Page 83 of Atlas & Miles
“Cloudy, that’s amazing!” I rushed her, scooping her up in my arms, squeezing her tight as I spun us in a circle around the large open kitchen.
Ophelia laughed as she cut three generous servings of coffee cake at the stove. At the sound of her gentle joy, I set my sister down on her feet then rushed to give Ophelia a hug from behind. “Phee, this is incredible! Congratulations, you two!”
Once I’d let her go so she could finish dishing up our breakfast—complete with several slices of bacon for each of us—we grabbed our plates, filled some mugs with coffee from the French press, and crossed the kitchen to sit at the dining table tucked into the far corner of the kitchen. This room could have easily held a large island, but I knew from earlier conversations that both women felt it would close the space off too much.
I didn’t blame them. Between the kitchen and table stood a pair of large French doors flanked by wide windows that overlooked their massive porch and backyard, making the kitchen the most gorgeous room in the house. Beyond the doors, Ophelia’s true love, gardening, showed in their landscaping. It was a beautiful, verdant space, especially this time of year.
We dug in to the delicious food, keeping the conversation light, but as soon as our plates and mugs were empty, I knew it was time to address the real reason I was here.
Ophelia offered us refills on our coffee, and when we were back at the table with our drinks, I took a sip from my second cup and turned to my sister. “So I actually came here for a reason.”
Claudia’s eyes flicked to her fiancée’s, and I saw her reach for Phee’s hand under the table. “I figured.”
I nodded, swallowing down my nerves. I supposed I should just come out with it. “I’m moving to Seattle.”
My sister’s eyes widened a bit, but she didn’t look entirely surprised. In the weeks since Atlas had left, we’d had a few heart-to-hearts, and I’d shared my feelings for the beautiful human who had stolen my heart with both her and Ophelia. But still, me deciding to move across the country had to be a bit of a shock.
It took her a few long moments to process my news. “Okay.” She pulled her hand from Ophelia’s to rub her palms along her thighs, abruptly in take-action lawyer mode. “When?”
I sighed. This would be harder to swallow, I’d imagine. “My flight leaves in”—I checked my phone—“four-and-a-half hours.”
Ophelia leaned forward, her face stoic but open. “You’re moving to be with Atlas, I assume?”
I nodded again, catching Phee’s gaze. “Yes. I miss him so much.” I turned to my sister, looking her directly in the eye. “I love him, and he’s it for me. I don’t want to be without him anymore.”
Claudia nodded, reaching for my hand on the table and squeezing. Her smile, though paired with glistening eyes, soothed my anxiety. “I know, Miley. I’m so happy for both of you. I’m just a little sad for me.”
Tears burned the backs of my eyes at the sight of hers. “I’m so sorry, Cloudy. I just need to do this for me.”
She nodded again, swiping at her cheeks. “I know, and there’s no need to apologize.” Her hand gripped mine tighter, drawing my full attention. “Listen to me, Miles. You’ve lived half a life in Gomillion, staying in the closet and not letting anyone in. You’ve given everything to everyone else, me especially, but now it’s time to do something for you. It’s time to be selfish, Miles.”
A single tear spilled from the corner of my eye.
“These last few weeks, I’ve seen you open yourself up to new people, new experiences, and I’ve been so happy for you. But you still have a cloud hanging over you, something different than your normal grumpy demeanor.”
Despite the seriousness of Claudia’s speech, all three of us smiled at that.
“You were so brave to recognize you couldn’t just drop everything and move with him. You realized what you needed and stood your ground—demandedwhat you needed, even—and I’m so proud of you for that. That shows incredible strength and self-awareness, even though that had to be the hardest thing you’ve ever done. But then, you’ve always been strong foreveryone else. You just didn’t have a reason to be strong for yourself.”
Tears were flowing freely down my cheeks. I loved my sister so much.
“It’s time to let that cloud dissipate, Miley. It’s time to let the sunshine in.” I choked back a sob then. She’d never met Atlas, but somehow she knew he was the sunshine to my grumpy, the lighthouse in my storm, without me ever telling her. “You love Atlas, and you should be with him. You should go to Seattle and find that amazing person you love as soon as possible.”
I leapt to my feet, pulling Claudia from her chair and into another hug, squeezing tight. “Thank you, little sister. Thank you for understanding.”
“Always, big brother.” We pulled back to grin at each other through our tears. I glanced over at Ophelia. “Get in here, Phee.”
I pulled her into our hug, and the familiar feeling of home enveloped me, though the feeling was incomplete. I loved my sister and her fiancée, but they weren’tmyhome. Atlas was.
It was time to show him that.
My bags already packed and in the backseat, I headed over to Atlas’s house to double-check everything was locked up then got on the road. My entire body buzzed in anticipation as the miles passed.
I was finally choosing myself, taking the inner strength I’d had all along and using it to claim the one thing I’d always wanted but never thought was possible for me: a Daddy I could love for always. And everything I’d gone through to get here—including the painful four weeks that directly preceded this moment—was suddenly all worth it.
***
It was a little surreal that I was headed to the airport—albeit a different one—only weeks after dropping Atlas off. I’d never even been on a plane.
