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“Definitely a bonus!” I exclaim.
We laugh together and then settle back into watching the movie, but my mind is already racing with plans. Finding a place of my own, talking with Parker about our future, and figuring out how to navigate this new path we’re on. There’s a sense of closure, a sense of finally knowing what I want and where I belong.
The credits roll on the screen, and I feel a strange mix of calm and anticipation. It’s the beginning of a new chapter, one filled with challenges and uncertainties but also with love and hope. I turn to Lauren, and we share a smile, a silent understanding passing between us.
“Ready for tomorrow?” she asks, her tone light but sincere.
“Yeah,” I say, feeling a surge of confidence. “I think I am.”
The future seems a little less daunting, a little more hopeful. I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, but I know that with Parker by my side and Lauren’s unwavering support, we can face whatever comes our way.
***
The next day, I wake up to a text message from Parker.
Meet me here.
I furrow my brow in confusion, not recognizing the address, but I get up and quickly get dressed. Lauren has already gone to work by the time I hop into my car and drive to meet Parker. The address ends up being for a large, two-story house on a double lot with a wrap-around porch and a big work shed at the back of its sizeable yard. It’s beautiful, but it clearly needs work. Shingles are missing from the roof, and the paint is peeling on the exterior in places. Parker is waiting on the porch for me and smiles when I get out of my car and make my way up the steps to him.
“Good morning,” he says and he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in for a kiss.
“Good morning,” I reply. “What’s going on? Is this your next fixer-upper?”
He nods. “In a manner of speaking. Let’s go inside and look around.”
“Okay.” I shrug.
He opens the door and leads me inside, and I’m immediately struck by the elegance of the house’s interior. Again, it’s dated and needs some work, but the original, intricate woodwork along the ceiling and up the stairs is still in place, and the floors really just need to be refinished, but they’re gorgeous and intact. The kitchen needs upgraded, and it could afford to have a wall or two taken down to open the space up a bit, but the house has strong bones and amazing character.
When Parker is done showing me around, he leads me back to the living room with its stone fireplace and gives me a mischievous grin.
“Well?” he asks. “What do you think?”
“This place is wonderful,” I answer. “Once you fix it up a bit, it’ll definitely go for a high price.”
“Well, what if I kept it?”
I blink at him, surprised. “Kept it? What do you mean?”
He shrugs as he looks around the room. “Well, exactly what I said. What if I fixed it up and kept it for myself? Could you see yourself living here?”
“Me?” I exclaim. “Parker, what…?”
He steps forward and takes my hands. “I’m saying, I want to buy this house and fix it up for us. I want us to live here together, Chloe.”
“You…you do?” My heart is racing and my eyes go wide as I stare at him.
He nods. “Yeah, I do. I love you, Chloe, and I want to build a life with you…if that’s what you want, I mean.”
For several seconds, I’m struck speechless, but then, I let out an excited laugh and loop my arms around his neck, hugging him tight.
“Yes!” I cry. “Yes, Parker. I want to live with you. I want to build a life with you. I love you, too!”
He grabs my waist, picks me up off my feet, and spins me around with a whoop. When he puts me back on the floor, I pull him down into a happy, eager kiss that he all-too-willing reciprocates. My heart is fluttering, and I’ve never felt so happy before. It’s amazing to think back on how upset and disappointed I was when I first had to move back home, but I’d had no idea then that my real life was waiting for me here.
Parker was waiting for me here.
I can’t regret a single thing that’s happened to me now, because everything has led me to this moment and to this man. My one true love, and my forever home.
