But I didn’t believe I’d ever have it.
He reached for his phone again and thumbed through. “Danny’s Song”rang through the speakers, and we listened without saying a word.
My throat ached, and the threat of tears burned my eyes. I grabbed his phone and shut it off. “I’d rather not.”
He sat up and looked down at me. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m not marriage material,” I whispered.
He wiped away a tear that escaped the corner of my eye. “That’s bullshit. Any man would be lucky to have you as a wife and partner.”
I nestled my cheek in the palm of his hand. “Thank you.”
“Come back to Boston with me.”
I looked him in the eye. He was more than serious. I sat up to face him. “For how long?”
“For as long as you want. You could stay with me, or I can put you up in your own apartment.”
“You mean, live there?”
“Yes.”
My heart hammered in my chest. “I don’t know, Lucas. I have my grandmother and Lainey to look after.”
“They’ll be taken care of.”
“And Thelma is getting married in a couple months, and I’m the maid of honor.”
He didn’t have a solution but instead stoked my cheek.
“And I love it here… I don’t know how I’d do in Boston away from my friends and family.”
He nodded with a tight smile. “It was just a thought. I understand.”
“After the wedding, I wouldn’t mind visiting for a while. Who knows, maybe the city will grow on me.”
“Maybe it will.”
I cupped his cheek. “We have a lot going against us, don’t we?”
“We do.” His fingers glided down my hair until it reached the tips. “But I’m willing to give it a try.”
“Me too.”
“Are you working tomorrow?”
“No.”
“Come with me to visit Heidi?”
“I’d love to.”
He kissed my forehead, and I laid back down in his arms.
And in that moment, there were no obstacles between us. It was perfect. If I lived for moments like my mother did, this was exactly where I was meant to be.
* * *
