“So did I.”
Jennifer tapped her hands on the counter. “Okay, I need to get back to it.”
Mia waved and thanked her mom before moving the box to the floor, out of sight of visitors. The library had been quiet most of the day after the schools had left, so Mia pulled out her old diary and spent the rest of the afternoon reading through it.
By the time the end of the day rolled around, Mia was ready to meet up with Jackson. She flipped out the lights of the library and carried the box to her car, Allison only having left a few minutes earlier.
One passage in particular had drawn her attention. It was a pact she and Jackson had made to get married to each other if they were both single by the time they were thirty. Jackson had turned thirty only a few months prior, and Mia’s thirtieth birthday was quickly approaching in June.
She had completely forgotten about it since it was a pact they had made when they were only twelve. She blushed thinking about what could be between them and wondered if Jackson remembered it.
Mia got home and set the box on the counter before heading to her bedroom to change into something more comfortable. She slipped off her jeans and blouse, and pulled on a pair of pajama pants and a tank top. Just after she finished changing, a knock sounded on her door.
“Honey, I’m home!” Jackson’s voice echoed through the house.
She smiled softly and stepped out of her room to find him walking into the kitchen and depositing the takeout food bag on the counter. The bag was marked with the Wintervale Resort logo and she could smell the chicken wings. Her stomach growled.
“Yum. Perfect timing. I just got home.”
“I know.” He winked before turning toward her cabinet and pulling two plates out. “I saw you pull up.”
“You got home early?”
“Kind of. I wanted to make sure I was on time, so I scheduled the wings to be ready just before you got off work.”
Mia smiled and stepped up next to him, noting he was also wearing pajama pants and a t-shirt which hugged him in all the right places. The fresh scent of soap lingered in the air, and his hair was damp.
She touched his hair before picking up the plate he filled with chicken wings, mashed potatoes, and asparagus.
“You had time to shower?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t think you’d want me coming over smelling like grass.”
She wrinkled her nose. Mia hated the smell of fresh cut grass, but loved the smell of dirt when he was planting flowers.
He pointed at her expression. “Exactly.”
She laughed and followed him to the couch, where they both set their plates on the coffee table. Mia folded her legs under her and picked up the remote to find a movie.
“So why did you bring asparagus?”
He shrugged. “Because it makes your pee stink.”
She barked out a laugh. “You brought it because you want it to make your pee stink?”
Jackson looked at her with a completely serious face. “Don’t you like to experiment with foods? Like asparagus makes your pee stink and broccoli makes you fart.”
She blinked back at him. “Just like beets make your poop purple.”
He bumped her shoulder with his. “And that’s why I love you.”
Her heart tripped at the comment. He had told her numerous times he loved her, so this shouldn’t have been any different. But since reading her diary, the marriage pact was at the forefront of her mind, and the love she had always felt for him simmered low in her belly.
She focused back on the TV and settled on a comedy before picking up her plate at the same time Jackson picked up his. They ate in silence while the movie played. Jackson finished eating first and stood up, bringing it to the kitchen and washing his hands.
“Hey, what’s this?” he called.
Mia looked over the back of the couch toward the kitchen in the open-concept house. He was looking inside the box her momhad brought. She stood and carried her plate to the kitchen, setting it beside the sink and washing her hands.
