Page 46 of Choosing a Forever
Me, too.It would be nice to have my family there for my only wedding—and itwillbe my only wedding if I have any say. Maybe once Mack realizes we’re kismet, we can have a big wedding do-over with the cake and the flowers and dancing surrounded by family and friends.
Hannah and Morgan had a small, intimate ceremony at the courthouse last year, and they’ll be having a party in April to celebrate their one-year anniversary. It’s not totally unheard of to have a belated celebration.
“Our appointment is for two o’clock. I’ll come pick you guys up at one-thirty, then we can go to an early dinner after to celebrate.”
“Oh, no, it’s okay. I can meet you there, and there’s no need to—”
“There is absolutely a need to celebrate. Let me take my wife and sisters-in-law out. If you want to drive separately, that’s okay. I can pack up my stuff so it’s ready to move in that night, then get the rest on Sunday.”
“I think it’d be best to drive separately. Everything else sounds… good.”
“Perfect. Are you still planning on us sharing a room?”
Mack’s face heats up, turning red like an adorable strawberry, and I don’t understand why. “Yeah,” she says. “I have a king bed in my room downstairs, so itshould be fine. We’re adults. We can share a bed and be cool about it.”
“Of course we can. Wanna show me? That way I can plan accordingly for what needs to be put in storage.”
“Sure. Don’t set your expectations too high, though, it’s nothing fancy.” She stands from the couch, and I follow her downstairs.
The basement is one large living area with brown speckled carpet and tan walls. There’s a TV on one wall and four bookshelves filled to the brim on another. A desk is set against a wall with a large office chair in front of it. I assume it’s where Mack works when she works from home.
“Are all these books yours?” I ask, inspecting the spines. Some are bright, playful colors with swooping lettering. Others are dark with crisp, clean words. Some have titles that sound like they’d be fantasy novels, while others are clearly rom-com types.
“Yeah. Books are the only thing I allow myself to buy that’s not a necessity, but I haven’t been able to buy any new ones in a few years—for obvious reasons. I usually stick to my Kindle.”
“Do you mind if I read some of these? They sound cool.”
“Ummm. Sure? You might not like them, though. They’re not just standard fantasy novels. A lot of them are romantasy.”
I shrug. “I’m not worried about a little romance in my fantasy.”
She opens her mouth like she’s going to say something but shuts it as if she changed her mind. “Okay. Well, enjoy.”
She walks to the door on the opposite side of the living room and opens it, revealing a decent sized bedroom. The walls are painted a soft pink, and the bed is covered in unmade floral sheets. There’s still plenty of space, even with the king bed. There are no pictures on the walls, though, just a mirror propped against it next to a set of doors.
I whistle. “This is nice.”
“Thanks. After the twins were born, my parents didn’t want me to have to keep going upstairs to use the bathroom, so they made this into another primary suite. The bathroom is through that door, and the other doors are the walk-in closet. I’ll clear out some space for you in there and in the dresser.”
“Thanks, Mack. I know this is a big change. I can always sleep out on the couch if you need me to. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”
Mack shakes her head. “I don’t want to risk Kins or Harper seeing you on the couch if they come down here. It’ll all be okay.”
She sounds like she’s trying to convince herself more than me, and my chest pinches. I don’t like that she’s uncomfortable.
I make a vow to myself to do everything in my power to make her as comfortable as I can—to make this transition as easy as possible. I’ll prove to her I can make her life better and not be a hindrance.
Chapter 16
Mackenzie
15 years old…
I’m not usually nervous before a performance, but knowing Tal is going to be here watching a dance my teacher and I choreographed to a song I’ve dedicated to him in my head?
I feel like I’m going to throw up.
What if he hates it? What if he doesn’t think I’m good enough? What if he hates my costume? The song choice? That it isn’t as complicated as the other dances?
