My heart feels full. “Of course. Just a second.” I grab a towel and come back, standing behind Minji to dry her hair. I don’t want her to get sick. I carefully towel her hair, my fingers working through the damp strands. She leans back into me, eyes half-closed, her shoulders finally relaxing.
“That feels nice,” she yawns, tilting her head to give me better access.
“I had a lot of practice with Grayson,” I say, carefully working through a small tangle. “He hated having wet hair but was too impatient to dry it properly.”
Minji reaches up and catches my wrist, her thumb stroking across my pulse point. “You never talk about your family much.”
“Not much to tell,” I reply, though that’s not entirely true. There are stories—good ones, complicated ones—but they seem distant from this moment, from us. “Maybe another time.”
When her hair is reasonably dry and she’s finished eating, I guide her toward the bedroom. She crawls under the covers, still wearing my robe, and I sit beside her on the edge of the mattress. The rain continues its steady rhythm against the windows, creating a cocoon of sound around us.
“I meant what I said earlier,” I tell her, tracing patterns on the back of her hand with my thumb. “About being here when you wake up.”
She nods, eyes already heavy with exhaustion. “I know you did. You always keep your promises.”
“Try to, at least.”
“No,” she insists, her voice soft but certain. “You do. It’s one of the things I—” She stops, biting her lip.
“One of the things you what?” I prompt gently.
“Love about you,” she finishes.
A warmth spreads through me. She’s so sleepy she might not even realize what she just said. I kiss her forehead, then her cheek, then her lips, keeping it soft and gentle. “Sleep,” I whisper against her mouth. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes flutter closed, and within minutes, her breathing evens out. I stay, watching her chest rise and fall, memorizing the way sleep softens her features. When I’m sure she’s truly asleep, I slip from the bed. There are ribs to prepare, and I want everything perfect for her. As I close the door, a smile tugs at my lips. Twelve years is a lifetime to wait, but seeing her curled up in my bed, I know I’d wait twelve more. Minji is the woman I loved before I even understood what love was.
In the kitchen, I pull out my phone and text my brothers.
Me
Rain check on that beer tonight. Minji’s here.
Axel
So, everything worked out? Only took her three weeks to come around.
Grayson
If she took longer, we would’ve initiated plan
‘Fake Divorce’.
Me
What?
Grayson
Em and I came up with a plan to have her and Axel be a couple on the verge of divorce, and then you would show up for the meeting instead.
Axel
That is the stupidest shit I’ve heard. Your best friend is strange.
Grayson
Em is not strange; she’s just outgoing. I thought you two had a blast at the wedding.
