"And what did you discover? Because I didn't notice any change in the way you were with Imogen or me."
Billy nodded. "Yeah, because the issue wasn't mine. I was doing what I could and what I thought was best, and I didn't need you to validate that anymore…if you couldn't explain to me what the issue was, and if you continued to refuse to talk to me, then…" She shrugged. "It was outside of my circle of control."
"I'm sorry," Rosa said quietly. "In hindsight, it wasn't very mature of me."
"It's how you felt and that's never to be ignored, but maybe those are things we should get curious about. Ask ourselves the questions and work through the answers until we understand it and can address it."
"I need you to stop spoiling her," Rosa said.
"Okay…hopefully now we can talk about the things she needs and work together to provide them?"
"I would prefer that, yes. Whatever happens with us, going forward I'd like us to both be on the same page with things."
Billy grinned. "Now we've sorted out how to raise our daughter together…do you think it would be appropriate to kiss you?"
Rosa put her glass down and leant over to grab Billy's sweater, fingers fisting the material as she pulled her forward. "More than appropriate."
Billy's mouth found hers, hot and insistent. Rosa gasped against her lips, her fingers twisting tighter in the fabric. Billy's hands framed Rosa's face, angling her head to deepen the kiss while Rosa's tongue swept across Billy's lower lip, drawing a low groan from her.
When they separated, Rosa kept her grip on Billy's sweater, unwilling to let the distance grow. Billy's thumb traced Rosa's swollen bottom lip.
"Still think this is a dream?" Billy asked softly.
Rosa shook her head, a smile tugging at her mouth. "No. This is real." Her voice was rough. "We should probably..."
"Eat something?" Billy grinned and leant back in, close enough that her lips brushed Rosa's with each word.
Rosa laughed breathlessly. "Yeah. That."
Chapter twenty-eight
The snow had slowed to a light flurry as the afternoon wore on. The sky was darkening as the sun started its descent behind the mountain. They sat on the sofa, Rosa between Billy's legs, watching in comfortable silence.
The meal they'd shared had been nothing more than a quickly thrown together montage of tapas, meze, and cicchetti. Rosa had called it an indoor picnic.
"Are you warm enough?" Billy asked, reaching for a second blanket to pull down on top of them.
Rosa twisted her neck to look up at Billy, smiling. "Yes. But I won't complain if we add another blanket." She moved back into her original position and sighed. "This is nice, don't you think?"
"I do think." Billy smiled, kissing the top of her head as she manoeuvred the blanket over them both. "I was just thinking…is it okay to ask you something…personal?"
"I guess you can ask," Rosa said, her body tensing just enough Billy noticed.
"Of course, and you don't have to answer. It's just…earlier, you said there hadn't been anyone since…me. And I guess, I was wondering why that was?"
"It wasn't a conscious choice…" Rosa answered. "There wasn't space in my life for anyone else really. Everything was…in those first few years, especially, just about survival. Making sure Imogen had everything she needed, I didn't have the chance to consider what I might need."
She twisted a little again so she could look at Billy.
"Honestly, I missed you. The idea of anyone else…it just…left me cold…and I didn't go anywhere to meet anyone, so…" She shrugged. "It wasn't something I really thought much about."
"Did you miss…intimacy?"
She laughed. "Sometimes…but having a toddler sprawling all over you with sticky fingers and snot…really knocks the sexy out of you."
"I guess…when you put it that way." Billy smiled at that explanation. "But…later, when Imogen was at school and she was visiting Mum, and me…you had more time for you."
Rosa nodded. "I did, yes…and I went on a few dates."
