I make a quick job of untying the fabric. “Alright, open your eyes.”
She does, and a soft gasp tumbles from her. “It’s beautiful.” She slowly turns, the light catching on the tears in her eyes, and for a second regret burns in me at the pain the renovations are causing her.
She walks to the window seat and runs her hand along the wainscoting panel of one of the built-in bookshelves. The two white bookshelves on either side of the seat, facing each other, create a cozy nook. Perfect for reading.
“I love it. I can’t believe how amazing it looks.” Tears forge a trail down her face. Thank Christ I kept everyone else out of the room, giving her space to process everything…including how her daughter will never see it.
I pull Jess to me and hug her. Her tears soak through my T-shirt, the only indication she’s soundlessly crying. I don’t say anything. I feel so out of my element. I wish I did know what to say. Sorry just doesn’t seem enough.
After a few moments, she pulls away and releases a soft groan. “I’ve made a mess of your T-shirt.” Faint streaks of mascara are smudged under her eyes.
“It’s okay, Jess. It’s no big deal.” I gently wipe the smudges on her skin away with my thumb.
“God, I probably look a mess too.”
“You look beautiful as always.” I mean it.
She snorts, the noise thick with unshed tears. “You always know the right thing to say.”
“Believe me, I don’t. I’m sorry if the room makes you sad. I’m sorry things didn’t turn out the way you had hoped.” I’m not talking about the room, but her soft smile tells me she gets what I’m trying to say.
“The room doesn’t make me sad. It really is beautiful. I’m sure I’ll make good use of it, even if it’s not for the reason I had hoped.” She leans in and kisses me.
It’s not a heated kiss. It’s slow and passionate, sweet and intense. It says so much and not enough. And I wish it didn’t have to end. Wish we didn’t have to eventually leave this room and deal with the real world. Deal with the ignorance and prejudice and heartbreak waiting for us beyond the front door.
Jess turns and steps closer to the nearest wall. She traces her fingers over the surface. “I love the color.” She’d opted in the end to go with a light sage instead of the pink when I’d asked her about the paint color a few weeks ago.
“It was a great choice.” The color and white trim make the room appear more spacious and peaceful.
She sits on the window seat and looks out through the glass pane. “The view would be better without the protesters.” She sighs. “Hopefully by the time it starts snowing, they’ll decide that they prefer sitting in front of their fireplaces than standing in front of my house.”
“I hope it doesn’t take that long.” The first snowfall usually hits in November. Sometimes sooner.
She gives me a sad smile that echoes her heartbreak. The smile then widens and her eyes brighten. “This is so comfortable. I can see myself writing here once it gets too cold to write in my garden.”
“So you like it?”
“I love it. Thank you.” She jumps to her feet and kisses me again. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me since?—”
A knock on the door interrupts whatever Jess was going to say.
“Do we get to see the room?” Emily’s voice comes from the other side of the door, her tone singsongy. “We’re dying out here waiting.”
Jess laughs and she sounds genuinely happy, her tears already drying. “Come on in.”
The door opens, and Emily, Zara, Simone, and Avery pour into the small space. My brothers and Noah wait on the other side of the door.
Zara turns on the spot, taking everything in. “Wow, this is incredible. I can’t believe the difference.”
Simone walks over to inspects the bookshelves built into the window seat. “I would’ve loved this when I was a little girl. Granny would never have been able to get me to leave my bedroom.” Her gaze shifts to the walls and the ceiling. “The whole place looks so magical.”
“That was the look I was aiming for.” Jess’s smile remains on her face, but I know her enough to see the cracks in her veneer.
When Jess and I initially discussed the renovations, I didn’t know she had a daughter. I didn’t know that Jess was hoping her little girl would one day soon see the room.
I rest my hand on the lower curve of her spine. If only I could fix everything for her the way I can fix a house.
Jess walks to the doorway where my brothers and Noah are watching us, a slight bounce to her step. “Thank you for helping Troy finish the room and the rest of the house.” She turns to her friends. “And thank you for helping me too. My life might be a big mess right now, and I’m still figuring out who I am and my role in this world, but you’ve all given me a beautiful home, so that part of my life is looking better.”
