I thought I was doing a good job at hiding the irrepressible love that moves through me every time I so much as glance at my woman, and I thought she was doing a good job at masking hers too. But clearly not.
We’re sending unmistakable signals with our smallest glances.
“Yes,” I growl, and my woman exclaims at the same time.
Our eyes meet. She grins and I smirk.
Then we remember where we are and let our expressions fade.
“Don’t you see?” I say, my voice getting fast with excitement. “This is fate. I didn’t want to say it before, but what are the chances Russ would get me tickets to that photography dating thing at the same time you got them for Kelly? What are the chances we’d be matched together?”
“Swear,” Natalie says, looking at Kelly, eyes firm.
“I swear, Nat,” Kelly says passionately. “It was a coincidence, a beautiful, happy coincidence.”
“But look at you both,” Angela says, shaking her head slowly. “I’ve spent my whole life trying to recreate emotion in my work. I’ve learned to read people. At least, I like to think I have. I suppose what happened with Lennie isn’t the best example…”
“It’s okay, Mom.” Kelly reaches across and touches her mother’s hand. “What were you going to say?”
My chest warms at the kindness in her voice, the way she’s so willing to put herself forward and make her mom feel better like that. I can imagine her using the same sweet consoling encouraging tone of voice with our children… with the child, I already know is growing inside her womb right now.
“You both look close, very close. And I know you, Kelly. I can read you, at the very least. I’ve never seen you so happy,” Angela says.
“Yeah,” Natalie murmurs, narrowing her eyes at me. “This seems real to me too. But that’s why it’s so difficult to believe it’s only been a day.”
“When you know,” I growl, “you know.”
“I’ve heard you mention a lady before,” Natalie murmurs. “You used to say she was the woman of your dreams. She was out there waiting for you. You’d know her when you saw her, you used to say.”
“Where did you hear that?” I ask confused.
I was always careful to keep that talk away from Natalie. I didn’t want her to think poorly of her mother, even if her mom ran out on her and fell into drug addiction.
“When you were on the phone with Russ when I was a kid. I heard it a couple of times. I’m sorry, Dad, for eavesdropping. But right now we’ve got bigger stuff to worry about.”
I smirk at her tone, so glad she’s able to put herself forward with so much confidence. I know it’s going to help her in the future when she needs to assert herself to get ahead in life, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Yes, I think we do,” I respond.
“So?” she says. “Is that what happened?”
“Yes,” I say firmly. “I didn’t even recognize her at first. She even…”
I turn to her, chuckling. “Go on, tell them what you do.”
She blushes, but the corners of her lips twitch adorably into a half-smile. “I was so freaking nervous, and it happened so fast… the connection was instant. So I gave him a fake name. I didn’t want to ruin it. It was selfish, I know. But I was so happy.”
“When I found out who she was, I left. I tried to push her from my mind. But it was impossible. I had to see her again. That was it, walking into the photography studio, the moment I’d always dreamed about. But I’d accepted a long time ago it wasn’t going to happen. I’d made my peace with it.”
“So when you fell for her, you didn’t even know she was my best friend?” Natalia asks.
“No,” I say. “But I did after I was a picture of you two together. Afterward, I went looking for her at her apartment. We went behind your back, Natalie. And I’m so for that, so sorry.”
“I’m sorry too,” Kelly says, a sob trying to enter her voice. “We never should’ve lied to you, Nat. It was wrong. We should’ve told you the truth the moment we left that studio.”
“So what is this?” Natalia asks. “A fling, something casual, what?”
Angela shakes her head. “No, look at them. This is more.”
“I want to be with Kelly for the rest of our lives,” I growl without a hint of doubt in my voice. “I can’t imagine being with anybody else. And I can’t stand the idea of anybody else being with her. We’re going to—”
“Start a family together,” Kelly picks up, her voice shivering with excitement. “If you will both give us your blessing, say you’re okay with this, we’re going to be together, really be together, as—”