“Keep marking them off, Lailah.”
I nodded, turning fully to wrap my arms around her. “I will.”
Her bag was checked, and boarding passes were issued. Soon, we were standing by security, delaying the inevitable.
“I guess we should say our good-byes now,” she said, frowning.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “I’m going to miss you.”
“Right back at you, girl. But, hey, it’s just five weeks, and then I’ll be right back here with my pink dress, ready to party!”
I laughed. “Green! You mean, green dress!”
“Right. Green. Figured I’d give it one last shot.”
“Let me kiss my little man before you take him away from me again,” I begged.
She shifted Zander in her arms, so I could easily reach his sleepy face. His soft pink lips parted slightly as tiny puffs of air escaped. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he dreamed, and I couldn’t help but smile in return.
“Whatever you’re dreaming of, sweet Zander, I hope it comes true. I love you. Never forget the many people in this world who cherish these tiny hands and your sweet face. Be good for your mommy and daddy, and I’ll see you soon.” I placed a wisp of a kiss on his forehead and repeated the action on Grace’s cheek. “Take care, and fly safe. I love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Jude stepped forward and gave Grace an awkward side hug, so he wouldn’t disturb the slumbering bundle in her arms. “Thank you for coming. I truly appreciate it,” he said.
“Anytime.”
With a sad smile and a blown kiss in our direction, she threw Zander’s diaper bag over her shoulder, and then she turned toward the security line and disappeared into the crowd of people.
“You okay?” Jude asked as his fingers intertwined with mine.
“Yes,” I answered as we headed back toward the entrance. “I just hate good-byes.”
“It’s not really a good-bye, you know. It’s more of just a see-you-later.”
He pushed open the glass door leading to the street and held it as we stepped out.
“Did you steal that from a movie?” I asked, smiling. “It sounds very familiar.”
“Maybe. But it made you smile.”
“You always make me smile.”
There was no need to hail a taxi at the airport since they were lined up like vultures along the curb. We hopped into the first available one we saw, and Jude gave him the address to our apartment.
As we settled in the back, Jude’s arm snaked around me, and I turned to watch the city come into view. I’d grown up in California where palm trees and beaches took precedence over skyscrapers and subways. Life was different here, but then again, life anywhere outside of a hospital was different and new.
Whether I was living in an apartment in Santa Monica, blocks away from the sandy beach, or in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world, it didn’t matter as long as I was alive.
Grace had been right this morning. I had become slightly complacent in my new life, trying to fit in, when I should be embracing my newfound existence. When given a second chance, you shouldn’t fade into the background. Rather, you should explode like a rainbow of colors dripping down a canvas.
Jude’s voice suddenly cut through my deep thoughts, and I looked to him in confusion.
“What did you say?” I asked.
“I asked whether you ever felt deprived because of everything that had happened.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s just, today, seeing you with Zander, plus the crazy dreams . . . it makes me wonder if you ever wish for more than just me in this world.”
I turned to face him, my hand reaching up to stroke the stubble on his chin. “Are you asking if I want a child?”
He nodded.
“Don’t you think we should get married first?” I joked.
A halfhearted smile tried to form, but I could see his mood was still sullen.
“Jude, please don’t think I ever feel deprived. This life, everything I have, is more than I ever expected. Before I met you, I fully believed I’d die without one of those wishes on my Someday List ever coming true. But here I am, healthy and strong, making each and every one of them come true because of you.”
“But what if you want more—later.”
“You,” I said, tilting his chin upward so that his gaze would meet mine, “are all I need.”
As his lips touched mine, I curled my fingers into his hair. I’d never been surer of anything in my life.
Jude was all I’d ever need.
But as our kiss deepened, the sudden vision of my dream flashed through my memory.
My fingers reached out in the darkness to find him, but he wasn’t there.
“ARE YOU SURE I can’t help with anything?” I asked, pressing mute on the TV once again, as the sounds of clanging pots and pans came bustling forth from the kitchen.