What had she said yesterday? She couldn’t recall. Most of yesterday was still a blur.
“You moving here to Texas,” he supplied when she was drawing a blank.
Oh yeah. That.
“Of course, I meant it. We’re finally together. I’m not going to have us live in different states.” Silly man.
Vince’s shoulders slumped like he had been dreading her answer. “I was worried you had said that only because you were angry with your brother.”
“I’ve been thinking about moving here since I came out. I was going to talk to Savannah and get some help choosing an apartment and getting a new job. I don’t know the first thing about apartment hunting.”
“You can just move in with me,” he suggested.
It would make things easier and be a dream come true to live withVince, but not yet. She wanted to do this on her own. All her life, she had lived with someone and worked where her family wanted. Volunteering in the Congo had been her only choice. She wanted the chance to live somewhere on her own. To have her own space. “I want to live on my own. For now,” she quickly assured him. “I’ve lived with my parents my whole life and with Savannah. I want my own space. Just for a little bit. Is that okay?”
“I’m not going to tell you want to do, baby girl. I get wanting to stretch your wings. Promise you’ll let me sleep over every night or we’ll be at my place until you’re ready to move in with me.”
“What if you moved in with me?” she teased.
“Whatever you want, babe.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “Just as long as we’re never apart. I’m sorry I was such an idiot before. About pushing you away.”
Fiona covered his mouth, shushing his words. “None of that matters now. I would go through it all again to be here with you.”
“Even the Congo and David?”
“All of it.”
“Me too.”Vincekissed her again.
Epilogue
“Are you ready for this?” Fiona askedVince, standing outside her parents’ home. It had been a week since she had left the hospital and only the promise of visiting soon kept her family from bombarding them.
They had used that time to find Fiona an apartment close to him, and a job at the hospital. All that was left was to move her things out there. Her parents hadn’t been happy at first, hearing Fiona was moving. They told her she was making a mistake, settling down so quickly and with such a womanizing man. But when Fiona explained to them that she had found the man she loved and was moving to be with him, they relented and started organizing her moving. Really, they planned everything despite her protest.Only the best for their little girl, as they put it.
She allowed them this one last concession but told them she had the final say in the apartment choice. She chose it for the location, and it had a view of a garden. It was just a bonus it was close to Vince’s place.
Joaquínleft shortly after she got out of the hospital, saying he still had matters to resolve here at home. Fiona could see the hurt still in his eyes and she felt guilty that part of that was her fault. Keeping a big secret from him. He would forgive her in time and see that what she’d done wasn’t to be cruel but respecting a friend’s wishes.
“No,”Vincesaid nervously. “But I know how much this means to you.” He took a deep breath, then released it. “Let’s get this over with.”
Fiona had preppedVinceas much as she could for what he was in store for, but even she didn’t know what type of greeting they would get. She was the first to choose a man without her family’s blessing and permission first. This could go in one of two ways. A disaster or a success.
Fiona knocked on the door, only having to wait a few seconds for her father to answer. She was sure he had been waiting by the door since they pulled up. Everyone was excited and apprehensive about the meeting. “Hello, Papa.” Fiona smiled brightly, leaning forward to kiss her father’s weathered cheek.
“Fiona,” he greeted her warmly, then turned a dark scowl towardVince. “So, this is the man that would take you from your family.”
“Papa,” Fiona warned, “you promised.”
“What? I can’t voice that I’m not happy about this man taking my baby far away from me and leaving me lonely?”
“You still have my eleven other sisters here and their children. You are hardly lonely. Don’t let Mama hear you say that.”
“I did,” came a faint voice from the back of the house. “DeLuise Santiago Miguel Hector Ortiz, get away from the door and let your daughter and her man in.”
Fiona hid her smile behind her hand as her mother walked into view. She wore a white apron tied around her waist and had a wooden spoon in hand, giving her husband the stink eye. At five foot one, her mother was a force to be reckoned with. Few were dumb enough to talk back to her when she was cross.
“But, Maria,” her father tried pleading when her mother cut him off, waving her spoon in his face.
