Page 91 of Flawless

“Then what are you running numbers for again?”

“I spoke with Emma’s dad—”

“Marc Summers?”

“Yeah. I was talking to him about the youth league for his son, Kyle, and he said that there was a large interest in starting an adult league. We’re going to work together on that. We’ll get started once the youth league is up and running.”

“You’re really going to do it, huh?”

“I told you that’s all that I’ve wanted.”

“No, I mean, remain here in Charleston? With me?”

I search her eyes for a while.

“Did you think that I was lying to you?”

“No, but I did think you would get homesick and want to return to Italy or, worst-case scenario, to Brazil.”

“I’m only homesick when you’re not with me. Haven’t you figured out that my home is wherever you are?”

“Aww, you’re so sweet.”

“I also forgot to tell you that when Zee Zee returns for Labor Day, Mattia is bringing her this time.”

“From Italy? That Mattia?”

“Yes. He and his wife are coming for a visit and will bring their son and daughter. So, they agreed to bring her as well since Larisa will be in Italy around that time.”

Danica’s face lights up, and I inhale, preparing myself to ask the question that I’ve wanted to ask for some time now.

“Dani?”

“Yes, babe.”

“Do you think that you would ever change your mind?”

“About?”

“Having my child?”

Her face tightens, and she rolls onto her back.

“Z, I don’t know. I’m thirty-six and the last thing that I need to be thinking about is getting pregnant. What if I—?”

I press my finger to her lip.

“We’re not going down that road again. All those what-ifs only serve as an excuse. They become barriers when you allow them to. We don’t have to implement them in our lives, and they don’t have to be obstacles to realizing our dreams. So what, you’re thirty-six. If you want a baby, you can still have a baby.

“As for the rest of it, I’m not worried about that. I’m not worried about you relapsing or any of those things. I have your back. You’re not going to be perfect. In truth, none of us are flawless. We’re all perfectly imperfect people. You will be strongand you will get through this one day at a time the way that you’ve been doing for the last five months. You’ve made it this far, and you will continue to make it another second, another minute, another hour. Just stay in faith.”

Danica’s smile brightens, and she says, “I love you.”

“I love you more.”

She rolls over onto her back and glance at the clock.

“One hour, you say?”

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