Seated at her desk, she looked up at me in surprise. “What?”

“Tyler. He’s staying.”

A grin broke out on her face. “You’re kidding. For real? Like he’s moving back?”

I nodded. “That’s what he said last night. He’s talking about buying a place on the water.”

“Oh my God!”

I put a hand on my chest. “I swear, my heart has not stopped racing since he told me. It’s so crazy!”

“So, what did he say, exactly?”

“He said he hadn’t booked a ticket back to San Diego yet and when he thought about why, he realized it was because he didn’t want to go. He said something about being here feels right to him.” I paused and smiled. “And then we had sex again.”

Chloe burst out laughing. “Listen to you! First you were all, ‘Oh I’m totally not going to bang him, I’m just wearing perfume for fun,’ then you were like ‘Well, maybe I’ll bang him, but first I’m going to overthink it,’ and now you’re head over heels in love!”

I rolled my eyes, even as my heart continued to gallop. “Stop it. I’m not in love. We’re just spending time together. Getting to know each other. Having a lot of amazing sex. I’m just happy it doesn’t have to come to an end before it even has a chance to begin.”

My sister smiled sweetly. “You’re cute when you’re in denial. Frannie claims he never once took his eyes off you at the wedding and talked about you nonstop. Have you told her yet?”

“No, this just happened late last night! But I’ll text her, and maybe we can all meet up for a drink this weekend.”

“Sounds good. That way you don’t have to tell the story four times.” She grinned. “You look like you’re on cloud nine.”

“Do I? I’m trying not to let myself get too carried away—I mean, we haven’t even talked about what this is yet—but something about it feels really good.” I chewed my bottom lip. “Am I getting my hopes up too high? It’s only been a week . . . a very intense week.”

“Hey. Every happily ever after has to start somewhere, right?” She smiled. “Maybe this is your somewhere.”

I thought about her words all day long and decided she was right. I’d waited so long to feel this for someone—the rush when he walked in the room, the butterflies in my stomach when he looked at me, the compulsion to get my hands anywhere and everywhere on his body, the unbelievable thrill I felt being close to him—why should I tamp down on that happiness? Opening your heart to someone was always a risk, wasn’t it?

This was my chance to take it.

After work, I had an appointment with Prisha.

“How are you?” she asked, lowering herself into her chair.

“Great.” I smiled from my usual spot on the couch. “A lot has happened in a week.”

“Oh?” She returned the smile, tilting her head. “What’s new?”

“Well, I did my homework—I told my sisters about the pregnancy and adoption—and you were right. It was a little scary, but I felt so much better afterward.”

“Good.” She typed something into her iPad. “I’m really glad to hear that.”

“But wait, there’s more.” I laughed, tucking my hair behind one ear. “I reconnected with Tyler Shaw.”

She glanced at her notes. “The baby’s father?”

“Yes.”

“And how did that go?”

“Actually . . . it’s been incredible.” I felt the bloom of warmth in my face. “Really and truly incredible.”

“How so?”

“Well, we ran into each other sort of by accident. And I was prepared for it to be awkward, but it wasn’t. It felt nice. So when he asked if I wanted to have dinner, I said yes, figuring it was the universe putting this opportunity in my lap.”

“The opportunity for what?”

“To give that chapter an ending and close the book. Except that’s not what happened.”

“No?”

I shook my head. “We did more than just reconnect that night. We sort of rediscovered this chemistry we’d always had.”

“I see.” One eyebrow peaked. “Physical chemistry?”

“Yes, there’s that,” I confessed. “But it’s more than that.” I moved to the edge of the couch. “It’s emotional chemistry too. I feel like I can really be myself around him. I hear myself telling him things I’ve never said out loud to anyone—deeply personal things. I trust him. He makes me feel beautiful and special and deserving of the things I want.”

“Wow. That’s certainly a powerful feeling. All that plus physical chemistry too?”

“Yes. The physical connection is . . .” I fell back and fanned my face. “Hot. He’s still ridiculously gorgeous, and I find myself craving him all the time. And when we’re together, it’s like”—I stopped as the memory of his body on mine made my stomach tighten and the room spin—“it’s like magic. I can’t explain it. I don’t feel self-conscious or ashamed or detached or any of the other things I used to feel during sex. It just feels good. So good that I was starting to worry.”

Prisha sat back. “About what?”

I sat up again. “Well, about the fact that he was leaving. That all this good stuff I was feeling was just going to evaporate when he left. But then . . .” I grinned. “He decided not to leave.”

“Oh?”

“He says he doesn’t want to. At first, he thought he’d just stay the rest of the week and go home this weekend. But last night, he said he’s thinking about moving back here for good. He was offered a coaching position at the high school.”

“Wow. This is a lot to process.”

“It is.” I took a deep breath. “I also sent the letter.”

Prisha crossed her legs in the other direction. “Did you?”

I nodded. “The day after I was last here, but . . . I haven’t heard back.”

“Well, that’s only, what, a week?”

“Yeah.” I had to laugh a little. “I guess so much has happened for me in that week, it feels like it’s been much longer.”

My therapist smiled sympathetically. “Understandable.”

“I actually told Tyler about the letter. About wanting to meet our son.”

“And how did he react?”

“He was . . . supportive.” I played with the hem of my top. “He said if it was something I felt I needed to move forward, I should do it. He made me feel good about the decision.”

“Does Tyler want to meet him?”

“No,” I admitted. “He was very clear about that, and I completely understand. He’s never struggled with guilt over the adoption like I have. He was able to leave it behind more easily.”

“Sounds like you two are communicating very well.”

“I think we are.” I met her eyes and smiled. “I really think we are.”

Seventeen

Tyler