Page 204 of Yearn
"And Diego was a pool boy who seduced a divorced mom," I pointed out. "Life is messy, Cadence. That doesn't mean it's wrong."
We sat with that—three women at different points on the same journey, learning what it meant to want something again after thinking want was dangerous.
"Pool Boy," Ro tapped the book. "That's what this whole book is about. Not the sex—though the sex ischef's kiss—but about remembering you're allowed to say fuck society’s judgement and want things at any age. Allowed to be wanted. Allowed to take upspace, be messy, and say yes to something just because it feels good."
Cadence nodded slowly. "Simone spent so long beingappropriatethat she forgot how to be herself. Diego didn't fix her. He just. . .reminded her she was still there."
I looked at both of them—my sister-friends, my lifelines, my chosen family. "Is that what we're doing? Reminding each other we're still here?"
"Every damn month," Ro said fiercely. "And we're going to keep doing it until we're ninety and arguing about whether the nursing home book club is kinky enough or not."
We raised our glasses one more time.
"To MILFs," I said.
"To Pool Boys," Cadence added.
"To big dicks and bigger dreams," Ro finished.
The glasses clinked, and our laughter echoed through the mansion—through rooms that used to hold Dominic's grief, through halls that were learning to hold joy again.
We talked more about the book as Matilda brough out the other courses.
After it was all over, Ro whispered, "Jesus Christ, I'm moving in."
"There's twelve bedrooms." I shrugged. "Pick one."
"The one with the sex swing."
Cadence shrieked. "There's a sex swing?"
Heat rushed to my face. "Dominic and I have a. . .special room. Behind a painting in the west wing hallway. You need a code to get in."
Ro practically levitated out of her chair. "You have a hidden sex dungeon?”
"It's not a dungeon!" I protested. "It's just. . .a private space. With some. . .equipment."
Cadence had gone completely red. "Equipment?"
"The swing. Some other things. Dominic's very. . .creative, but honestly. . .the room is for when he is a Naughty Boy."
"At this rate," Ro leaned back with a knowing smile, "you're going to be pregnant by spring."
My hand instinctively went to my stomach before I could stop it.
The movement was tiny—barely a flutter—but Ro's eyes tracked it like a hawk. "Tey. . .Hold up. Why aren't you drinking real champagne?"
"What?" My voice came out too high. "I am drinking champagne."
"No." Ro pointed at my glass. "That's sparkling something, but it's not alcoholic. I can tell from the bubbles. They're different."
Cadence's eyes went wider. "Tey. . ."
I looked between them—my best friends, my sisters, the women who'd held me through everything.
And I couldn't lie.
Not to them.
