Page 157 of The Life-Changing Magic of Falling in Love

We walked into this – us – open-hearted.

And it keeps on feeling so right.

‘I can’t believe you’re complaining about carrying a few scatter cushions up three flights of stairs,’ I tease. ‘You’re really worn out from last night?’

His grin turns wicked. ‘I was hoping “many hands make light work” would leave us free for…’

‘Round two of “after”?’

‘More, free for all the rounds for evermore.’

‘Wow.’

This time I look over to see, not Carlos sighing, but Fourth-In-Line guy, who now appears to be getting busy recording George’s romance speak in a little notebook.

‘But despite promising to round these two up,’ George tells me, jerking his thumb to indicate Carlos and Oz, ‘you instead got here and have been cleaning ever since?’

‘Well, they were super-busy and, in my mind, I too was thinking the quicker I helped the quicker we’d get to finishing up.’

George stares intently at me and with a softer voice asks, ‘The cleaning isn’t because you’re scared? Because we can?—’

I reach out to put my fingers to his lips and stay his words. ‘I’m not scared, George. But even if I was, I’d still be in this with you. Even if I had to clean. But that doesn’t scare you either, right?’

‘Not even a little bit.’

‘Good, because you’re not getting rid of me that easily. For one thing we have Robert to co-parent now.’

‘Robert?’ Carlos interrupts. ‘Who’s Robert? Are you getting a fur-baby? We’re getting a fur-baby. Do not be stealing our thunder on the fur-baby.’

‘It’s not a competition,’ Oz insists. ‘Although, who names a dog Robert anyways?’

‘Robert is our Ficus.’ I explain.

Carlos looks disgusted at our name-choosing capabilities. ‘Who names a Ficus, Robert?’

We both turn and say, ‘Six letters: Lead singer of Led Zeppelin.’

A muttering goes up and down the bakery crowd until Corner-Table Guy says, ‘I think I know this answer. Robert Plant?’

Carlos shakes his head at us. ‘I knew it all along.’ He takes out his phone to take our photo. ‘Ashleigh, I’m sending this to your mom – clearly you two are just weird enough with your kinky-crossword-Ficus-sharing to work.’

‘There’s one more thing I want to say,’ George tells me. ‘As well as doing all the moving boxes on my own I picked up a little something for you…’

I watch as George reaches into his back jeans pocket.

Carlos emits a sort of shriek. ‘Oh my god. You’re getting out a ring?’

I’ve a feeling the startled expression on George’s face matches mine.

‘I don’t have a ring,’ he whispers.

‘Good,’ I whisper back. ‘Because no offense to our friends, but should this ever come up in the future I’d be looking to be somewhere a little bit more’—I nod my head to the crowd—‘intimate.’

‘Good to know,’ he whispers back.

And then, because his grin is so sappy-sweet I find myself ridiculously bravely adding, ‘Although a pub could maybe work. Possibly in the UK, when we go to visit your folks next year!’

‘Also, good to know,’ he says, the grin turning deeper and sexier.

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