I laugh, but it’s shaky. “This feels like a dream.”
“A good dream?” he asks.
“The best kind of dream.”
“I’m glad,” he says, soft and certain. “Because I want this to be your real life.”
My throat tightens. I blink at the shimmer on the water, trying not to cry. I’ve been extra emotional ever since everything that happened with my dad. I was hurt he didn’t respond to my text, even though I told him I didn’t want to hear from him. I’m just a mess of contradictions and unresolved feelings.
But this, what I have with Dylan, there are no uncertainties.
“What are you thinking?” he asks. “So many expressions are crossing your face.”
“I was just thinking about how priceless this is—what we have. I might be uncertain about a lot of things, but not about you, not about us. I trust you…and I believe in us.”
He puts his hand on his heart. “Dahlia,” he says softly.
“I never knew that, when I fell in your lap, I’d be down for the count. Fallen for keeps.”
His smile is the sweetest. “Luckiest day of my life.” He shakes his head. “I never imagined I’d have this. I wanted to find love one day, but it felt so out of reach that I wasn’t sure I’d ever experience it. Now I don’t want to live a day without you. Turns out I’m all for love.” He laughs. “I’m all for us.”
I smile at him, too overwhelmed to speak.
“You look like you’re about to write poetry about this moment,” he teases.
“I could,” I say. “And it would be beautiful.”
“Everything you do is beautiful.”
“See? You make it easy to consider poetry.”
He laughs, and then something catches his eye, and he goes still.
“What is it?” I ask.
“Look behind you.”
I turn and see two adult loons float near us. I gasp when one of them turns, and I see the two baby loons floating with them.
“Oh my goodness,” I breathe.
“Did you know that loons who have stayed together for years strengthen their bond with synchronized swimming?” he whispers.
I cover my mouth to not startle the loons by laughing too loud.
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“If they weren’t here right now, I’d totally synchronize swim with you,” he says, glancing over at me and pounding his heart lightly with his fist.
“I’d synchronize swim with you too, cornball,” I tell him.
“Aww. I know you would. Our timing is impeccable.” He looks at me and gives me a sexy smirk.
We watch the loons, and I shoot a few pictures of them with my phone to show Chloe later.
“Hey, Doll?”
“Yeah?”
