Page 107 of Can We Skip to the Good Part?
“Good morning, babe.”
Ella rubbed her eyes and grinned. “Hey, you. I didn’t even hear the shower.” She took a moment to stretch before finishing her walk around the island.
“You were sleeping hard. Here. I made you a cup,” Max said, handing the oversized blue mug to Ella. They grinned at each other and shared a kiss before Max continued on her way, packing her bag, assembling her lunch, and generally looking fantastic while she did it. Ella cradled the warm ceramic mug in both hands and used the time to wake up while Max moved around the kitchen, accomplishing her morning tasks. Ella loved these quiet moments. Somehow, Max seemed lighter this morning as if she might float away, which made sense. It was precisely the way Ella felt these days, too, like a missing puzzle piece had clicked into place, making everything as it should be.
“What are your plans today?” Max asked.
“Hmm. Let’s see. Doug is looking at a soft reopening in a week, so I’ll swing by and see what kind of intense muscle I can lend his way.” She offered a quick flex of her nonexistent biceps. “I don’t know if you know this, but I’m freakishly strong.” She’d woken up feeling playful and leaned into it.
“I didn’t.” Max’s eyes went wide. “Just look at you, you hulk. Want to meet me at the gym after work? I was gonna get in a few punches on the bag. You can meet Amanda.”
“The gym friend? I’m starting to think she’s a unicorn who exists only within those walls.” Ella sighed. “I’d love to, but I’m grabbing dinner with Rach.”
“Give her a hug for me.”
Ella placed a hand on her hip and shook her head. “You two have come a long way.”
“She sent me a text, you know, while we were apart.”
Ella widened her eyes. “I did not. Say more words.”
“Something to the effect of: get your shit together, Wyler, and fix this. She’s worth it.”
Ella relaxed against the counter and grinned. “I owe her a drink, then. Rach doesn’t mince words.”
“Never,” Max said appreciatively. “And what else today?”
“Well, I have an appointment with a realtor to take a look at some spaces. Rachel deserves her guest room back, and my finances are doing so much better since I’ve picked up some big covers. Did I mention that I’ve raised my prices? I’m still getting bookings like crazy.”
“Because you’re a ridiculously good digital artist. When you wave that electronic pencil around, I’m immediately wet.” She sipped her coffee and placed the mug on the granite countertop.
Ella laughed and approached. “I mean, we could put that to the test.”
“Or we could just do this.” She pulled Ella in and kissed her slowly. “Same effect.”
“I forget how good our mornings are.”
“And how good they will continue to be. That’s why you should cancel that appointment and move in with me.”
Ella smiled and then went still. “I can’t tell if you’re joking or serious.”
“Attorneys rarely joke, Ella.” She washed out her mug in the sink. “I’m entirely serious. We both know you’ll barely sleep at that new place. Move in with me. We’re in love.”
“We are, and I love saying it out loud. I love you. I just said it again.”
Max relaxed into a lazy grin. “I love you, too, and you need to know how deeply I’m in this thing.” She raised a shoulder. “I want you here all the time. My life is yours, and I want my home to be. What do you say to that?”
What did one say to that? Those were big words and they sucked up all the air. Ella tried to wrap her mind around the offer. This was a big step. One she didn’t take lightly. “I say yes. I want to move in. I want to live together.” Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. It was out there now, voiced for Max and the cosmos to hear. It didn’t matter. She embraced the vulnerability, laughing when Max scooped her up, feet not quite touching the floor. “Okay, now who’s freakishly strong?”
“Best compliment ever. I kill myself at the gym. Do you understand my pain?” she said, looking up at Ella. “There should be some reward, and it’s this moment.”
“I’m very impressed with you. I want to show you later.” Ella kissed her as she slid back down Max’s body, which she loved every inch of. How did she get so lucky?
“At our place.”
Ella closed her eyes, overwhelmed by how happy this giant step forward made her. They weren’t just a couple. They weremoving forward with their lives intertwined. There would be dinners together, lazy nights on the couch, snowball fights, and cozy book club meetings with stolen glances while Ariana and Stevie argued over pacing. Ella pressed her cheek to Max’s shoulder and let herself imagine all of it. A real life. Theirs. One they were building, day by day, together.
Ella clung to Max a little tighter, the weight of the moment settling in beneath her ribs. There had been a time not so long ago when she’d believed she wasn’t enough. Not steady enough, not successful enough, not lovable in any lasting way. She’d spent a long time waiting for someone to see her fully and stay anyway, and now here Max was.
