Page 122 of Love Is Brewing

“The same as yours,” she said. “I’ve seen it. Why couldn’t you?”

“The same reason you couldn’t see it of your family,” he said. “Maybe we have blinders on when it comes to those important to us.”

He was testing the waters by saying that.

Waiting to see her response.

“We do,” she said. “Me more than you. I’ve had a few days to think about my mother’s words. I’ve come to a conclusion.”

He grinned. “What conclusion is that?”

“That I’m not as out of place here as I thought. That there is no reason for me not to commit when I love what I’m doing, where I am, and who I’m with. That I’m always halting things I’m uncomfortable with until I can get comfortable. But the truth is, I’ve been comfortable since the day I met you knowing that even if things go wrong, you and I can figure it out.”

“We can,” he said, moving closer to her. He never expected this conversation to happen but was going to let her keep going.

“So I’ve been thinking and made a decision,” she said, putting her pizza slice down and hugging him. “I know where I want to be and who I want to be with. I’m not going anywhere, Elias. Just letting you know that.”

“I wasn’t about to let you go,” he said. “Just letting you know that too!”

EPILOGUE

Five Months Later

“CanI ask what we are doing in the park on a Saturday afternoon?” Elias asked five months later.

Mid-September was beautiful, but it was not like Phoebe to want to be downtown in front of people.

The park, no less, where there were many sitting around and talking. Plenty of them waving to Elias on top of it.

They were sitting on a bench talking. Elias hadn’t asked her once why they were here and she wasn’t so sure she could go through with this but then reminded herself what she’d told him before.

That even if things were uncomfortable, if he was with her, she’d be fine.

She believed it all. Like she believed in them.

“Hi, Phoebe,” Cassidy said, walking by her with her young son. A client from a few months ago. A divorce that she ended up handing off to a new attorney that started in her firm two months ago.

“How are you doing, Cassidy?” she asked.

“Much better now,” Cassidy said. “Enjoy your day.”

Phoebe nodded and looked at the smirk on Elias’s face. “What has you smiling?”

“You,” he said. “Just as many people are waving and saying hi to you as they are to me.”

“That is happening,” she said. She had a sense of pride in that. “Isn’t it?”

“And it doesn’t bother you anymore, does it?” he asked.

“Not as much,” she said. “We know I enjoy controlling the narrative.”

“Redirecting,” he said. “Get it right.”

“Since I’m the pro at it, I can get it right,” she said, grinning.

“So can I ask why we are here?” he asked. “Not that I ever complain about spending time with you, but it’s not like you to come here and sit to people watch.”

“I’m not people watching. I’m setting it up for people towatchus,” she said, laughing.

---