“I loved Stephen at first when we met. After meeting Pete, I realized my parents were right about him. I hadn’t really loved your father. I had been lying to myself. Waiting for him to change. He’d shown me a smidge of attention and my world imploded. We met at a time when I wanted someone who’d love me for me. Not because they were impressed with my dancing skills, or my money. Or worse, because they only wanted a rebound.
“Before I met him, my life was all about pleasing my parents and dancing. Success was the only way to win my parents affection. My twin sister, Sabine, who was also my best friend, was a grade A student. My parents were proud of her so I had to fight to achieve that kind of love. Your father and I went to different schools. We met at a football game held at our school. It was love at first sight for both of us. Or so I thought, until I found out about Cole’s mother.”
I’m shocked by this entire revelation. Mom hardly ever spoke about her family, her past. The first time I asked her about her sister and her family, Mom broke down and cried. It took her weeks to get over that low. I learned my lesson and I never made that mistake again.
I take in a deep breath and then exhale, letting go of the past, the negative emotions and quickly send a prayer up above. Count my blessings instead of ticking off a list of everything bad that has happened.
I wrap my arms around her in a hug. “I’m very glad you are okay, Mom.”
She returns my embrace and then pulls back to study me with eyes full of tears. “Do you know what I learned in all those years? Life breaks you, dismantling every part of us into pieces. It’s just a way to prepare us for what we are meant to be. Who we are meant to be. Survivors.”
Tears run down my face. “That is so beautiful. And I completely agree. We are survivors.”
Pete walks in, carrying the girls in each of his arms. He is a big guy, about two hundred and thirty pounds, with white hair and sky blue eyes. Lines curve the corner of his mouth, a sure sign that he laughs a lot.
“How about we take the girls for ice cream, Carol?” he smiles wide.
We step apart and Mom walks toward her boyfriend.
“Sure. I haven’t spent time with my little angels in a long time. Let’s go have fun.” She turns and winks at me, before turning and leading the way out of the kitchen.
I smile after them and pull out my phone from my shorts pocket. My sisters have been texting the entire day, checking up on me. After letting them know that we are okay and Mom is in town, they promise to drop by tomorrow and spend the next three days together with Mom.
After the dishes are done, Cole scoops me up in his arms and climbs the stairs to the terrace. He lays me on the love seat and then crawls beside me and takes me into his arms.
I shift a bit to make sure he can see my mouth. “What is the best thing that has ever happened to you?”
Those beautiful gray eyes linger on my lips until I feel my breath leave my lungs. “You. Josh. My parents. Nick. Cora and Joce. You.” He falls quiet for a few moments. “What about you?”
I bite my lip, fighting a smile. “I survived. You. Josh. My sisters and Mom. Cora and Joce. You.”
He brushes his lips on mine but doesn’t kiss me. Instead, he slants his head away from me.
He sighs. “We haven’t had an ordinary life, have we?” He squints his eyes thoughtfully. “What I feel for you isn’t ordinary. What we share was complicated from the start. But, our souls knew long before we met. That this is a once in a lifetime thing. And if it’s up to me, I’m going to make sure I’m in your life until my dying day. You’re not just my ordinary, Eleanor. You’re my extraordinary. My everything.”
Tears gather in my eyes, but I’m not ready to let them fall yet, otherwise I won’t be able to finish what I want to say. “I don’t want ordinary with you. I want extraordinary. I want to drown in your passion and kisses, Cole. I want to be the only thing that lives in your mind long after you leave my side. I want our souls to marry each other and stay in love.
“Before I met you, I’d been running from myself. Running in different directions, without any destination in mind. I couldn’t find my balance in life, my anchor. For nine years, I’ve been drowning and only came up for air for Cora and Joce, but deep down, the part that needed you was being dragged under, day in day out. Then you came back after receiving those letters. That part of me lying dormant stirred to life. You kissed me, setting my body on fire. You pulled me to the surface and made me breathe again. I’ve been waiting nine years to exhale and now that I have, I’m going to make sure I keep breathing.”
I lift my hand and wipe the tears falling down his cheek and smile at him. “I promise you darkness and light. I promise you a love so deep, so profound you will feel it even when we’re apart. You good with that?”
He nods and grins through the tears in his eyes. “You have given me everything. A love that consumes me. Cora and Joce. You. You gave me a reason to fight when I thought I couldn’t. I promise to keep your heart and love safe for always. Are you good with that?”
Instead of answering him, I slide my hand around the nape of his neck and pull him to me, mesh my mouth with his.