“Oh God, please tell me you’re kidding.”
“Your bed shares a wall with my television in the living room. I have that shelf that holds the cable box and some books underneath. You knocked Stephen King on the floor.”
I covered my face with my hands. “God, I would not want to hear you having sex. We actually broke the bedframe last night. I’ll move it away from the wall.”
“Nice. I once broke a dentist’s chair when I was sleeping with that orthodontist. But never a bed.”
My nose wrinkled. “Thanks for sharing. Now every time I go to the dentist, I’m going to wonder whose naked ass has had sex where I’m sitting.”
“You’re welcome.” Fisher winked. “But seriously, how dramatic would I sound if I said you looked radiant? Something about you has changed, but I can’t put my finger on it.”
“It’s probably because I broke my year-long dry spell. Maybe you’re just seeing the muscles in my face relax for the first time in a while.”
“Mmmm…” He assessed me. “No, you had that going on this morning. The wild, just-fucked hair was a good look for you, by the way. But it’s something more… You seem lighter or something.”
There was no one on this Earth who could read me like Fisher—which really spoke volumes about my past relationship. Aiden had never paid enough attention to know if something was bothering me.
I reached over and took Fisher’s hand. Lacing my fingers with his, I squeezed. “You’re so good at being my friend. I wasn’t going to say anything, because I don’t want to make it more than it is, but I called my mom today, right before we left for the train, actually.”
Fisher’s eyebrows rose. “What made you do that?”
“I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about forgiveness…and trying to move on with my life.” I shrugged. “I want to make Hudson something she always cooked for me that I loved, so I thought that might be a good place to start.”
“She must’ve been happy to hear your voice.”
I frowned. “She was. We didn’t talk for very long, though. I asked her if I could have the recipe and then asked her if they were doing okay. She definitely seemed hesitant. I got the feeling she was afraid to say anything wrong. We were on the phone maybe five minutes. When we said goodbye, she asked if I’d call again soon, and I said I’d try.”
This time it was Fisher who squeezed my hand. “Good for you. I think it’s time, my Stella Bella.”
After we finished shopping, Fisher and I took the subway back to the City. We were going two different directions, so we said goodbye at Grand Central Station.
He kissed the top of my head and gave me a big hug. “I’m happy for you,” he said. “I have a really good feeling about things between you and the Adonis. I see a bright future.”
Always afraid to jinx myself, I said thank you, rather than telling him I agreed. But deep down, I saw something bright in the future, too.
I just never expected that brightness to come from a giant explosion.
CHAPTER 26
Hudson
“What are you two up to in there?”
Charlie held out her hand. “You’re not allowed in here, Daddy.”
“Why not?”
“Because we’re making a surprise!”
“But I’m the only one going to be surprised since the two of you are in on it?”
My daughter giggled. “Surprises can be for one person, Daddy.”
I caught Stella’s eye and winked. “Why don’t I put on some music while you guys work in the kitchen? Maybe some Katy Perry or Taylor Swift…”
As expected, Charlie jumped up and down. She pressed her palms together as if she needed to pray in order for me to do something she asked—as if I wouldn’t jump off a cliff to make her happy. “Can you put on Dolly?”
I chuckled. “Sure.”
I turned on the music, sat down in the living room, and put my feet up on the coffee table. Grabbing the TV remote, I flicked on ESPN with closed captioning and started to read the bottom of the screen. They were interviewing a new running back the Giants had drafted for the upcoming season. Big Blue was my team, so I was definitely interested, yet I couldn’t stay focused. Every few minutes, my eyes wandered back to the kitchen. I could see Stella and Charlie working away on whatever they were cooking. Stella stood, while my daughter sat on the counter mixing something. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I watched my daughter cover her mouth as she giggled. The smile on Stella’s face was pretty fucking fantastic, too.
Not to sound like a pussy, but I got this fullness in my chest that gave me a warm feeling. Ah…fuck it, who was I kidding? I didn’t give a shit if I sounded like a pussy. I was happy—really fucking happy. It had been years since I’d felt like I had a real family, and even though I’d only known Stella a few months, and this was the first time the three of us had hung out, my house felt like a home today.