“You were etched into my heart. Etching ink onto my body was nothing compared to that.”
She shook her head, her golden hair glowing in the sunlight. “You affected me, too, back then,” she said with a watery chuckle. “I made a fool of myself in Logan’s office when he told me you were going to be my partner. I’d been crushing on you ever since our first debate about microbiology.”
I wiped the last of her tears as she leaned up and kissed me chastely.
“Ready to head back? Mike will give us a hard time about sneaking off soon,” I said, my smile wide.
“Yeah, let’s go. But I’d like to see it again.”
Her words made my face heat up, and she laughed.
“Not like that!”
“Okay, but just know you can see it anytime you want,” I teased, earning me a playful slap on the arm.
Just as expected, Mike and Sofia took turns ribbing us when we walked back and sat down again. The conversation turned to what was going on at Miles’ company, and Leyla leaned against me as I wrapped my arm around her waist possessively.
“So, what’s new with you guys?” Leyla asked, looking around the group.
Vicky and Miles exchanged a look and a big smile. “Well, we do have some news,” he said, taking her hand. “Vicky, MJ, and I have decided we’d like to add to our family. We’re going to try for a baby, so we’d like your prayers.”
Sofia and Leyla screamed, jumping up to smother Vicky and Miles in hugs and kisses. Vicky opened her arms, and MJ fell into them, kissing her mom over and over.
“Mom and Dad are going to freak out,” Luke told his brother after a warm hug and slap on the back. “I call godfather!”
“You can barely keep cactus alive,” Leyla joked, as she and Luke took turns playfully pushing each other.
Leyla joined me again and slid into my side.
“That’s exciting news,” I told the couple.
“Yeah, congrats. Kids are the best. One of these days, I’m going to have a whole baseball team,” Mike said, taking a bite of his fifth taco.
“Feel sorry for your wife,” Leyla joked.
“It will be a long time before that happens, believe me,” he replied, brushing sand from his feet as he readjusted on the blanket.
Vicky’s phone rang, and she yelped when she saw who was on the call. “Shoot, I told Ren I had news, but I’d call her tomorrow since it’s so late there.”
“Italy?” I asked Leyla. She nodded.
“That’s Vicky’s best friend back home.”
“Hey, amica! I told you to wait and call in the morning,” Vicky said, answering the video call. She held the phone away from her so Miles and MJ were in the frame.
A woman I couldn’t see with a strong Italian accent said, “Woman, you know you can’t text me and say ‘got news. call in the morning.’”
The girls all laughed and agreed. “Thatwaskinda mean,” Sofia said.
“Okay, Ren, first my news, then I want you to meet some new friends,” Vicky said, talking so quickly I was sure I’d missed some of it. “We’ve decided we’re ready to expand our family. We know we haven’t been married that long, but after a ton of prayer, we know this is the right time. Plus, who knows how long before we actually get pregnant? We just know it’s the right time for us. MJ is over the moon excited and is already thinking up names! My client base has been building successfully, and if I want to take off a little time once the baby is born, my job is flexible enough now to make it work.”
Ren started yelling and speaking quickly in Italian.
Mike laughed, leaning toward me, and said, “Can’t understand one word she’s saying.”
“She is the sweetest woman. We’ve never met in person, but we’ve spoken on calls like this with Vicky. Ren, like Vicky, is an interior designer in Tuscany, but she wants to come here. They’ve dreamed of opening their own business together someday,” Leyla said.
“Amica,” Ren said, after calming down, “This is amazing news! We will keep letting God guide us until we’re ready to start our business. He has it all planned out. I’m so happy for you both. Miles, thank you for loving my girl so well.”
