Page 63 of Sweet Heart

She returns his smile and slightly inclines her head in a soft nod. Then she beams back at me.

“Mary, this is John. I went to school with his wife, Melissa. John, this is Mary, my—”

Her breath pauses as her eyes search mine, and I feel an unexpected flip of my stomach. My tongue darts out to wet my suddenly dry lips as I nod shyly at her.

“My girlfriend.”

As soon as she says it, the cold air around us flows into my lungs and rushes straight to my head. I feel high before I can even blink, and I feel my face bask in the glow of that word. Cat lets out a huff so softly that it is barely audible. But that’s okay. It is only meant for my ears.

“Yeah,” she hums, close to my ear, as if she likes the feel of it in her mouth.

Her girlfriend. I feel like I am floating. A giggle bubbles up in my chest, and I feel my cheeks both running hot and cold at the same time. My stomach swoops as I look at her, all the air stolen from my lungs. And yet… I’ve never felt so alive.

John’s face splits open, and he flashes us a perfect set of pearly white teeth. He is about to say something when there is a light tap on the door window behind him. Tessa waves at us from inside and then makes a ‘come on in’ motion at me and Cat. I look expectantly at the bear of a man, who lets out a knowing hum. He presses down the door handle and creates enough room for Cat and me to slip inside while nodding in a friendly way at me. I can only smile back. Still floating, my heart still stuttering. Her girlfriend… oh… my… god… Her girlfriend!

Cat’s hand finds the small of my back, and she softly guides me toward the opening, following closely behind me. I enter a little hesitantly, but am pulled into a spine-crushing hug by Tessa before my mind can spiral.

“Mar, you made it,” she exclaims in my ear. “Oh my gosh, I told Ven I’d hoped to see you today, and here you are. She’s already in.”

“Huh?”

I am pulled out of my haze, and my brow furrows in confusion. Of course Venetia is already here. She doesn’t just own the shop but the apartment above it as well. What is so special about that?

“Devina.” Tessa grins as she sees my face. “Do you want to meet her?”

For the first time since we stepped in, Tessa’s eyes flick from me to Cat, and I see a flicker of recognition in them. But when her gaze lands on me again, she gives absolutely nothing away.

I am too stunned to speak. I’ve been following Devina since her second book came out nearly ten years ago, and she’s one of the reasons I started writing again. And even though my work isn’t even close to being in her league, I like to compare some of my work to her earlier stories. Especially the ones in which she wove mythology in with everyday struggles. For some reason, those hit home extra hard.

My body buzzes with excitement, and I bounce a little on the balls of my feet, trying to regulate the sudden surge of energy when Cat’s thumb finds the base of my neck and softly presses against it. Her touch, however simple, grounds me, and I turn my face toward her to beam up. She smiles back at me and nods gently, spurring me on. Go on then.

“I would love that,” I breathe on an enthusiastic exhale, matching Tessa’s energy, and the barista squeals out of sheer joy.

“Oh, fantastic! You will love her,” she exclaims as she takes my hand and pulls me with her. “Seriously, Mar, she is so nice.”

I listen to her with half an ear, my focus on the woman two steps behind us. She really is here, with me. My girlfriend. My heart flutters again, and my cheeks hurt from the way I am smiling. This is the best day ever.

***

“Yes.” Cat nods once, determined. “This is by far the creamiest labneh I have ever had.”

She rips off another piece of flatbread to scoop up some more before rolling her eyes in ecstasy. I feel my chest swell a little at her enjoyment. This restaurant is almost the opposite of the Cuban one we went to a few weeks ago. It’s quieter. There is soft music playing, people speak in hushed voices, and plates of food are being shared. But Cat seems to feel right at home here too, just like me.

“So, tell me a little more about yourself. Why did you move here from Belgium?”

I wince. It was inevitable that the topic would come up, but I hate talking about it. I shrug lightly and bite my lip.

“My parents have always tried to dictate my life. They planned to manipulate me to marry some—” I cut myself off and shake my head. “Anyway, when my grandfather passed away, he left me a small fortune. Enough to start my life over somewhere safe. Somewhere where I can be myself.” I smile at her.

The candlelight flickers over her face, bathing her in a soft glow and making her eyes sparkle. She is absolutely stunning, and I am not even sure if she knows it. She tilts her chin at me as she swallows her bite and smiles back.

“And here we are.”

It is as if she can taste my disease and changes the topic so gracefully that it makes my heart leap.

“Tell me, what did you like about la escritora?”

“Devina?”