Page 127 of More For Me

“Of course.”

“You told me you liked 90’s rom-coms because you watched them with your mom…”

My stomach gives a familiar clench. “Yeah. She, uh, always loved romantic movies. That’s how she learned English—watching American movies. And Gilmore Girls—she loved that show.” I swallow. “After Ari died, she was so…lifeless. She never laughed anymore. She never even smiled. And she never wanted to do anything. So I would sit in her room with her and put on those movies. For a long time, she barely seemed to notice them. But eventually…” I shrug. “Eventually she started watching them with me. And eventually, she started laughing again.”

She’s quiet for a long moment. “And that’s why you love those movies so much.” She sounds sad and I almost wish I hadn’t told her. I love our movie nights more than anything, and I don’t want her feeling like they have a depressing history for me.

“It’s partly why,” I tell her. “But mostly…I don’t know. I think I needed them as much as she did, you know? I needed to believe that things could be happy again. That problems could be wrapped up in ninety minutes. That people got happily ever afters.”

She turns in my arms, cupping my cheeks in her hands, her gaze turning fierce. “You deserve a happily ever after, Bodhi Lakra. More than anyone I know.”

That’s what you are,I think as I bring my lips to hers.The only happily ever after I’ve ever wanted.