Page 130 of The Cupid Chronicles

“Do you think that counts as a child’s painting of a favorite meal?”

“I’m not sure . . .?”

He takes a step closer, and I’m vaguely aware that themusic is back on and people are chatting again. Dante has found a custodian and they’re starting to clean up the mess. But mostly, I’m just looking at Matteo.

Messy. Red. Soulmate.

“I came home last night, and there was a newspaper at my door,” he says.

“There was?”

He nods. His face looks bright. “It was addressed to me, and it was about you.”

“What did it say?”

He wipes his hands on his black pants, then reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small newspaper clipping. He hands it to me, and I see the same photo that was in my newspaper, but the words are different.

I read the paragraph under the image.

It’s been years in the making!

Tomorrow, at the Spring Brook Elementary Art Show, Iris Ellington will at last meet her soulmate! They will connect over a child’s painting of his favorite meal, even though the painting will be quite the mess.

Make sure Iris is near the appetizer table for this serendipitous encounter precisely at 6:05 p.m.

Your presence is required to make this happen.

I look up and find him watching me.

“It’s 6:05.” There’s excitement in his voice. He nods toward the appetizer table. “We’re near the appetizer table. So I need to know if this counts as a child’s painting of a favorite meal.”

He takes me by the arms, and I don’t even care if my dress gets ruined. “Because there is no way I’m letting some other guy walk in here and claim to be your soulmate.”

My eyes fill with tears. “I thought you didn’t believe in that stuff.”

“I didn’t,” he says. “But then I met you.”

I press my lips together and meet his eyes. “I got a newspaper, too.”

His brow furrows, and he inches back, still holding on to my arms. “You did?”

I nod. “It said I was going to meet my soulmate tonight.”

“And?”

“And that he’d be wearing red and he’d look a little messy”—I close my eyes to try to keep from crying—“but that he’d hold the key to my heart.” I open my eyes and stare at him, so thankful he’s looking at me like he feels about me the same way I feel about him.

“I told the newspaper I didn’t want a soulmate if it wasn’t you.” I inch closer. “I was hoping it was you.”

Matteo takes my face in his hands and kisses me, so fully I nearly faint, forgetting where we are and who is watching until I hear the shouts and screams of small children all around me. I hear whistles and jeers and the unmistakable, high-pitched sing-song of, “Miss Ellington has a boyfriend! Miss Ellington has a boyfriend!”

The volume of the chatter grows as more kids join in, like they practiced this, and I laugh and take a step out of Matteo’s embrace. My cheeks are on fire, and when I turn and see that Nicola, Val, Brooke, and Liz have all joined in the chant, I’m filled with something beyond happiness. Is it joy? Elation? Euphoria?

Whatever it is, I love it. I relish it. I savor it.

It’s a feeling I never want to forget.

My life has had plenty of sad moments, but that sadness has only made this moment that much sweeter.

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