Page 39 of Let Me Love You
Todd sat at their table, pretending to be watching the live music that had started back up, but he couldn’t disguise the look of relief on his face when she returned.
“Sorry.” Stacey sat next to him.
“Are you okay?” He leaned into her.
“Yes.” She smiled at him. “Everything’s fine.”
Once the set was done, she and Todd left the bar. He drove her home and dropped her off. She kissed him on the cheek and thanked him for the date, telling him she’d see him Monday at work. He got the point.
For the first time in a long time, Stacey believed that everything would be fine. She knew what she needed to do. Happiness came in all forms. Hers was found in a twenty-three-year-old man who promised to love her.
Stacey sat on the swing of the front porch thinking about all the things that had happened over the last several months. Her divorce. Her ex preparing to have a baby with his girlfriend. The start of her new novel. Ren.
Amazing Ren.
She tapped out a text to her sister. If anyone thought she should hold back on moving forward with Ren, Jennifer would tell her. She trusted her sister implicitly.
Stacey: I’m going for it.
Jennifer: With Ren?
Stacey: Yes.
Jennifer: Yay! Finally! Yippee Skippee!
Stacey: Ur such a juvenile.
Jennifer:?Ur so disciplined.
Stacey: It’s my life.
Jennifer: True. And it’s about to improve ten-fold. Keep me posted.
Stacey: Love u
Jennifer: Luv u 2
Her next step would be a bold move. The ramifications couldn’t quite be calculated. But if she didn’t let herself try this relationship, she’d regret it the rest of her life. There were certain things she could live with. Regret because she was afraid to try wasn’t one of them. So, she texted Ren.
Before pressing send, she held a full breath for several seconds, like she’d always been instructed in yoga to assist with clarity. This was it.
Stacey: Love me.
