Page 105 of Late Fees

He collapsed onto me, and I ran my fingers through his hair.

“Holy shit,” he said, swallowing hard, his cheeks as red as a fire engine. “Was that…okay?”

A lazy smile crossed my lips. “Better than okay.”

“But you didn’t…I mean, did you?”

“On the couch,” I said, running my fingers through his tousled hair. “But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love this. Because I did.”

He rolled to his side, gazing at me. His breath was harsh as he whispered, “You know how we build things up in our minds? Like, something we’ve always wanted to do or say or experience.”

I turned to face him. “Yes, of course.”

“This was even better, Tilly. Even better than I’d built up in my head.”

“Really?” I asked him, swept away in his romantic nature and the wonder of his eyes.

“Absolutely,” he said, leaning in to kiss me gently on the nose. “Everything I hoped and more. Because it was with you.”

Guilt flooded me. “I’m sorry I didn’t…wait for you.”

“Don’t do that,” he said, his eyes suddenly somber. “You don’t owe me anything.”

“But, I—”

“No. I never expected you to put your life on hold for me.”

“But you did…”

He shrugged. “I was also the one who tore us apart.”

“No,” I said, shaking my head into the pillow, tears streaming down my cheeks. “Life did that. There were circumstances beyond your control. And I shouldn’t have punished you for so long.”

“Do you mean that?”

“Yes,” I said with a nod. “I do.”

“That means more than I can even tell you.”

“Like pieces of a puzzle…we always fit,” I said with a sigh.

Wyatt’s voice was soft, euphoric. “I’ve missed you saying that.”

A warm feeling spread throughout my body, knowing I had lifted an unbearable weight from my chest. “Do you want to stay the night?”

“Hell yeah,” he said with a grin.

“I listen to Nick at Nite to fall asleep. I hope that won’t bother you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, there’s something about old sitcoms that’s wholesome and…sweet. Maybe it’s the audience’s laughter, I don’t know, but it knocks me right out. I just love it.”

“Do you like Dick Van Dyke?”

I nodded. “Oh, yeah. Patty Duke, Mary Tyler Moore, and especially Dick Van Dyke.”

“I love that damn show.”

“Then this is going to work out very nicely,” I said, kissing him on the forehead.

“Yeah.” He paused, gazing into my eyes. “Yeah, I hope so.”

---