Page 61 of Curvy Desire's Second Shot

The day passedin a flurry of activity. I met with local business owners to discuss sponsorships for an upcoming fundraiser, coordinated a schedule for the after-school program, and worked with a volunteer to organize supplies for the food pantry. Each task, no matter how small, felt like a step toward something bigger.

In the afternoon, I visited the new art therapy program we’d started for kids dealing with trauma. The room was filled with bright colors, laughter, and the faint smell of paint. A little girlnamed Lila—one of the first children I’d helped when I started volunteering—ran up to me, holding a drawing of a house surrounded by flowers.

“This is for you, Miss Naomi,” she said, her smile wide.

I knelt down, taking the drawing with a soft laugh. “It’s beautiful, Lila. Thank you.”

She beamed, her eyes sparkling. “That’s you in the garden. You said you wanted flowers, remember?”

“I do,” I said, my throat tightening with emotion. “And this is perfect.”

By the timeI locked up the center that evening, the sky was streaked with shades of orange and pink. I walked to my car, the drawing carefully tucked into my bag, and let out a long breath. The exhaustion I felt wasn’t the kind that weighed me down—it was the kind that reminded me I was doing something that mattered.

When I got home, Hudson was in the kitchen, chopping vegetables with an easy confidence that still made my heart skip. He looked up when I walked in, his face lighting up with a smile.

“Hey,” he said, setting the knife down as I crossed the room. “How was the big day?”

“Busy,” I said, leaning into his embrace. “But good. Really good.”

He kissed the top of my head, his arms tightening around me. “You’re making a difference, Naomi. I hope you know that.”

I pulled back slightly, meeting his gaze. “We both are.”

His smile softened, and he reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

“So are you,” I said, my voice steady. “We’re a good team.”

“We are,” he agreed, his voice full of conviction. “And this is just the beginning.”

Later that night,as we sat together on the porch, the quiet of the evening wrapping around us, I found myself reflecting on how far we’d come. The fear, the uncertainty, the fight—it had all led us here, to a life we’d built together. And for the first time, I felt truly at peace.

I glanced at Hudson, his profile silhouetted against the fading light, and smiled. “We did it,” I said softly.

“We did,” he said, turning to look at me. “And I can’t wait to see what we do next.”

Neither could I.

Chapter Forty-Six

Naomi

The crisp evening air carried the faint scent of pine and woodsmoke as we walked hand in hand through the park. The sun had just dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in soft hues of pink and orange. It was the kind of night that made the world feel quiet, as if it was holding its breath just for us.

Hudson had been uncharacteristically quiet all day. Not the brooding kind of quiet—just thoughtful, as if he was turning something over in his mind. I’d caught him glancing at me a few times, his lips curving into that small, secretive smile that always made my chest tighten.

“What’s on your mind?” I asked, nudging him gently with my shoulder.

“Nothing,” he said, his tone light. “Just enjoying the moment.”

I raised an eyebrow, but his expression gave nothing away. “Uh-huh. Sure.”

He laughed softly, pulling me closer as we rounded a bend in the path. “You’ll see.”

The park openedup into a clearing, and I stopped short when I saw what he’d done. Strings of fairy lights hung from the low branches of the surrounding trees, their soft glow casting the space in a warm, golden light. A small table was set up near the center, draped in white linen and adorned with candles and wildflowers.

My breath caught, and I turned to Hudson, my eyes wide. “What is this?”

“Something I’ve been planning for a while,” he said, his voice soft. “Come on.”

---