Page 112 of The Dating Pact

He pursed his lips, holding back a smile. I let mine loose, a weight lifted off my chest. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he said and stood up from his hair. I didn’t go for the hug because he was a cool fifth grader now. I went for the high five instead.

“What do you say we go pay her a visit tonight?”

“Yeah. That’d be cool.”

I had my phone in hand immediately. “Tell your sister to put her shoes on.”

He pivoted away, yelling, “Amelia! Put your shoes on!”

I texted Brooke.

Where are you?

Brooke

The farm.

We’re coming over, and we’re bringing Go Fish.

Half an hour later, I parked in my usual spot, the sun already set but the lights of the tiny house on. Brooke was waiting at the door, holding it open for us. Amelia bounced up, flapping the deck. “Hi! Hi! Hi! We’re here to play Go Fish. You want to play with us?”

“Yes,” she answered, laughing. The sweetest sound in the whole goddamn world.

Next, Sebastian stepped up with the pan of brownies I’d made earlier this morning. He offered her his cool guy head nod. Brooke gave him one back with a wink.

And then it was finally my turn.

“Honeybee.” I hooked my arm around her waist and buried my face in her hair. She’d worn it down today, and she smelled of lavender and honey. My favorite. I inhaled deeply, releasing a contented sigh.

I felt her smile against my throat. “You’re here. You’re all here.”

“We are.”

She draped her arms around my neck as she pulled back, her eyes crinkling in the corners and glassy. “For good?”

“Forever.”

I pulled her to me, kissing her, for the past six weeks, for the last few months, for the years we’d been friends. She tasted sweet like sugar and salty like the tears streaming down her cheeks, caught between our lips. I tunneled my fingers into her hair, angled her head back, and found her tongue with mine.

“Ugh. Gross.”

We broke apart, turning to find Sebastian and Amelia standing in the doorway between the kitchen and her office. Him cringing, her clapping. Brooke and I laughed.

I felt high.

Higher than I’d ever been.

I had my kids and Brooke, our future laid out in front of us. Sure, it would be slow going, making sure nobody got left behind, but this was the first step.

“Come on,” I said, taking that step with Brooke at my side and the kids in front of me. “Let’s play some Go Fish.”

We sat on the floor, which seemed much easier for Brooke. “All the yoga,” she said. “You should come with me.”

I rolled my eyes. Always trying to get me to be healthy.

Sebastian dealt the cards as Amelia curled into Brooke’s side, and we played as many rounds as we could, joking and giggling, until my daughter yawned more than she talked.

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