When we reach the bedroom door, I pause.
“Okay, close your eyes.” My hand tightens around hers.
“You’d better not let me trip over anything.”
I place my hands on her shoulders. “I’ve got you, Pip.”
She sighs dramatically but closes her eyes anyway.
I push the door open and guide her inside, careful to leave a wide gap away from any hazards.
“Okay,” I say softly. “You can look now.”
She blinks her eyes open. “Um…what am I looking at? I mean, besides your bedroom.”
I step beside her, nodding toward the new chaise lounge. “That.”
Rosie’s gaze sweeps over the curved tufted chair in the corner of the room. It’s teal velvet, the boldest piece in the room, so it sticks out like a sore thumb. If I have my way, there will be more color in here soon enough to offset it though.
“It’s pretty.” Rosie steps forward, trailing her finger over the top edge. “This is what you wanted to show me? A new piece of furniture?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “Because I got it for you.”
Her brows knit together in confusion. “For me? Why?”
Here goes…
I clear my throat. “Well…I figured it’d hold quite a bit of laundry. You know…if you weren’t in the mood to put it away after pulling it out of the dryer?” I rub the back of my neck. “I’d say you’ve got room for at least three or four loads on there, maybe more.”
She stares at the chaise for a moment, then to me, then back at the chair, then back to me. “You bought me a laundry chair?”
“Yeah. I did.”
“Because…” she prompts.
I exhale. “Because I want you to move in with me, Rosie.”
Her eyes widen.
“I know it’s fast,” I continue. “And if you’re not ready, that’s okay. But we’re together practically every night, and we both have our stuff at each other’s places. I figured why keep doing the back and forth when I know I want you in my bedeverynight, and I want to wake up with you every morning? I know change is hard for you, but?—”
“Change isn’tthathard for me,” she argues.
“Rosie, you enjoy change about as much as a housecat,” I deadpan. “But this is you and me we’re talking about. Is changing your address really that big of a shake up?”
“Ooh! Can we get a cat?” she asks. “I haven’t had a kitty since Mr. Meowgi moved onto greener pastures.”
I grin, remembering the striped cat she had growing up. Thatlittle guy hissed at Ryan all the time, but he adored Rosie and followed her everywhere.
“Rosie, if you move in with me, we can get ten cats for all I care.”
“Well that’s a bit excessive.” She rolls her eyes. “But I’m good with one or two.”
“So…is that a yes?”
She launches herself at me, arms around my neck.“Of course it is. I can’t believe you even thought there was a chance I’d say no.”
I hold her tight, burying my face in her hair. “You have no idea how happy that makes me.”