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“I’m not sure I would have minded,” Tori murmured and trailed her fingers down Miranda’s side.
“We have a lifetime of moments just for the two of us.” Saying those words out loud meant everything, and Miranda was confident that Tori would take it well.
“A lifetime.” Tori’s smile was so wide. The sting of tears built in Miranda’s eyes.
“Yes.”
“All right then.” Tori nodded and untangled herself, slowly and deliberately making sure Miranda knew without a doubt that Tori wanted to be in her arms just as much as Miranda wanted Tori to stay there all night.
“Ready to be the life of the party?” Miranda asked with a gentle stroke of fingers along Tori’s cheek.
“No.” Tori chuckled.
“It’ll be okay,” Miranda threaded her fingers into Tori’s. “You aren’t alone.”
Tori lifted their entangled fingers and kissed the back of Miranda’s hand. “All right.”
“Come on out then, and let’s get this party started,” Miranda called.
“Please don’t ever say that again.” Tori laughed.
“Easily done,” Miranda replied. “Felt stupid saying it that time.”
“Thank you.” The words were perfection to Miranda’s ears.
The cheers drowned out Tori’s laughter, and the rush of people flooded from multiple shadowed areas of her backyard. Miranda held onto Tori’s hand, staying right next to her as the celebration began.
Soon, the tables were filled with food and drinks. Music played, and the sound and rhythm of people enjoying their time together washed over Miranda’s backyard.
Miranda laughed as Aili and Siena dragged Tori into the open space and turned it into an impromptu dance floor. There were so many people, most Miranda had met for the first time only that day. Miranda still wasn’t sure who the woman was who smiled as she watched them, raising a hand and giving a small smile. In a lot of ways, this was surreal. Miranda never would have this many friends, but Tori did, which meant they were her friends. She enjoyed it, a feeling of balance which she had never truly known, not once in her memory.
She was just about to grab a glass of wine when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She’d sworn off work for the day, so this nuisance call was going to cause an upheaval Monday morning when she got back to the funeral home. Someone’s head would roll. The screen lit up as she lifted it to see.
Her mother’s name.
Miranda took a deep breath. She hesitated to answer, and that itself spoke volumes of how far she had come. She wouldn’t let her parents ruin a beautiful night, where the focus was solely on Tori.
She hardened herself as she pressed the red button and shoved the phone roughly into her pocket. Tori had taught her many things. That it was okay to be a parent and an individual. But what she hadn’t told Tori was that she’d also been learning to recognize when she needed to put herself first, and not the responsibilities of others that had been pushed onto her shoulders.
Tori laughed, and the sound pulled Miranda away from thoughts of her family. Now wasn’t the time to worry about them, and now wasn’t the time to put anyone else first—well, other than Tori. This time was her own, and she was in love with the most incredible woman.
“Thank you so much for coming.” Tori gave Haylee a huge hug, and Miranda smiled with a nod.
“You’ve got a great woman here, Miranda. Don’t fuck it up.” Haylee winked, and Miranda smiled, heat rushing to her cheeks.
“Not going to happen,” Miranda said, determined that her actions would prove her words correct for the rest of her life.
“Good.” Haylee leaned forward and gave Miranda a quick kiss on her cheek.
Miranda stiffened a little, unused to the tactile affections of those in Tori’s life.
“You’ll get used to it.” Haylee laughed, waving. Miranda and Tori fell in step with Haylee. “I’ve got to get going.” Haylee had a wicked grin on her lips. “I’ve got a bet to win.”
“What bet?” Tori asked.
Haylee shook her head, her cheeks reddening. “I stupidly challenged my co-administrative assistant to a duel in a way. There’s this thing about a gala. I’m not really sure but apparently it was bad last year.”
“The gala for the Holbrook Foundation?” Miranda’s stomach clenched hard. “If that’s what you’re talking about, then yes, it was a disaster.”
