Page 28 of Outside the Lines
"I know. I absolutely do. And I want to touch you too. But maybe not intense kissing in front of her?" I didn't really know what kind of limits to put on us and how we were going to be in front of people, especially her.
Alex gently kissed me then took my hand in his. "I'm not actually all that interested in displays of affection. I want to hold your hand, and to be able to kiss you like I just did, but more than that isn't something I want to be sharing with other people. No offense, Andy."
Andy snorted. "I'm really okay not seeing more than that. And I'll keep anything I do to a minimum outside of the bedroom as well."
"I think some things should be kept private," Alex went on to say.
I smiled at him and absolutely agreed with him. I thought we'd be able to make this work perfectly then.
Chapter Nine
Nine months later
Alex
I hadn't been sure about moving in with other people again after my ex, but nine months after I'd asked Trin to move in with me at some distant point in time, we were actually doing it. Everything was set up exactly how I'd wanted it, though I was sure that would all be changing as soon as people started making the house I'd bought their own as well. It was mine, and they were paying rent, though I could afford it on my own if I needed to. I had hope that things with Trin would never weaken, but I needed that safety net for my own peace of mind after having to leave the house with my ex in it because I couldn't have afforded that on my own.
With Trin and Andy moving in, we had twenty-four hours before Sally would be joining us as well. She even had her own bathroom. Trin had assured me that she would feel safer that way, since none of us could bother her then.
I'd been waiting nine months to be able to get Trin to live with me. I'd done all the paperwork, the house visits, the background checks. Everything. I was officially a foster parent, and I had the agency's blessing and their thanks. I was just worried about making sure that Trin was happy. I never wanted them to be scared or worried about anything ever again.
I went to the door as Trin and Andy pulled up and the moving truck was right behind them. They hadn't had a lot of stuff, but apparently they hadn't wanted to move it all themselves either. I didn't blame them. I couldn't stand moving, and I'd had to rush through the last of the boxes to be able to get everything out so that they could move in without having to get around all of my stuff.
Trin came up to me and gave me a hug and I held onto them for as long as I could while Andy talked to the movers. "I'm so glad you're here," I said before kissing them. Their hair was up in a bun today, keeping it off their shoulders and neck.
"I should go help Andy," they said, pulling away from me. "He might not know where everything goes."
But I held onto their hand and gave them a little tug. "I want to show you something first. Please?"
Still Trin hesitated. "He'll be fine. I promise," I said. I gave their hand another little tug, and this time, they did come with me. I took them out to the back yard and over to a tall aspen tree. At its base, I'd made a little raised bed garden. I'd painted the outside walls purple, and I'd filled it with the best soil I could buy until it was the perfect little garden.
"Neither of us are good with plants. Remember?"
I did remember. Of course I did. We never had finished our trip through the botanic gardens. "It's not for us."
Trin lifted their eyebrows at me. "Then who is this garden for?"
I came behind them and gave them a hug from behind. "I spoke with Matilda last week and asked her what she thought would make Sally feel most at home here. Apparently, she likes flowers. I thought, after she gets settled in some, that we could all go to a nursery and she could pick some flowers out for her little garden back here. I thought it would be a nice way to welcome her home."
Trin's shoulders shook and I kissed them on the back of their head.
"You're a good man, Alex."
I was thrilled that they thought so. "I'm trying to be."
Andy interrupted us a few minutes later, while I was busy kissing Trin.
"Uh... People?"
I reluctantly pulled away from Trin. "What's up, Andy?"
"One of the movers needs to use the bathroom. Where is it?"
Chuckling, I kissed Trin again, then we started heading inside. "I guess it's time I gave you all the tour then."
"Sounds like it," Trin said as they held onto my hand.
I was glad when Andy went to bed early that night, leaving Trin and me hanging out in the living room together with the fire going.
