Page 13 of Saving Saul

"But you’re close?" she presses, grinning.

"Closer than I’ve ever been," I admit, my voice dropping to a softer tone. “It’s strange, isn’t it? Coming here to find a wife.” I glance at her, gauging her reaction. “A year ago, I’d have laughed at the idea.”

“What changed?” she asks, her curiosity piqued.

I pause, considering my answer. “My grandmother,” I say finally. “She’s the most remarkable woman I know. She raised me, shaped me, made me who I am. Her only dream is to see me settled, happy... married.”

The assistant tilts her head. “And you’re doing this for her?”

“Partly,” I say. “But it’s more than that now. At first, this was about pleasing my grandmother. But now... now it’s about Tessa. I can’t imagine not waking up every day to her voice, her laughter. She’s changed everything.”

The assistant smiles, her clipboard forgotten for a moment. “She sounds incredible.”

“She is,” I reply, my voice firm. “You know, I used to think marriage wasn’t for me. Too many complications. Too much vulnerability. But with Tessa...” I trail off, a smile tugging at my lips. “I don’t want just one moment with her. I want every moment. For the rest of my life.”

The assistant’s smile widens, and she nods approvingly. “Sounds like you’re ready.”

“More than ready,” I say, my confidence growing with every word. “My grandmother’s going to be over the moon. She’s been praying for this day for years. Tessa? She’s exactly the woman my grandmother would’ve chosen for me. Strong, passionate, grounded. She’ll fit right in.”

We stop at the end of the corridor, and I glance back toward the Hub, where Tessa is likely still sitting, her presence a gravitational force pulling at me even from this distance.

“Good luck, Chef,” the assistant says, her voice warm and encouraging. “Sounds like you’ve got something really special.”

I nod, gratitude flooding through me. “Thanks. I do.”

As she walks away, I take a deep breath, letting the weight of the moment settle over me. This isn’t just about the show anymore, or the restaurant, or even my grandmother’s dreams. It’s about Tessa—about the life I can see so clearly now, the life I want to build with her.

I rub the back of my neck, a nervous habit I’ve never quite shaken, and smile to myself. She’s going to flip my world upside down, and I can’t wait to let her.

“Alright, Tessa,” I murmur to the air, a quiet promise to the woman who’s already taken over my heart. “Let’s see where this story goes.”

LEAP OF FAITH

TESSA

“Tessa, I love you.”

Saul’s smooth and steady voice flows through the wall between us, with a British lilt softened by his Ghanaian roots. Each word vibrates in the small space, resonating deep within me.

My ribs hum with each heartbeat, pounding in time with New Orleans jazz’s distant, unrelenting rhythm. Standing in this hub—a world away from home—I can’t seem to calm the chaos in my chest.

How did we get here? How did hot hub sex and casual, lighthearted conversations about beignets, gumbo, and our favorite childhood memories turn intothis—a confession of love that feels as improbable as it is exhilarating?

I wrap my arms around my knees, trying to steady myself against the dizzying swirl of excitement and disbelief. His voice isn’t just words; it’s a lifeline. And yet, I’m terrified to grab hold. How could something so unexpected, so impossible, feel this achingly real?

“It’s only been five days, but sweetheart, you’ve saved me.”

A tightness grips my chest, signaling my life may be on the brink of something significant. My fingers glide over the pearlsadorning my neck each night inside this hub, their smoothness anchoring me amid the emotional turmoil threatening to surge. This moment feels more genuine, more spontaneous than any awkward scene I’ve ever stumbled through in community theater—this is real life, relentless, and unscripted.

On the other side of this intricately wallpapered wall, the man I’ve spent the last four nights talking to before going to bed and fingering my dripping core to thoughts of him waits. He’s the warmth and sincerity in life I thought I’d ever find. It’s as if the ancestors sent him just for me, knowing the kind of love I needed even when I did not.

But I’m silent, terrified my words will ruin this moment. For once, I’ll shut up and listen.

“Tessa, are you there?” Saul says, his voice tinged with nervous humor. “Did I say too much? Was it too soon?”

No, your timing is perfect.Perfectly terrifying.

“I’m present," I manage to utter, my breathtrembling.

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