Page 67 of Norah

“Ethan? What doyouthink?” I don’t like the tremulous note in my voice, and Ethan’s eyes darken with concern.

“I think we’ll be fine, no matter what. Frederick is right. We can handle anything or anyone who comes our way.” Ethan glances over at Frederick and gives him a meaningful stare. “And I’m sure that our friend here will keep us well informed.Right?”

Frederick returns Ethan’s stare with a knowing look of his own and nods in agreement. “I promise I will. I give you my word as an ally.”

The words ring true, so I turn to Frederick and give him a hesitant smile. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” His lips twist into a wry smile. “I’ll leave you to the rest of your packing. Best of luck with your new home.” Heading back to the door, Frederick opens it and stands in the doorway. His dark brown eyes capture mine, and he gives me a wink. “And be sure to invite me to the wedding.”

Before we can respond, Frederick steps out into the hallway and out of sight. Several seconds pass before Ethan says, “I’m not surewhatto make of him. Not an enemy, but anally? I’m not sure about that yet.”

“He was telling the truth. At least about everything he knew.” I pause, thinking about our unusual conversation. “I believe he’s our ally, at least for now. And if things change…”

“We have each other to rely on.” Ethan hugs me to his chest and presses a kiss on the top of my head. Then he tips my chin back so our gazes can meet. “We have ourlove. Ourconnection. That’s all the protection we need. As long as we’re together, we can meetanychallenge.”

I stretch up on my toes to meet Ethan’s lips. A surge of energy flares between us, bringing with it a burgeoning sense of strength and confidence. With it, all the fears I had been clinging to before drift away, like autumn leaves falling from a tree. As the burden finally lifts, I can see my true self. No longer held back by past events and traumas, but ready to move forward.

Tears spring to my eyes at the realization, and Ethan touches one of them as it slides down my cheek. “What’s wrong, baby?”

I smile through the trickle of wetness, wanting to reassure him. “There’snothingwrong. It’s the opposite. I’m not sure how it took me so long to see it.” Seeing Ethan’s raised eyebrows, his confusion, I try to explain.

“All the fears, the insecurities; I’ve been hanging on to them for too long. I’ve been doubting myself, even when you were giving me every reason to believe in my strength. But just now, I’m seeing it. That I’m more than I ever gave myself credit for.”

His green eyes go soft, happy, as he answers me. “I’m so damn glad to hear you say that, Norah. So glad you can see yourself the wayIsee you. I’ve always known how strong, how incredible you are. You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met, and I can’t believe how lucky I am to be with you.”

“I’mthe lucky one.” I kiss his jaw, his cheek, his mouth, before continuing. “Without you, I couldn’t have gotten this far. You were with meeverystep of the way, guiding me, giving me strength when I needed it. Knowing when I needed help, but was too stubborn to ask. And however strong I might be on my own, I’m athousand times strongerwith you.”

Ethan’s hands cup my cheeks, and he looks into my eyes with a depth of emotion that takes my breath away. “You’reeverythingto me, Norah. You make me a better man than I ever imagined possible. I never thought I would be lucky enough to find you. You’re the piece of me I’ve always been missing. When I’m with you, I’m complete.”

My heart feels like a balloon close to bursting, swollen with so much love for him. The feeling is exquisitely and beautifully painful, feeling vulnerable and open to all the pleasure and pain in the world. “I wish I could show you how much I love you. It’s more than I can say. It’s almost too much to feel.”

“You can.” Ethan pulls my face to his, and captures my mouth in a breath-stealing kiss. As he holds me in his arms, lips fused together, the connection between us becomesmore. The two of us linked. Essences merged, our very souls intertwined. I can feeleverything. Our love, passion, respect, need for each other, all at once.How did I ever get lucky enough to find him?

When our legs are wobbly, and our breaths come in quick gasps, we pull apart.

“Wow.” I cling to Ethan for a moment, my balance shaky.

“Wow, is right.” His mouth twists into a mischievous smirk. “Now, how about we get out of here, get this moving thing finished? I have some ideas on how to christen our new place when we get there.” Ethan picks up the last cardboard box, then loops his other arm around me. After another quick kiss, he leads me to the door.

“That sounds perfect.” And with one last look, we bid farewell to the old apartment and move forward towards our new home. And our future.Together.

Epilogue

ETHAN

“Ethan, can you get me some wine before you come outside?”

Standing in the kitchen, I pitch my voice louder so Norah can hear me from her position out on the deck. “Sure, baby, just give me a minute.”

I walk over to the counter and select a bottle of red, picked up from one of the liquor stores we’ve found that cater to our kind. It was a welcome surprise to learn that there were many establishments in the city that serve blood-laced wine. As I grab a corkscrew, a light breeze rustles past, bringing a kiss of warm spring air to the room.

As I set two glasses on the large marble island, I cast a quick glance around the rest of the kitchen. It’s bright and welcoming, filled with lots of unique touches that Norah thoughtfully selected. Every decoration evokes an accompanying memory; a bowl of seashells from our trip to Nantucket, a handmade cutting board from a craft fair upstate.

Each memento brings a reminder of a precious time spent together, and I can’t wait to fill the rest of our home with many more. We’ve lived here for just short of a year so far, but to me, it feels like it’s beenhomeforever. Every room is suffused with love and strengthened by the experience of getting here.

As I uncork the bottle, I inhale the tantalizing aroma of Cabernet and coppery spice. I fill the glasses and carefully balance both in one hand, taking care not to spill any on the gleaming white tile floor.

I open the screen door to the deck and poke my head outside, searching for Norah. She’s sitting on the couch, flipping through a stack of papers, looking somewhat frazzled. As she sets the papers on the table in front of her, she glances up at me with a frustrated grimace.

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