Page 105 of A Lesson In Beginning

“So beautiful. Do you have any idea how incredible you were? How much you pleased me? I — Christ, wildfire. You were perfect.” I could only nod, offering him a weak smile as my body turned to jelly in his hands. Cleaning me up with a rag and a gentle touch, he carried me back to the bed, wrapping me in the soft blanket we used specifically for aftercare, and pulling me directly into his arms.

“Thank you.” I whispered the words against his chest, humming softly as he kissed the top of my head.

“I should be thanking you, love. Do you want to talk about the scene?”

“Not right now. It was perfect, but for now, could you just hold me? I want to stay close.” My words were muffled against his chest as I snuggled in close.

“I think I have the perfect idea.” He leaned over to the bedside table, grabbing a remote from the drawer and turning on the television. A few clicks later, a movie began to play. “It’s called The Wizard of Oz. It’s about a girl who travels to a magical land, and in the end, she realizes it’s the family she chooses that matters most. You’ll love it.”

His excitement made me smile, but not long after the movie had begun, my eyelids grew heavy.

“Wake up, sweetheart. Adah?” A gentle nudging woke me from my slumber, the sound of his heartbeat threatening to take me right back under. “Come on, love. I need to get you home.”

“Can’t I stay? It’s so comfortable.” We had laid back against the bed at some point, my arm thrown over his stomach and my head laying against his beating heart.

“I would love that more than you know, but we didn’t discuss that. It’s my job to make sure we stick to the rules. Maybe next time. Come on, let’s get you dressed and home.” Begrudgingly, I rose from the bed, allowing him to help me dress. A few minutes, and a few stolen kisses, later, I was buckled into the passenger seat of his car and headed for home.

It had been a perfect night. Beyond perfect. And as I watched the lights of his car fade into the distance from the safety of the front door, I felt an ease and a calmness I had rarely felt in my life. I was happy. Truly happy.

CHAPTER 29

“Okay, I really hope this one is better than the last.” Ruth groaned as we walked down the sidewalk towards the apartment complex. It wasn’t downtown, but neither was it as far removed as their home was. We had already looked at six places today alone, not to mention the five places we had toured yesterday.

“It has to be. Did you see the hole in the floor of the bathroom at the last one? How is that even legal to have when showing an apartment? Completely unsafe. I couldn’t imagine bringing Samuel home to such a place.” I shook my head, pulling my coat a little more tightly around me.

“I would kill you if you tried to take Samuel to that place.” She laughed as we neared the front of the building. The realtor stood out in front, waiting for us.

“Mrs. Price, if you’ll just come this way, the apartment is on the second floor. Luckily, this building has an elevator.” She opened her arm wide, showing us the door that was obviously right behind her.

“It’s Miz, not Missus, Joan. Please remember that.” Ruth’s chiding tone was not exactly polite, and I nudged her with my arm.

“Right, yes. My mistake. Let’s head inside. The elevator is right inside to your left.” She led us down a clean, if simple, hallway to the elevators. One short ride up, and then down another short hallway, and we were there. Unlike the other buildings we had visited, this one had much more character. The door was a pretty moss green color, and she quickly unlocked it, opening the door for us to see inside.

“You’ll see this one is a little smaller than the last, but it’s quite nice, if you ask me.” I looked around the room. She was right. It was a bit smaller, but the space had a nice feel to it.

“This home has three bedrooms, though one is on the smaller side, plus one shared bathroom. The kitchen is right through here, as you can see, with an open floor concept between the kitchen, dining area, and the living room.” The realtor pointed this way and that, but I paid her little attention. I did not need someone to tell me what a kitchen looked like, or what room was a bedroom versus a bathroom.

“The color palette of this apartment may not be to your liking, however. I’ve had several potential renters complain about the colors. Unfortunately, the property manager specifically states that the space may not be painted. The space comes furnished with all appliances, including a washer and dryer in the hallway. Water, sewer, and trash are all included in the rent; electric and gas will be separate. If you come down this hallway, I’ll show you to the bedrooms.” The woman turned without a word from us, heading down the hallway.

“Actually, Joan, would you give us a moment here?” Ruth asked. The woman faltered, turning back towards us, her mouth opening and shutting a few times before she regained her composure. She was obviously not used to being told what to do.

“Certainly. I’ll give you both a moment. I’ll be right out here in the hall, should you have any questions.” A moment later, Ruth and I had the place to ourselves.

“How could anyone hate these colors?” I asked, looking around the space. Instead of the cold whites and stainless steel, the entire place was a soft gold hue, the hardwood floors and beautiful green cabinets accenting it perfectly. It was homey, bright, and beautiful.

“Come down here.” Ruth called from the hallway. While there was only one bathroom, it was sizable, sporting a double sink, and a decently sized open shower with a rod to hang a curtain. “Look how big the main bedroom is.”

I followed her down to the end of the hall, where the main room sat to the left. It was a large space, with a full walk-in closet, though it wasn’t nearly as large as the one Ruth and Levi had. I didn’t need that much space, anyway. The second bedroom was nearly as large, though it only had a simple double closet set into the wall.

“Is it strange that I want to give Samuel the larger bedroom?”

“Why would you do that? Don’t you want that beautiful closet?” Ruth asked, her thumb pointing behind her to the larger bedroom across the narrow hallway.

“I could put a bed in there and he’d have so much space to play. I could even make the closet into a little play space for him, honestly. Just remove the door and hang a curtain so he doesn’t play with the door and accidentally pinch his finger in it. Plus, this bedroom is plenty big enough for me.” I spun around in the space, already able to picture it in my mind.

“What would you do with the third bedroom? Joan was right, it is quite small.”

I walked down the hallway and into the third bedroom, but while Ruth only saw a small bedroom, I saw something else.

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