Page 140 of Stroke of Fate

Pulling into the drive of our townhome, I can’t help but smile. It still feels surreal to call this place ours. Levi and I made an offer just a few weeks ago, and we officially moved in last weekend.

Apartment living was great while it lasted, but we wanted something to call our own. The moment we toured this place, we fell in love.It’s close enough to Levi’s office in the city, where he works for a large financial firm, and to the children’s hospital where I’ve been doing my practical hours.

And yes, it’s the same hospital where Levi’s mom works since we decided to stay in Colorado. After graduating from Huska, Levi landed a great internship opportunity, and I was accepted into an amazing physical therapy program.

I couldn’t be happier with where we are, but today is extra special. Not only is it my twenty-fifth birthday, but it also marks the end of my clinical hours. In just a few short weeks, I’ll be taking my state licensing exam, and once I pass, I’ll officially have my doctorate in physical therapy.

Not much will change with work. I’ll still be returning to the hospital, but this time as an official employee rather than a student. The thought of being done with school soon is both freeing and terrifying. What am I supposed to do with all this extra time now that I won’t have my nose buried in a textbook?

Grabbing my bag and the gifts my co-workers gave me, I step out of the car and head inside. The moment I walk through the front door, I’m greeted by the sound of nails tapping against the hardwood floor.

“Hi,” I say with a soft laugh, dropping my bags as a wet nose nudges my thigh. “Oh, I missed you,” I coo, crouching down to ruffle her soft fur.

Nyla is our latest foster dog. She has the saddest backstory but the gentlest soul, and I’m already tearing up every time I think about letting her go. We've fostered many dogs over the past few years and haven’t had a foster fail yet, but this fluffy fifty-pounder might just be our first.

I give her all the ear scratches and belly rubs she deserves before picking up the things I dropped. Nyla is sweet but has a bad habit of chewing on things she shouldn’t, despite having a basket overflowing with toys.

Walking past the dining room table, I set my things safely out of harm’s way and head into the kitchen.

The sight that greets me is both amusing and unbelievably attractive. I lean against the doorway, crossing my arms, and take a moment to enjoy the view.

Even with his broad back to me, my stomach flutters with butterflies. Levi’s still wearing his suit pants and a crisp, white button-down. Sans tie because he discarded it the minute he walked through the door, just like always.

“I thought you had to coach tonight?” I ask once I’ve gotten my fill of him.

Levi didn’t take his swimming career beyond university but hasn’t let go of the sport entirely. He still swims every morning before work and coaches at an elite swim academy, which has already produced two Olympic contenders since he joined the team.

He glances over his shoulder, his hands pausing whatever they’re busy with, and he greets me with a smile.

Yep. Still ridiculously hot.

I can’t help but wonder how my nineteen-year-old self ever thought walking away from him was the better option when we first met.

“Good day?” He asks, turning his attention back to the counter.

Curiosity has my feet shuffling forward until I’m standing beside him.

“Great day. What’s all this?” I ask, eyeing the cheesy potato mixture he’s spreading into a glass dish. “Youcooked?”

“If you count ordering fancy takeout and putting it in glass dishes as cooking the yes, I cooked.” He chuckles, gesturing to the stack of empty silver foil containers I hadn’t noticed.

“Why? I mean, this is great, but I thought we weren’t doing anything special.”

Even though it’s my birthday, we’re celebrating this weekend with our friends instead of tonight. Now that we’re proper adults, everything has to be scheduled. It’s the actual worst. I haven’t seen Elsie or Macy in weeks, and Pia even longer than that, which will make this weekend’s catch-up even better.

“To answer your earlier question, I let Thomas handle coaching solo tonight,” Levi says. “Couldn’t have my girl celebrating her birthday alone.”

His arms wrap around my waist, and mine automatically go around his neck.

“Happy birthday,” he whispers, kissing my forehead gently.

A content sigh escapes me. I love these little moments of peace between the chaos of our daily lives.

“Thank you. The girls at work were all swooning over the flowers you had delivered to the hospital. Even your mom came down to take a peek.” I laugh, remembering how they were practically singing his praises for that.

And don’t even get me started on when he occasionally comes around to pick me up for lunch, and suddenly, they’re all in the same room to catch a glimpse of Levi in his tailored suit.

“Mm, you saying I scored some brownie points with that one?”

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