Page 63 of When We Are Complete

Here, now, nothing else matters. All that exists is Kelly and me. It’s raw, it’s real, and I’ll be damned if I let it slip through my fingers again.

I pull back from the kiss and scoop Kelly up, the back of her knees in my hands, and she locks her arms around my neck. We’re laughing, breathless as I stumble to the sofa. I fall onto it, pulling a blanket over us.

“God, I’ve missed this,” I murmur against her hair, which smells of wildflowers and something sweetly familiar that I never want to forget.

“Me too,” she whispers, her body pressed so close to mine there’s no beginning or end to us. We’re two pieces of a puzzle that got lost under the couch for years—dusty, a bit worn, but still a perfect fit.

A silence falls between us, comfortable and easy, the kind you only get with someone who knows all your demons but loves you, anyway. I kiss the top of her head, feeling like more than just a dad or a guy who owns a construction company. I’m alive, flesh and blood, with a heart that beats for this woman.

Kelly’s head rests on my shoulder, and it’s as though the years apart never happened, the space between us dissolving the moment we decided to giveusanother chance. As though none of the hurt or pain or missing her ever happened.

I tilt her chin up gently and press my lips to hers, slow and soft. She kisses me back, her fingers threading through my hair. It’s just her and me, the way it used to be, but also completely different. Better.

When we pull back, she leans into me, resting her head on my chest. “I can’t believe we’re here again,” she says, her breath against my skin. “It’s strange, but good.Reallygood.”

“Yeah,” I murmur, my hand tracing lazy circles on her back. “I was just thinking the same thing.”

We fall into a comfortable silence. After a moment, she shifts slightly, her fingers absentmindedly playing with the edge of the blanket.

“It’s so strange being back here. I honestly never even imagined you and I would get back together. In fact, I made Nora promise that she wouldn’t let me be alone with you at the wedding.”

“I’m glad she’s bad at keeping promises. I’ve been meaning to ask you, why did you come back? I’m beyond glad that you did… but someone like you must have had a hundred job offers to choose from.”

There’s a long silence, but I wait patiently. “It’s hard to explain, but since Mom died, I’ve felt a real pull to be back here. I miss her.” Kelly’s voice drops, almost too quiet to hear. “I don’t know. Sometimes I’m still waiting for her to walk through the door, to call me and ask how my day was.”

I press a kiss to the top of her head, holding her a little tighter. “I’m sorry. I wish she was still here.”

She sighs, her shoulders rising and falling under my arm. “I’m trying to be strong, you know? Trying to be the person she’d want me to be, but some days, it’s hard. Like I’m just pretending.”

“You don’t have to pretend with me. You never have to pretend.”

She looks up at me and stays quiet. The best thing I can do is be there for her right now, so I just hold her, don’t press her to say more.

Tiger walks over and glares at us before settling on the edge of the couch, and Kelly reaches out and strokes him, before glancing at me. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have gone on and on. We’ve just had the best day.” She sighs. “You always seem as thoughyou have everything together. You’ve always been that way. Nothing ever bothers you.”

I shake my head, reaching out to stroke Tiger, too. “I only look like I’ve got it together because I have to. People rely on me. Adele relies on me. I promised myself a long time ago that she’d never want for anything.”

Kelly watches me, her eyes searching mine. “What do you mean?”

I lean back against the cushions, pulling her with me. “Well, you know things weren’t easy when I was a kid. My dad lost his job, and we almost lost the house. There were days when everything was falling apart, and my parents… well.” I shrug. It’s hard to articulate how cold our house always felt, even in the middle of summer. It’s not something I’ve ever spoken to anyone else about.

Kelly lifts her gaze to mine, silent encouragement etched in the lines of her face. She waits. Always patient, even when I’m scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to find words for emotions I’ve bolted down.

“Mom and Dad, they were just two strangers sharing a house, not a home,” I say, before blowing out a breath, clamming up. I don’t want to talk about this. Not really. Not when we’ve had one of the best afternoons of my life.

Her fingers trace circles on my chest, soothing the rawness that’s there, just beneath the surface. It’s funny, how talking about something as dull as my parents’ marriage exposes a nerve, raw and tender.

I shrug, taking her hand in mine, wanting to change the subject. “I promised myself back then that I’d make sure Adele would never have to go through that. I’d make sure she was taken care of, that she’d feel secure, that she never had to worry about any material things, no matter what.”

“You’ve done that,” Kelly says softly. “She’s lucky to have you. And Jenny.”

“I want to look after you, too, Kel. Forever.”

She doesn’t say anything, but her eyes soften, and instead of words, she leans in and kisses me—slow and deep. She’s answering with every ounce of emotion she can’t put into words. When we pull back, I look at her, really look at her, and for a second, I can’t believe this is real.

“Same town, same old Jake, but I’m finally waking up from some long-ass dream and realizing what I’ve been missing all along.”

“Me too,” she says, her voice carrying the weight of years lost and found. “It’s scary as hell, isn’t it?”

---