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“I didn’t have a sport or a family to protect. I went a little self-destructive to work out the pain of losing you.”
My heart aches even more. “There’s nothing I can do about all of that. I would if I could.”
“I know. Can I ask you questions, too?”
“Of course, I’m not sure there’s more to tell.”
“How did your mom adjust to moving to Philly?” She moves her legs out and snuggles onto my chest. Message received, let’s talk about me for a while.
“She liked not facing the neighborhood at first. We all reunited with her sister. Eventually, my brothers and I kicked in to buy her Boston house back. She missed it too much.”
She sits up. “The house?”
“Robbie thought it would do her good. She never connected with the townhouse crowd in Philly. She longed for the Southie neighborhood. Every time she’d hear a new family moved in, she’d moan about who was going to make them welcome to Southie cannoli and lasagna. She splits her time now between my auntie’s house on the Cape, Claire and Robbie’s house in Philly, and the old house in the hood.”
“Really?”
“We offered her paradise in Florida, but she won’t go. She’s happiest when she’s soaking up the stoop gossip from voices around her.”
There’s a pause again as I trace circles on her arms and finally ask, “What are you thinking about?”
“How she’ll react to me.”
She squirms a bit and I lift her chin.
“If I’m happy then she’s happy.”
“Does she know about me?” She scrambles off my lap and onto the end of the couch. She pulls her knees up and rests her chin on them. I stare at her and shift so I can face her.
“Claire has a very big mouth. How’s your mom?”
“Skeptical, but happy, I think. She’s found a way to move on from my dad. She’s a more complete person, but I don’t want to push her.”
“Why not, we nag our ma all the time.”
“That’s because you’re boys and girls are different. We drop hints for a while before telling someone they might be better off. She has a boyfriend who is fine, I guess.”
I lean over and kiss her. “Let’s stop being mopey. Come on, I want to take you out.”
“Like a date?”
“Exactly like a date. Do you want to double with Dax and Sophie?”
She already running to her room to get prepped. I’m sure she’ll knock the wind out of me when she’s finished primping. “They’re in Boston.”
“Are they for real?”
“As far as I know.”
BETTE
I’m sitting at Buvette working, but so is he. Because we’ve determined we’re unable to work in our hotel suite without fucking.
He passes me a stack of drawings. I’m letting him take lead on the tone since it was his idea. But he hasn’t touched my words. He’ll suggest tweaks, but I’ve haven’t let him alter one comma. And he’s totally fine with it. We’re in the final stages of the pitch and it came together rather quickly. I had another idea we almost went with, but we decided his was stronger.
I look over and a dark hair falls in his face as he sips his coffee. I can’t get enough of his face. I can’t believe I get to see this all the time.
My phone dings.
