It took a beat and then she looked up at him. A small smile touched her lips and then it looked like the sun came out from behind the clouds.
She was beaming.
"I'm more than okay." She turned and wrapped her arms around him.
She hugged him, pressing her face into his shoulder and then she turned, putting her cheek on his chest.
"I'm more than okay," she repeated. "I feel... good. Happy."
Duval rubbed his hands against her back, trying to get closer to her.
"What... what did she say to you?"
He felt Noelle still under his hands and he frowned, wondering if he'd stirred up a bad memory or something like that.
"Babe, you don't have to tell me if you-"
"She thanked me for making her family complete again."
He heard a softness in Noelle's words, her tone a gentle near whisper. "Yeah," he nodded. "You did that, Babe. You."
"It's strange..." her words faded off and he watched her face as her emotions bubbled up inside. "I put work into my art to make it feel... to feel lifelike. But I guess I didn't understand what kind of effect it has on others."
He wrapped his arms around her tighter and touched a kiss on her forehead.
"If feels good." She tried to shake her head, but she had her cheek still against his chest. "Better than good, McCrae. I feel like I made a difference."
"You make a difference all the time, 'Elle."
She looked up at him, a little confused frown wrinkling the skin on her bridge of her nose.
"Having you in my life... having Cici in my life... it makes everything better. Every day feels like I'm living a life I couldn't even dream of living before."
He felt her breathe.
Felt the expanse of her chest with each breath.
"I'm so damn glad you're here with me."
He felt her tighten her embrace around him and squeeze him tight.
"I'm so glad you're with us," she blinked and tears gathered on her lashes. "You're part of our family," she smiled and maybe it was just a trick of the light, but her whole face seemed to light up. "Our growing family."
Growing...
He frowned.
"What... what are you... What do you mean?"
Noelle bit into her lip and her cheeks warmed to a rosy red.
"This morning, when you were trying to get us out of the house to come here?"
He nodded, slowly. "Yeah?"
"I was in the bathroom-"
He grinned at that. "I missed showering with you this morning. You took a while."
