Page 33 of Love and the Laws of Motion
“Frank,” Alex said.“You own your own house, and in this neighborhood, that place is worth a fortune now.You’ve got your police department pension and most of your hair.You’re a real catch.”
Frank considered that for a minute.“You think?”
“I do,” Alex said.“You know, Jess and I met online.”
“I thought you went to college together.”
“It was both.We had to meet twice to get it right.I’ll help you get set up on Match.Jess’ll work on your profile with you, won’t you, Jess?”
“You will?”
“Sure,” Jess said.
When Frank and Dennis started discussing dating profiles with Nick, Alex turned his attention back to Jess.They were whispering to each other about something, Jess’s hand brushing lightly against Alex’s.Alex slid his hand up under her hair, stroking the back of her neck.A moment later Jess cleared her throat.“I have some news.”
Gemma finished topping off Frank’s Michelob and turned away from the taps.“Did your MTA source finally give you the dirt?”
“It’s not about a story.”
John Romano, his paternal senses tingling, walked over to their corner of the bar, tossing his bar towel over his shoulder.“Something wrong, Jess?”
Poor Dad.Losing Mom when they had, being left alone to raise three girls, had put such a burden on him.He worried about the three of them constantly, always concerned that they were missing out on something because they didn’t have a mother.Really, their dad was the greatest, supporting everything they did, whether he understood it or not, and always wrapping them up in his quiet, unassuming love.
“Nothing’s wrong, Dad.”Jess and Alex exchanged another glance, a million unspoken words flying between them.She took a deep breath and turned back to them.“Alex and I are engaged.”
For a moment, it felt like the world stopped turning.There was silence, and Livie examined that word as it made impact and sank in.Engaged.Jess.And Alex.
Gemma was the first one to speak, and when she did, she shrieked loud enough to rattle the liquor bottles on the shelf behind her.“Oh, my God,Jess!That’s amazing!When?How?Tell me everything!”
“He asked me when he got back from Brazil.I’m not going to tell you how, because it’s none of your business.”
Color stained the tops of Alex’s cheekbones as he stared down at the bar.Livie could guess that the “how” had probably happened in bed.Without clothes.
“Married?”their father asked, finally finding his voice.“Aren’t you both a little young for that?”
“Dad.”Jess scowled at him.“I’m twenty-four.Alex is twenty-five.Gemma was a toddler by the time you were my age.”
“Things were different then.”
Gemma swatted at him with her bar towel.“Dad, it was nineteen ninety, not eighteen ninety.”
Jess fixed her wide brown eyes on their father.“Dad, aren’t you happy for me?”
John relented, his shoulders dropping and his heavy dark eyebrows unfurrowing.“Course I am, kiddo.Alex, you know I think of you as one of the family.It’s only...”He looked at Jess, his eyes turning glassy.“I guess I just wasn’t ready to lose one of my girls.”
“Aw, Dad, you’ll neverloseme.”Jess’s eyes began to water, too.
Jess was gettingmarried.She was going to build a new life with Alex.For years, it had been the three Romano girls taking care of each other.And Gemma, older by several years, had been as much a mother as a sister.It had been Jess, not quite a year younger than Livie, who’d been her constant companion in everything.Their personalities had diverged in a hundred ways, but when it mattered, they’d thought and acted as one.It had been years since they slept in the same bed, comforting each other through thunderstorms and nightmares, but it didn’t feel like the distant past, not when Jess was still right across the hall whenever Livie needed her.Now Jess was moving out, moving on.Jess was in love, and so happy.Livie wanted to be happy for her, too.But part of her felt like it was breaking inside.
Their father had come through the pass-through to embrace Jess, so Livie forced herself off her bar stool.As shell-shocked as she felt, she refused to let Jess see it.Tonight was her night.She deserved to see them all celebrating her good news.When their father finally released her, Livie was right there, ready to hug her little sister tight before she slipped away from them to head out into the big wide world.
“Congratulations, Jess,” she whispered against Jess’s dark hair.She was warm, and smelled so familiar.
“Thank you, Livie.”
“When’s the wedding?”Gemma pressed.
“Oh, not for ages,” Jess scoffed.“We’re too busy to even think about it yet.”
