“Thanks for coming,” I say softly.
“Nowhere else I’d rather be right now,” he says in my ear.
“The past three years have gone by so slowly. But when I’m with you, I can just be, and I’m not used to that. I’m used to keeping myself distracted all the time.”
He moves to stand against the kitchen counter so we’re eye to eye as we talk. “Will you tell me about Chloe?”
A smile tugs at the corners of my lips. I reach into a cabinet for a couple wide, shallow bowls thinking of my daughter’s bright smile and infectious laugh.
“When we sit down to eat, I will.”
I dish up two bowls of stew and get us both a glass of ice water. Luca sets the table and when we sit across from each other at the round glass table in my breakfast nook, the food is still steaming.
“Thanks for cooking,” Luca says. “I don’t get many home cooked meals I didn’t cook myself.”
“No problem. I hope you like it.”
I look down at my bowl and push chunks of beef, carrots and potatoes around with my fork.
“Chloe was my everything,” I say softly. “Tim was an accountant, and he worked a lot. Chloe and I went to the park, finger painted, played dress up. She was like the sun in my world. From the time we woke up in the morning, she’d just shine. She was almost always happy. Loved animals, even possums and snakes and rats. Chloe had a love for every living creature.”
I smile at Luca, tears pooling in my eyes. “What do you do when your sun goes dark? How do you make a life without warmth and light?”
Luca reaches across the table and takes my hand, squeezing it. I squeeze back, letting the tears spill onto my cheeks.
“The foundation gave money to a wildlife preserve once,” I say, still pushing the food around with my fork. “Chloe would’ve loved that.”
“How much has the foundation given?”
“Around fifteen million.”
Luca gives me a tender look. “All because of Chloe. And you.”
“It’s my therapy,” I say. “Every time the board votes to authorize a donation, I think of Chloe and it doesn’t hurt. I remember the good times.”
“Sounds like there were a lot of good times.”
I sigh softly. “There was. But there are also nightmares, and when I sleep too much and have them, it’s like losing her all over again.”
“Abby, you’re a warrior in every way, but even warriors need to rest,” he says. “When you want to talk about her, or not talk about her, you can with me okay? Anytime.”
“Thanks.”
His offer means more than he can possibly know. My love for Chloe didn’t die with her, and even though thoughts of her can be painful, I don’t want to forget.
Luca takes his first bite of dinner, and his groan of pleasure makes me smile.
“This is really good,” he says.
“Good. I’m kind of a meat and potatoes girl, so these are the meals I love to make.”
“Perfect, because these are the meals I love to eat.”
We finish eating and wash the dishes together, with him washing and me drying. It feels right to be here with him, like we’ve done it a hundred times and are comfortable with each other.
“What now?” I ask as he dries his hands on a towel.
He sets the towel down and puts his hands on my hips, pulling me in at the same time he leans down. When he puts his lips on mine, I melt into him, sighing softly into his mouth.
I’ve missed the taste and feel of him. And for a while, I wasn’t sure he’d ever kiss me again. So this time, it’s charged with something more. We aren’t tearing at each other’s clothes like we often do when we meet up for a night. This time, we’re kissing each other like we have all the time in the world.
I take his hand and lead him back to my bedroom, where I slowly undress myself. Luca sits down on the edge of the bed and stares, eyes unblinking.
When I walk over and straddle his legs, he pulls me against him so we’re chest to chest, my thighs nestled around his hips.
“I’ve missed you,” I say.
“I’ve missed you, too.” His husky voice is warm against my lips.
I tug his t-shirt up and off, closing my eyes as I press my bare chest against his. He wraps his big arms around me tightly, tracing a fingertip down my spine and sending a delicious shiver in its wake.
“I’m on birth control,” I say. “We don’t have to use condoms unless you want to.”
“No, let’s not.”
He leans back slightly and cups my face, kissing me. The tenderness of it brings tears to my eyes, making me sniffle. Luca brushes the tears away with the pad of his thumb.