Page 66 of Miss Humbug
“Yeah, I base my life around bulk shopping.” There she was, increasing space between us again. Almost like she knew where this conversation headed. “Marlowe, I’ve missed you. Even when I’m not trying to think of you, you’re there in so many places. But I want you to know, I’m proud of you for leaving. You needed to. I hope you don’t feel guilty for making your own life away from here. Or feel like you have to move back because of…because of us. Not that you would—”
“Ethan—”
“I’d never want you to feel resentful of small-town life.” I rushed to get the words out. “I know Crystal Cove isn’t where you always dreamed of living.”
“I feel like I’ve been in a holding pattern since school ended. I could always count on another semester to guide my plans. And then the job, and moving up. Now that I was forced to stop and take a look around, I know I need to make a change.”
Moving on could mean a hundred—a thousand, a million—different directions. Most of those directions probably did not include the small northwest corner of Illinois.
I unhooked my seatbelt and turned to Marlowe. “So much is in the air right now, but I want you to know, I’d give this all up for you. Wherever. Whenever.”
Her mouth slightly parted. She shook her head. “No. Ethan, I would never ask you to do that.”
“I know you wouldn’t. That’s why it’s an offer. I want you to know I’m here for you. For us. I’m not holding anything back.”
“The farm—it’s your life. You need the farm. All of this—” she spun her hand in the air “—was to help you reach your dream.”
I wasn’t giving up just yet, but maybe giving up wasn’t what I’d assumed. Maybe giving up meant not trying at all for the thing—the person—I wanted most.
She rubbed at her eye. “I still can’t imagine…” She trailed off.
“What? What can’t you imagine? Because I can imagine it. I imagine us. It’s only the background that shifts.”
Marlowe let out a breath before pulling me toward her. Our mouths crashed against each other. Intense kisses, unlike how we’d kissed before. How was it possible to have so many different kisses with one person? I could spend years, a lifetime, discovering new kisses with Marlowe.
It had always been her. Marlowe was the lost piece. She never belonged to me, but part of me went with her when she’d left. First figuratively, when she’d still been here but spent her time with new friends, then for real, when she’d gone away for college.
She’d needed to go, and I’d needed to let her. I’d fully expected I’d move on with my life.
Then she came back and all those good intentions meant nothing. These whirlwind past few weeks kept pointing to one person: her. It was like a light flicked on and all the required pieces for my life became visible. I simply needed to put them together. I wanted Marlowe in my life, and if I had to go where she went, then I’d go.
When we finally came up for air, she trailed a finger along my jawline. “There’s so much I don’t know.”
“We can figure it out together.” This felt exhilarating. We could chart new waters together—or whatever charting meant. “I just know I want to be with you.”
She smiled. Hopeful, but worried. “My brain feels like this future feature montage, like a boy band supercut of endless possibilities. I can’t pin down any one thing.”
“One day at a time. That’s how we look at this.”
We kissed again, letting our futures and worries scatter to another day.
Chapter 24
Marlowe
The next day I woke to a text from Ashe. A group text including me, my siblings, cousins, and their spouses. Not Ethan and not Grans.
Ashe:Let’s meet and figure this thing out
The responses threaded down to discuss times and locations.
I fired off a message.Grans will be out for a day trip to Galena with her friends. The house is ours
I winced at my wording and added a second text:I mean the house is empty
Shawn:Hey I’m here too. What am I, chopped minced meat?
Shawn:That’s a holiday delicacy in the UK for those of you who don’t watch the bake off show
