Page 121 of Between Us

“Last I checked, class was over, and office hours are tomorrow.” She scoffs, ready to rip into me, but her mouth just hangs open when she sees the ring on my left hand, as I slide it around his bicep. “I’m meeting my husband for lunch.”

Slipping his arm out of my hold, only to wrap it around my shoulders and pull me in closer, he gives Morgan a neutral look. And from Adrian? That’s practically a death wish. “It’s probably best if you take any further questions to Dr. Phillips or one of the other TAs.”

Leavingherin embarrassment and shame for once, Adrian and I turn away, easily falling into step with each other. I hold it together long enough to round a corner out of the main walkway, before the adrenaline crashes, and the tears start.

“Come here, baby,” Adrian murmurs and pulls me under a staircase. He usually only calls me baby during sex, though sometimes it slips out, in the moments I need the deepest comfort.

Falling into his embrace, I let the tears fall and focus on my breath. After a couple of minutes, Adrian uses the hand at the base of my neck to turn my eyes up to his. “What do you need?”

Closing my eyes, it pushes the last lingering tears over as Adrian gently wipes each one. “I don’t know why I’m crying,” I rasp in a small voice. Not sure why I say it. Iknowthe exact reason.

Adrian does too because he tells me, “It’s the adrenaline. That’s all.”

Nodding, I take a deep breath and try to articulate how I’m feeling. “Yeah, no. I know. I’m not even upset… I mean, it sucks to be reminded of those years.” The word vomit starts, but Adrian just softly cups my neck and lets me work out my thoughts. “I think… for the first time, I understand what Catalina has been trying to help me see.”

“What’s that?” he quietly asks, leaning his forehead against mine.

“My life is going to be so much bigger than those years. Even just the last three months with you has made it feel almost unimportant. I’ll always be who I am because of those years…” I trail off, scrunching my eyebrows and feeling like I’m not making sense.

“I want you to be who you are, and whoever that is tomorrow, and the next day.”

Letting out a sigh of relief, I get to the point. “I’m not upset. I’m just tired. I’m ready to move on and really leave that part of my life behind.”

A soft, proud gleam reaches his eyes. “You’re going to make yourself the happiest girl in the world, and I’m here to love you through every second of it.”

Smiling up at him, tears reach my eyes again, happy ones this time. “You’ll have to change it to ‘Sunshine soon.’”

“Nah,” he disagrees and drops his hand to the silver charm I’ve worn every day since last December. He repeats the words he said to me the first afternoon we spent together, a little over a year ago now, “I’ve always liked rain more.”

Epilogue

Adrian

Twoyearsandsixmonths later…

Stepping outside behind my dad and Tim, I breathe in the evening air. When I moved to Amada Beach four years ago, I never expected to love the town as much as I do. Nor did I expect for my life to play out the way it has.

But as I settle against the porch railing, I can’t pull my eyes away from Blake. She’s still inside, though I have a clear view of her in the living room. Our eighteen-month-old daughter Millie is rattling a toy and talking incoherently to her mom and her grandmothers. All of them look enthralled by the moment, especially Blake as she rubs her swollen belly.

She’s eight months pregnant with our second child. A boy. Leo Michael Jones.

Truthfully, we haven’t been as careful with protection since we got married. It’s not that weneveruse it, but sometimes we’re desperate, or crave that connection. So, neither of us is all that surprised that we’re having our second child by the time I’m graduating with my Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Blake has another year before she finishes her bachelor’s in Community Health with a minor in Business Administration.

Both times we learned she was pregnant we had long conversations about what we wanted to do—whatBlakewanted to do.

There was more consideration with the first pregnancy, but ultimately Blake was sure that she wanted to start our family. And even though I was terrified for a million reasons, there hasn’t been a second of doubt since Blake and I got together. The blessing and support of our parents made a world of difference.

Her education was one of the biggest reasons I wanted to make sure that Blake understood I would support any decision we made, and we were partners in this like everything else. Although when Blake puts her mind to something, she dedicates everything she has to that. With a lot of help, a few summer courses, and a couple of half-semester ones, we made it work.

This time around, we’ll have even more help. My mom has moved into an administrative role that allows her to work from home, and the online courses my dad instructs have always allowed him a lot of freedom to work from wherever. It’s not permanent, but they have signed onto a six-month rental in a townhouse a couple blocks away from our small home.

There’s been some hard moments throughout it, like Blake having to adjust to a new medication that she can take while she’s pregnant, and my busier schedule recently. But I wouldn’t change a minute of our lives together, and she swears by the same thought.

“How are you feeling?” Tim asks, pulling me from my thoughts and my attention from my wife.

I figured this is why they brought me out here, even if I don’t know how to articulate everything that I’m feeling. “Overwhelmed, but in a good way.” Glancing back through the window, I catch Blake’s eye, and she offers me a small, proud smile. “Recently, a lot of the big milestones have been about Blake and me, together—getting married, moving in together, having two babies. And fuck, I love every second of it. But… but today ismyaccomplishment. Something I’ve been working on for years before I knew Blake, and the only other thing I feel dedicated to outside of my family. Maybe it’s selfish, but it’s a different feeling of accomplishment.”

Clapping my shoulder, my dad says in a thick voice, “You should be proud, Adrian. Your mother and I aresovery proud that you’re our son. You’re building a beautiful life in Amada Beach, yet your individual accomplishments matter just as much. Don’t forget that.”

---