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“He doesn’t?” I ask.
“No. I told him I wanted Daddy to have a turn with you, and he said no.” Bodhi puts the two books he’s holding into the box.
Rowan steps back into my apartment, obviously overhearing our conversation.
“You’ll understand it one day, Bodhi,” Rowan says, picking up another box.
“Meany,” Bodhi says and looks up at me. “But I’m glad you’re living with us. We can chalk more.”
“Definitely.” I tap his nose with my finger.
He puts his arm around my neck and rests his head on my shoulder.
“Your kid is encroaching on my territory,” Rowan says to Henry when he returns.
“He’s kind of a chick magnet,” Henry says.
“Well, he’s ruining your game then.” Tweetie laughs.
The four of them take another round of boxes down.
They’re on a winning streak right now, and the locker room is free of tension. Conor and Rowan aren’t where they were before, but we can all sit in a room together, so that’s progress. With time, I know they’ll get closer.
My parents’ divorce is about to be finalized, and I’ve had a few meals with my mom since our brunch. I guess all of us Nilsens need time to get used to our new normal.
Once my apartment is all packed up and only the furniture I’m leaving behind remains, I take a moment for one final walk-through.
“Having second thoughts?” Rowan stands in the doorway of my bedroom, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed.
“No.” I walk over to him and run my hands along his sides to behind his back, hugging him. “Just thinking of how different I feel now.”
His hand runs down my back. “Different how?”
“I feel more at peace. Excited for my future…” I rest my chin on his chest and stare up at him. “Our future.” I shrug. “I can’t explain it. I think I’m mourning my old life because it feels like we’re starting a new chapter. But then I’m anxious, because with a new chapter, there’s uncertainty.”
He nods. “We’ll weather the storms together and appreciate the rainbows after.”
I lightly push him in the stomach. “Okay, Mr. Inspiration.”
“I like that a helluva lot better than Mr. Heartbreaker.” He chuckles and holds me tighter, swaying us back and forth. “Let’s go home.”
I circle in his arms and take one last look at my old bedroom.
We walk out of my apartment, and I slide my key under the door for the landlord, who said the next tenant is new to the city and would love to have the furniture I’m not taking with me.
Once we’re both in the vehicle, Rowan pulls the small moving truck away from the curb. I rest my arms on the window, staring at my apartment building until he turns a corner, and it disappears from view.
I straighten in my seat, and his hand lands on my thigh, squeezing it. “You okay?”
I nod, tears forming and slipping down my cheeks.
“I’m starting to feel I forced you into this.”
“No.” I shake my head, wiping my tears. “I’m so happy. Really. I think it’s all just hitting me. I’m no longer that single girl who went from believing in happily-ever-afters to thinking they were bullshit, then back to knowing they exist.”
“Definitely not single.” He makes a right with the truck. “And we’re proof they exist.”
I place my hand over his on my thigh and interlock our fingers. “Okay, I’m not going to cry anymore.”
