up, and I press a hand to my stomach.
“How?”
“God is absolutely amazing, Val.”
A sob escapes, and I launch myself into his arms.He can see!My mind reels at the news, so I squeeze him even tighter as the implications take weight. After a moment, I pull back and place my lips against his in celebration. This has to mean good things for his future. He wasn’t officially cut from the team, so maybe the playoffs are still within his reach.
And now he’ll be able to glimpse every smitten expression on my face.
I jump backward, eyes wide.
“Sunshine, you okay?” Jabari’s voice is husky.
Just the right tone to elicit goose bumps, but suddenly I’m worried about my appearance. I run a hand over the top of my hair and slide it downward toward the ends.
“Don’t.” Jabari stills my hand. “You look beautiful. Your outside perfectly matches your inside.”
My cheeks heat with the sentiment. “Are you just saying that?”
“Of course not.” He pulls me into a hug. “You’re beautiful, Val. I hope you won’t change how comfortable you are around me just because I’ll be staring at you as long as I have sight.”
A watery chuckle escapes my lips.
“You don’t need to wear more makeup or dress a certain way.” He stares down into my eyes. “I love you just the way you are.”
Will my heart burst from the happiness? “I love you too, Jabari.” I bury my face into his chest and try to sniff back my tears. I’m so happy right now.
“Can you go to lunch with me?” he asks.
“Mm-hmm. But I don’t want to leave your arms.” He’s better than any heating pad.
As if to prove me a liar, a sharp cramp hits me, and I hunch over with a groan.
“Val?”
“Cramps,” I gasp.
“Aw, Sunshine.” He leads me to my chair, and I sink into it. “Why are you still at work?”
I shrug. For the life of me, I can’t remember why I insisted on staying when Jackie and Fran both urged me to go home. “Glutton for punishment?”
He laughs. “How about I get you your favorite soup and take you home?”
“That actually sounds wonderful.”
“We’ll watch your favorite movie too.” He grins.
