Page 109 of Where We Fall

IlookoveratLexi as she takes a nap. It’s difficult to tear my eyes away from her. I just want to take it all in, to keep reminding myself that she’s mine.

Neither of us has slept well since last weekend. She insisted on driving, but when I saw her yawning, exhaustion taking over her eyes, I told her I could take over.

This morning has been complete chaos. Yet when I made the decision, when it all came to me, I justknewit was the right answer. Everything inside of me settled, and the world became clear again.

The answer was right there all along. So damn obvious yet so hard to find.

When I told my siblings, to say they were shocked is an understatement. But I didn’t leave room for their opinions or concerns. I told them I am in love with her, this decision has nothing to do with them, and that I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.

I can tell how much my brothers were itching to ask questions, but they held back.

It might take time, but they will see. None of this is because of what I said last week.

The truth is, I love working with them. Just because I decided to put up some boundaries doesn’t mean the majority of the time we didn’t work well together. We all feed off each other’s ideas and congratulate one another on victories.

If I sit around and think about it for too long, the reality of never working with them again is gonna hit hard. Although, I know I need to process that and face it, right now is not the time.

I just need to focus on getting Lexi settled in.

After that, I can deal with my own emotions.

When Lexi wakes up, we’re only about half an hour from the address she gave me.

“Morning,” I smile as she stretches with a lazy grin on her face.

“Mmmm, mornin’.”

She looks at the clock and then sits up straighter.

“Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I slept that long. You should have woken me up.”

“Why would I do that? You needed your rest.”

She looks at me like I’m crazy. “Because you’re tired too. You said it yourself. I was going to take over and let you take a nap, too.”

I chuckle. “I can handle it. All the traveling around the world the last couple of years has made me an expert at adjusting to time zones and fighting through exhaustion.”

“Doesn’t mean you should do it if you have the option not to.”

I steal a glance at her. “I’ll never wake you up and ask you to drive. That’s just not gonna happen. So, you better get over it now.”

“You’re kinda stubborn. You know that?” she asks.

“I’ve heard that before,” I say with a smile.

I listen to the navigation as it guides me through the town. This is going to be my new home. It’s so wild to think about.

“You said you have friends meeting us here?” I ask as I pull into the parking lot.

“Yeah, Grace and her husband Matt. I’ve known Grace since I was a kid.”

I pull into the row of storage units. It’s obvious which one is hers based on the truck currently sitting in front of it.

I park the car on the other side. When we get out, the truck is already opened, and the guys are unloading it.

I see a couple get out of their car. It must be her friends. They walk our way, the woman picking up the pace and running towards Lexi.

“Yay! You’re here,” her friend says as she wraps her arms around Lexi.

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