Page 35 of Destiny

“Of course, we are . . . that’s what you want, isn’t it?”

She looks up and smiles. “Yeah.” Her nose is adorably wrinkled.

“Good.” With our privacy, I feel comfortable finally bending down and kissing her.

“I just realized we didn’t explicitly say that before,” she says after we part.

“. . . I suppose that’s true. But I thought saying I love you covered that.”

Bea laughs. “That’s what I thought too. But I just wanted to be sure. Micky got in my head all about not telling Aurora and Alessia about us.”

I sigh. “I want to tell them. I really do. I just worry.”

She grasps my hands now and squeezes tight. “I know. And I trust your discretion with that. There’s no reason to rush it as long as we’re on the same page.”

We kiss again. “Thank you for understanding.” I feel so bad that her friends are questioning my intentions and making her do the same. I just can’t risk them getting hurt if things don’t work out. They’re already so attached to her. I’d die if I ripped the only constant woman in their life away from them.

“Of course.”

She puts her arms around my neck, and we put our foreheads together.

“Hey, Bea? Mrs. Anderson is out here, and she has a question for you.”

She lifts her head. “Well, I guess I should get going.”

I checked my expensive watch, which I know her friend would make fun of me if she ever saw it, and saw that it’s almost one.

“Shoot, yeah. I gotta go, too. I have a new client meeting in fifteen minutes.”

“Oh! Wow. Okay. I’ll see you later tonight. Do you need me to pick up the girls?”

“No, I should be able to do it. Thank you for offering, though.”

“Of course.”

It feels so amazing to have a partner to raise them finally. It isn’t just me anymore, and I know they’ll need her as they continue to age. I guess that’s another reason I don’t want to acknowledge our relationship to them—I don’t want to even think about a world where she isn’t in ours.

So, I give her one more peck before we both go back to attending to work.

When I pull up to my small firm, however, I see a fancy car I don’t recognize in the lot.

The client I’m supposed to be meeting up with is dealing with bankruptcy, so I know for sure that that isn’t her vehicle. And if it is, I need to reconsider representing her seriously.

I go inside, look around the waiting room, and fail to see anyone.

“It’s your mother, Luisa,” my receptionist says.

“What?”

The young girl before me shrugs her shoulders. “I offered for her to take a seat, but she insisted on waiting for you in your office.”

“Uh, okay. When Miss Taylor comes in, please make sure she’s all set up with coffee, tea, or water—”

“Will do.”

“Thanks. This shouldn’t take too long.”

I haven’t seen my mother in years. She’s been too busy expanding her jewelry business back in Italy. So, her sudden appearance has me a little shaken up.

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