I shake my head, unable to find the words. "Just...everything. You. This. It's not something I ever really imagined I'd have. And I was good with that. I was content. I had Liam and a job I love and friends." I shake my head, trying to explain what I can barely formulate into thought.
"I didn't know anything was missing until I saw what I could have with you. What we could be. So, thank you."
Finn shakes his head. "You really have no idea, do you?" he says. "Before you and Liam came into my life, all I cared about was work and whether I was letting my brothers and sister down. I didn't think I had room for anything else. You showed me that it's possible to have more. To have everything I need and still be enough for everyone else. I'm the lucky one."
"I love you,” I say, leaning closer. “Kiss me, Finn.” And he does.
End of Book One
Epilogue
Quinn
“Hey Quinn.”
I let out a sigh of relief when I hear Hannah’s familiar voice coming through the phone at my ear.
I try to make my voice light, easy, carefree. “Hey. You busy?”
“Not at the moment,” she says. “You’re on speaker and Liam is in the backseat.”
Hannah’s learned her lesson over the years. I’m not always the best person to have on speakerphone without giving me a heads-up to be on my best behavior.
“Liam!” I don’t have to pretend to be happy to talk to him. “How’s my favorite kid in the whole world?”
I can hear the smile in his voice. “Good, Aunt Q. When are you coming to see me?”
I laugh. “I like a man who gets right to the point. That’s actually what I was calling your mom about.”
“What’s up?” Hannah asks.
“Well,” I begin, trying to remember how I’d rehearsed the words over the last half hour. “I know it’s last minute, but what are you doing this weekend?”
The line is silent for a minute and I worry that she’s going to tell me they have plans or they’re out of town. When I’d pulled up in front of Hannah’s house earlier and no one was home, it had taken me a few minutes to remember that it was the middle of the day on a Thursday. Of course, no one was home. Liam has school and Hannah’s at work. I’m not sure where my mind went. Hannah speaks again, breaking into my thoughts.
“Nothing that I know of,” she says. “Finn’s out of town to meet with a potential vendor but we might have lunch Sunday if he’s back in time. Maybe start moving some of his things over.”
“Hmm.” I say, drawing out the word.
“Shut up,” she mutters.
I laugh. I love that my best friend has found the right guy, even if he was under her nose for the past 7 years. It gives me hope that maybe I can find my guy too. I love how happy she is, but I can’t resist teasing her just a little.
“It’s not nice to say shut up,” Liam chimes in.
“Yeah, Hannah,” I say, smiling. “It’s not nice to say shut up.” I hear Liam’s giggle in the background and it nearly makes me forget all my problems.
“So, does this mean you’re coming for a visit?” Hannah asks, making my stomach roll with nerves.
“Actually,” I say, biting the bullet. “I’m sort of already here.”
“What?”
Sitting on Hannah’s front porch steps, I see a car come into view. A smile spreads across my face and I stand. I only live a few hours away from Hannah and Liam, but we haven’t seen one another in months due to our work schedules. Hannah parks in the driveway next to my car. Liam bolts from the car and runs toward me. I catch him in a hug and swing him around in a circle though he’s nearly too big now. I feel a pang of sadness for all I’ve missed of his life, but I hide it behind a broad smile.
“Oh my god, you’re a giant! When did you get so big?”
Liam laughs. “When you weren’t looking.”
“That’s for sure.” Hannah walks over more slowly than Liam had.
Hannah points back to my car. “What happened to your tire?”
I wave a hand at the question. “I got a flat on the way here. No biggie.”
She pulls me to her in a hug and I feel a million memories wash over me in the space of a second. Hannah is more than my best friend. She’s the sister I never had and the closest thing to family I can count on. We’ve been forced to be long distance besties for so many years that we’ve basically perfected the art. But it doesn’t make it any less amazing when we finally get to see one another again.
“I missed you,” I say, giving her one last squeeze.
“Me too.”
Hannah looks around. “Where’s your bag?”
I force my face into a casual mask and wave away the question. “I’ll grab it later. I need to pee.”
Hannah laughs and makes a joke about my small bladder before hurrying to unlock the door. I head straight for the bathroom. I wasn’t lying about needing to pee. I’m also avoiding the conversation I know is coming once Hannah finds out my real reason for this surprise visit. I use the bathroom and wash my hands. Then I take several seconds to stare at my reflection and take a few calming breaths. My hair is contained in a tight bun as it had been for work this morning. It’s still in remarkably good shape, considering all that happened this morning. I avoid that line of thinking and go back to my reflection.
I wonder if I’m masking the strain well enough or if Hannah can see it under the make-up I put on to hide the circles under my eyes. I wonder if I’m having a panic attack or a mental breakdown. I lean in close, studying
