Page 118 of If Tomorrow Never Comes

By the time Jamie got home from work, Elliott thought she’d composed herself well enough to head over to his apartment, but the tears started up again as she walked down the hallway to his door. He took one look at her face and pulled her into his arms.

“What’s wrong?”

“J-Jamie—”

His fingers brushed her hair and neck, his eyes sweeping her face. “What happened? Did the doctor call?”

She nodded and sniffed. “Sort of.” Not the doctor, but same difference. “They’ll have the cells.”

He sucked in a sharp breath. “Did she ...?”

“Yes. They’re Carly’s.”

He let out a shaky exhale and whispered a thank-you. Then his arms wrapped around her waist, and he picked her up, swinging her around the kitchen. She laughed through her tears, and he smiled up at her, his eyes lighter than she’d seen them in weeks.

She scattered kisses all over his face, even catching his teeth with one when she tried to kiss him as he smiled. A blur of color on the kitchen table caught her attention and she pointed.

“What are those?”

His gaze didn’t leave her face. “Flowers.”

“For me?”

He shook his head.

“For . . . Hank?”

“Nope.”

“Jamie, did you buy yourself flowers?”

He chuckled and lightened his hold, allowing her body to slide slowly down his front. “What if I did?”

“I’d think that’s pretty adorable.”

He met her gaze, reaching up to straighten his glasses. “They’re for us.”

She tilted her head a little.

“I know you love flowers, and they’re mostly for you because the thing I love most in this world is seeing you smile. But I like them, too, and I love that it’s something we share. Every time I see them, I’ll remember how happy they make you, and I’ll also remember how perfect you are for me.”

Her fingers slid up his neck to brush his thick hair. “I am?”

“I never thought I’d find someone like you. I didn’t think you existed.”

“Maybe I don’t. Maybe I really am a unicorn.”

Laughing, he pulled her close. “No. You exist, but only a few people know about you. You’re the best kind of secret.”

“What I’m hearing is I’m actually a narwhal.”

His eyes glittered with mischief and love. “I don’t care what you are, Elliott Holland, as long as you’re mine.”

Epilogue

Elliott

Two and a half years later

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