by Naomi Niles
“We have in passing, just not in detail,” I admitted. “Things have been so crazy around here. JJ’s been spending time with his mother and his brothers and when he’s with me…”
“You guys are busy getting it on?” Haley asked suggestively.
I rolled my eyes at her. “You are so immature.”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
I laughed. “He mentioned that he was going to keep the apartment he’s currently renting, so I don’t see that there’s much else to discuss really.”
Haley nodded. Then she glanced at me as though she had something to say.
“What?” I asked pointedly.
“Well, I was just going to say that if you’re reluctant to move in with JJ because of me… don’t be,” Haley said. “I’ll be fine on my own.”
I tried to act as though I hadn’t even been thinking of that. “Please,” I said, waving my hand in her face. “That’s a non-issue.”
“Why?”
“Because… Because you and I are roommates,” I said. “And nothing can break us apart.”
Haley smiled, but there was a serious edge about her expression. She reached for my hand and held it for a moment. “We don’t have to be roommates, Kami,” she said softly.
“We’re sisters. That means so much more, and that also means that no matter where we live, nothing will ever break us apart. I know that, and I know that you know that too. If you’re worried that I’ll feel as though you’re abandoning me, then don’t, because that’s honestly not how I feel.”
I took a deep internal breath. “Like I said, JJ and I haven’t spoken about any of this.”
“Well, if you do and if by any chance he asks, let him know that you’re more than happy to move in with him.”
“Hales—”
“We can’t stay joined at the hip forever, Kami,” Haley said, cutting me off. “That’s not how this goes. Remember what Doctor Moira said. We need to stop being so co-dependent. We need to cultivate our own lives, separate from one another. One day, you’re going to be married, you’re going to have children of your own, and when that day comes, we shouldn’t still be living with each other. Because…that’s just weird.”
I laughed and Haley laughed with me. “Okay,” I said.
She gave me a quick peck on the cheek. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s join everyone outside.”
The backyard was littered with an assortment of different fireworks that we were planning on unleashing in the last half hour before the New Year. I could feel the excited atmosphere in the air and gravitated instinctively towards JJ. He and Alan had set up a bunch of folding chairs in a loose circle, and he was lounging back in one of them with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a beer in his hand.
“Come join me,” he called, lifting up one hand for me to settle underneath.
The moment I was snuggled beside him, his hand came down around me, shielding me from the cold. He kissed me tenderly on the forehead before he placed a kiss on my lips.
“Another year gone,” he said. “So much has happened in such a short time.”
“I know,” I said. “It’s crazy. But I think this is the first time I’ve really enjoyed the holidays. I think this is the first time I’ve looked forward to New Years.”
“Because of me?”
I laughed. “Definitely because of you.”
“Are you sure you have to leave on the second?” he asked. “Can’t you postpone a little longer?”
“Haley and I are scheduled to open on the fifth, but we’ve set up a few meetings with a couple of different people,” I explained. “About expanding Natalie’s.”
“Of course,” JJ nodded. “You’re right, you shouldn’t cancel those. It doesn’t matter, anyway; I’ll be back in California on fifth. I just got greedy.”
“Greedy?”
“For more time with you,” JJ clarified.
I smiled. “Well, you are moving to California,” I reminded him. “You’ll have all the time you want with me.”
“I’m counting on that,” he nodded.
I hesitated for a second before I looked up at him. He smiled and gazed at me questioningly, waiting until I was ready to talk.
“You said you were keeping your current apartment, right?”
“I have another month on my lease,” JJ replied. “And then I can either renew it or look for an upgrade. Maybe someplace closer to you and Haley.”
I nodded. “Have you considered looking for a place on my street?”
“On your street?” JJ repeated.
“The house next to ours is up for rent, too,” I said shyly. “It’s a one story, two bedroom, but it looks pretty decent from the outside.”
“Would you like that?” JJ asked. “Having me on your street?”
“I think I would love that,” I admitted.
JJ smiled. “We’d be neighbors.”
“Actually,” I said hesitantly, “you and Haley would be neighbors.”
JJ raised his eyebrows. “And where would you be?”
“Next door,” I said. “With you.”
JJ frowned slightly and then it dawned on him what I was saying. “Wait… Does that mean…you want us to move in together?”
I nodded. “Yes, I think I would really like that,” I said, but his reaction made me take pause. “I thought that was what you wanted, too.”
“It is,” he said breathlessly. “But I just thought…”
“Yes?”
“What with Haley’s recent…situation… you might not want to leave her,” he said, stumbling over his words a little. “I mean… I did mention a move once before and—”
“I know,” I said quickly. “I freaked out a little. But that was different. Everything was fresh and that was a completely different move we were talking about.”
“True,” he agreed.
I pulled him closer to me and kissed his neck. “I love you, JJ,” I said emphatically. “And I think… this is the right thing for me. I’m thirty years old, and I finally know what’s best for me. I finally know what’s right for me. And, I believe you’re it. I can finally look towards the future and make plans and not be scared of all the changes that are going to come.”
JJ smiled. “I can finally see my future, too,” he said. “I mean I could, but it was never much of one. I figured I’d grow old in this house, retire when I was sixty, and die in Colorado in my comfy bed with some Mozart playing in the background.”
“That’s sad,” I said.
JJ smiled. “It is,” he nodded. “But that’s the future I saw for myself.”
“And now?”
“Now I see myself in sunny California, walking by Venice Beach every other day, and concocting alternate realities for all the people I see there. I see myself getting married to you, maybe moving into a nice big house at some point. I see our children running around in the backyard with the dogs.”
“We have children?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
“Of course,” JJ nodded, without hesitation.
I smiled. “Good,” I said. “I think I would really love to have kids soon. How many kids do you see in our future?”
“Two,” JJ replied. “Maybe even three… I’ll leave that up to you. Hopefully, we’ll have one of each, but I’m equally happy to have girls. And if we have a girl, we could call her Natalie.”
I felt emotion prick at the corner of my eyes. “That would be nice,” I said, forcing back the lump in my throat. “You mentioned dogs.”
“Yes.”
“What kind?”
“A Labrador, and two cocker spaniels,” JJ replied.
“Three dogs?”
“Why not?” JJ said. “The more chaos, the better.”
I laughed. “I suppose chaos is going to mean something different in our lives from now on.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” he nodded.
“Me, too!” I said decidedly.
I grabbed JJ’s face and started kissing hi
m passionately. The only thing that made me break away was the sound of Sam’s voice, raised in impatience.
“For God’s sake, break it up you two,” he said. “We’re about to start lighting fireworks.”
JJ and I broke apart laughing. We got to our feet and headed over to the loose circle where everyone was standing. I could feel it in the air. Change was coming and I, for one, couldn’t wait.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2017 Naomi Niles
