“There wasn’t much allowing to it.” Gia laughed. “We’re more of a meet in the middle type.
It’s not official, we’ve got kinks to work out and rough edges to smooth. But it’s more than I ever thought I would have.”
Taffy grunted, retreating back into her shell.
Gia sighed. We have a long way to go.
EPILOGUE
Gia watched the moving truck pull away from the home she now shared with Colm for the
last time and sighed. An era had ended and a new one had begun.
“You okay?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her to his chest.
She relaxed against him. “It was starting to get lonely in that house. I’m not sad to see it go.”
She looked up at him and smiled. “Not when I have you here.”
He smiled. “I’m happy about that. It’s your friend I’d like to evict.”
Gia sighed. “I’ll get her settled into one of the apartments soon.”
“Yeah, you need to or I’m going to wring her scrawny neck.”
“I know, Colm. I’m working on it.”
He and Taffy were like posturing tomcats eyeing one another whenever they were in the
same room. Taffy had no problem showing her disdain for both of them, but it’d only been a week and she was hurting. The bruised ribs and fresh wounds were a burr under her saddle.
“It’s not you I’m pissed at, babe. She has no right to give you shit. You shouldn’t keep
letting her. She mouths off to the wrong person around here and she’s going to get her ass handed to her.”
“I know. I’m talking to her about it.”
“Enough about her. It’s time to celebrate.” He lifted her up into his arms and carried her inside, slamming the door closed with his foot.
“But the boxes.” She gestured toward the random piles stacked throughout the living room.
“That’s why we have prospects, babe.”
Gia laughed. He’d brought joy back into her life. Before Colm, she’d just survived.
Together, they lived. He captured her mouth and the world fell away. The packing could definitely wait.