Page 75 of So Close to You
As for Nerissa, her practice is based at an independently owned high-performance sports center located on the outskirts of the city. There she operates on professional athletes, soccer players of various levels, long-distance runners, and rugby players.
Seraphina stretches out her arm, pushing aside the accounting papers to focus her full attention on the surgeon,whose eyes seem fixed on the reflection of the light dancing across the surface of her coffee.
“What are you thinking about?” Seraphina asks.
“That we’re doing really well.”
This time, they both share a broad smile.
“Do you want to go for a walk?”
*
The neighborhood streets overflow with a bohemian vitality, a world apart from the strict formality of the financial district where they used to spend so much of their time.
Nerissa glances sideways at Seraphina as they walk past the façade of an old factory converted into art galleries. Seraphina gazes into the shop windows and watches the silhouettes reflected in the glass without tensing her shoulders, without quickening her pace, and without looking away hurriedly in search of someone who might be spying on them.
As they turn the corner onto Thomas Street, Seraphina catches her girlfriend’s attention.
“By the way, there’s a… logistical matter we need to sort out for the next few days,” she announces.
“What’s going on?”
“I’m going to have the kids this week. Finally,” Seraphina says. “I think this is the first step toward them finally forgiving me.”
“Really? That’s wonderful!” Nerissa exclaims, throwing her arms around her.
“The last time we spoke, they seemed really excited about exploring the neighborhood,” Seraphina confesses, a hint of emotion in her voice. “Do you want to know something I’ve realized?”
“Tell me,” Nerissa replies.
“That if I could go back in time… if I had the chance to rewrite every single day since we met, I swear I wouldn’t change a thing that happened if this were the outcome. Or maybe I’d try to fight the fear a lot sooner,” she jokes.
“You know what?” Nerissa says, stepping in front of her until their noses nearly touch. “Me neither. Because I know for sure that one way or another, you, Seraphina Chapman, would have won my heart.”
The two women smile and continue walking hand in hand. And as they round the next corner of the neighborhood, neither of them looks back to see what has been buried beneath the rubble of their former reality.
