Page 97 of Notes About Vodka

Later, as we lay wrapped up in each other, our breathing slowing, I realize something.Maybe Val is right. Maybe all we need to do is just breathe. And maybe, just maybe, that’s enough.The weight of everything—the divorce, my mom, the uncertainty of the future and getting to medical school—it all feels a little lighter now, like maybe we can face it together. I rest my head on his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, and I let myself believe in the possibility of us.

Val’s fingers trace lazy patterns along the scars on my back,his voice a low murmur in the quiet of the room. “You’re my everything, you know that? My entire world.”

I smile against his skin, my eyes drifting closed. “And you’re mine.”

We fall asleep like that, tangled up in each other. And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I am living a happily ever after.

CONFLICTION

Dal Segno—return to the signs

because revisiting the past isn’t just a cycle; it’s a trap that repeats itself…

pulling you back whether you want it to or not.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

LAURA

“Vodka burns around 55-60 degrees Fahrenheit, producing a pale blue flame that sometimes a yellow or orange tip due to impurities in the solution.”

Seven months later, early May.

Our eyes meet across the room when I walk into the apartment, and for the first time, I feel the weight of what it means to be truly free. I’m no longer shackled to someone I should have ever married in the first place.

The man I see standing in the kitchen, the one who's been beside me all these months, isn’t just someone I’ve been hiding away with—he’s the person I want to share every part of my life with. I take a step toward him, and before I can even think about what to say, he’s there, pulling me into a kiss, deep and fierce. A kiss that speaks all the words we’ve been careful not to say beyond the front door, a kiss that promises we can finally be open and honest with the world.

When we break apart, he searches my face, his eyes soft butintent. “He didn’t show up, did he?” Val asks, his voice low, the familiar rasp of concern laced with relief.

“No, he didn’t,” I reply, exhaling fully. “The judge ruled abandonment. I get to keep the restraining order active for three years, and we can renew it if we need to. Skipper told me he saw a post about him being in south Florida; I don’t think he’ll be back.” I feel a wave of gratitude for the unexpected finality, as if I’ve been treading water and can finally stand up, breathing easy.

Val’s hand finds mine, his thumb tracing over my knuckles. “Good. I’m glad it’s over,” he says, his voice steady, his eyes never leaving mine. “You deserve better than anything he ever put you through.”

I nod, feeling the words settle deep inside me. We’ve been inseparable since Thanksgiving, and Val’s given me more love and encouragement than I ever thought possible. We survived chemistry as well as most of the past semester’s classes together. I took molecular genetics and made an A because of Val’s intense notes. When I used my calculator for the same exam he had to take the semester before, I giggled.

Silly Russian. When did you do this?

He had marked his name next to mine and then crossed out my maiden name and wrote his under it instead.

Since he moved in with Skipper, Rhea, and myself, it’s like he’s redefined what it means to be in a relationship, to be genuinely cared for. Standing here with him now, I feel like I’m shedding layers of past hurts, of self-doubt. It’s not just about freedom from Sam or the relief of the divorce. It’s about realizing I can be loved the way I’ve always wanted, the way I never thought I could be.

“I’m finally divorced,” I say, letting the words out slowly. I smile, glancing up at him, letting the gravity of it all hit me. “Val, I’m actually free. And temporarily single?”

I waggle my eyebrows and wink up at him, “I can finally make this official with you.”

He wraps me up in his arms, holding me so close I can hear his heartbeat, steady and reassuring. He kisses my forehead softly, lingering there, like he’s savoring this moment as much as I am.

“I love you so much, Laura,” he murmurs, his lips brushing against my hair. “And you are so not single. You have been mine since you first ensnared me with your voice.”

His words fill me with a warmth I’ve never known. The past year has been a whirlwind and feeling trapped in my own life, but right here, wrapped in Val’s arms, that all fades.

How did I get so lucky? I thought I lost my happily ever after with Sam, but that wasn’t love. This… This is love.

“I love you, too,” I whisper, letting my fingers run through his hair, memorizing every inch of him as if I hadn’t spent months doing just that in stolen moments. We were very careful to remain professional atPianissimoand even in class. Never posting pictures of our adventures. After the hockey night, I explained my concerns to Val about Sam using our relationship against us and he agreed. Plus, I think we both like our secrets.

There’s no rush or hesitation now; I don’t have to hold back, to worry someone might catch us or judge us. This is ours, and we get to decide how it unfolds. “Val, let’s make this Facebook official!”

We laugh, both of us pulling out our phones and finally changing ourrelationship status.

---