Page 59 of Pining
I laughed and pulled her back in for a hug. “This is the best present ever.”
Clearing my throat in a dumb attempt to hide the tears running down my cheeks, I reached behind me.
“Did you meet Victoria, yet?” Victoria took my hand, and I drew her into my side.
“Not in person just yet,” Victoria crooned as she swiped her thumbs across my cheeks. “We’ve been chatting on the sly since the last phone call we had with her at your place. This sort of started as my idea. You couldn’t make it to Puerto Rico in January, so your aunt found someone to take care of your grandmother this weekend, and Dad and I went half on your mom’s airfare. Our gift to you.” She kissed my cheek. “Happy birthday, babe,” she whispered in my ear.
Fuck the comic book. I was about to drop to one knee right that second and propose.
“Thank you,” I muttered to Josh, still too choked up to say anything else.
“Where,” I washed a hand down my face, trying to get a grip on the flood of emotions. “Where are you staying?”
“She’s staying with me for the weekend,”TitiSofia chimed in behind me. “But there’s room for you if you’d like to stay with us. I think you both have a lot to catch up on.”
I nodded. “I’d like that.”
My mother squeezed my hand and then took Victoria’s.
“I would like to catch up with you both. But first, let’s celebrate my son’s birthday.”
We went back to the table, but I was still too stunned to speak that much for most of the evening.
Mom and Victoria were like old friends even though this was the first time they’d met in person. I chuckled when they talked over me as if I wasn’t sitting between them.
When Sara took my mother,TitiSofia, and Mari for a tour of the restaurant, Victoria draped her arm across my shoulder and kissed my cheek.
“You’re quiet, tonight. I guess we really surprised you.” She giggled before leaning her forehead against my temple.
I nodded slowly. “I’d say so.” I picked up her hand and laced our fingers together. “Have I told you how much I love you yet, today?”
“Maybe.” She gave me a playful shrug. “Tell me anyway just to make sure.”
I laughed and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. “I love you so damn much.”
Celebrating my birthday with my family, family that now included the woman I loved, seemed surreal.
I’d kept my promise to my mother to not throw away what I had left of my life, but I’d never expected it to be this full. Full of purpose and new beginnings. I was surrounded by people who loved me despite what I’d done, and for who I’d become because of it.
There were still challenges I had to get past, or learn to live with, but that doom cloud Josh had noticed over my head had finally vanished. I’d never expected the skies to be so clear and bright. And I never thought a woman like Victoria could be mine to keep.
True freedom took some getting used to.
