Page 84 of When You Smile

“I definitely want to.”

“Do you know how much I would love that?”

“Then it’s decided. We’re spending the summer together.” Taryn couldn’t hold back the smile if she tried. And when she returned to Hillspoint, she’d have a semester left to graduation before she could join Charlie fully. Everything was coming together, and her heart, which had been limping along just hours before, soared with new happiness and possibilities.

“And there it is,” Charlie said.

“There’s what?”

“That smile. It does me in every time.”

“God, I love you,” Taryn said and kissed her again, excited for the adventures ahead, ready to live their lives hand in hand.

“You know, it may not always be easy,” Charlie said. “We have careers to figure out. A new city to navigate.”

“My parents to wrangle when they visit.”

“That, too,” Charlie said, laughing.

Taryn’s smile faded. “But as long as we have each other, we can conquer anything. I fully believe that.”

Charlie slid her hand beneath Taryn’s jaw. “That may be one of my favorite things you’ve ever said.”

“I’ll remind you every day.”

In the quiet of the new day, they drifted off to sleep safely in each other’s arms, limbs tangled, hearts full. Happy, warm, and madly in love.

Epilogue

Three years later

As Taryn opened the door, the sun bathed the small apartment in a warm, golden glow. It was late afternoon and she’d been gone since the darkness of the early morning, carried into the city on the C train full of quiet strangers. Grad school was kicking her ass in the best way possible, but she’d learned to use her commute to get a portion of studying done, proud of her 4.0, and ready for more. She had leads on several summer internships in Manhattan. Two of them paid pretty decently, which would certainly help pay the rent on her and Charlie’s one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn. The place wasn’t fancy, and the appliances took turns needing repair, but it was theirs and radiated warmth and love.

“It smells amazing in here,” Taryn said, craning her neck to see Charlie in the tucked-away kitchen in the corner.

“Hey, gorgeous. It’s because I’m making impromptu lasagna with a sauce recipe I found on the internet.”

“Then I vote yes on internet sauce.” Taryn dropped her camera bag on the couch as she made her way to Charlie. “In fact, I could kiss you right now.”

“You better.”

She grinned and cupped Charlie’s face in her hands, and they shared a sweet, lingering kiss.

“How was your Contemporary Trends presentation?” Charlie asked, coming up for air. “I was thinking about you all day. Sending the good vibes.”

She leaned back against the counter, watching Charlie butter the garlic bread. “I don’t know why I get so nervous about those things, especially when I was entirely prepared, but it went better than I’d even planned. Tons of questions after. Lots of class discussion, especially on the influence of social media on storytelling. Milagros, the instructor, pulled me aside and thanked me.”

“Baby. That is the best news. I knew you were going to kill it. Did I mention this is celebratory lasagna? Because it is. All for you.”

“Celebratory lasagna?” Taryn let her mouth fall open. “I had no idea. My afternoon keeps improving.” For Taryn, there was simply nothing better than coming home at the end of a long day to the woman that she loved. The meal was merely a bonus.

“How was the commute?”

“The sunset over the skyline was breathtaking. I was ready with my camera this time and think I got some good shots. Did I mention I’m loving the lens you got me for my birthday? Getting tons of play off it.”

“Oh yeah? That sales guy said it was incredibly versatile.” She ran her hand absently in circles on Taryn’s thigh. “Show me the photos when they’re ready.”

“You’re on. How was your day?”

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