Who looks at me the same way.
When Jamie feels my gaze on him, he looks up, giving me a little wink and a smile.
Yeah, permanent doesn’t feel so scary when it looks like Jamie Nicks.
Zach drops his fork and rubs his hands together before checking his watch. “Welp, I’ve got to go. Training starts in 30.” He stands, grabbing his bag from the floor. “Try not to burn the house down while I’m gone.” Then he looks over his shoulder at Jamie. “Or knock anyone up again.”
“Out,” I say, shoving him toward the door, thankful that Ella was too engrossed in her pancakes to hear that.
When he’s out the door and I’ve gained some composure, I head back to the table to finish my coffee. Jamie joins us,shuffling close enough to me that our shoulders brush, and his feet inch toward mine.
The three of us eat together, talking and laughing about everything we did last night. For a few seconds, everything feels simple and right.
Dare I say, for the first time in my life, things feel perfect.
When I glance at Jamie, he’s already watching me. “You okay?” he asks quietly.
I nod, swallowing down the lump in my throat. “Better than okay.”
“Me, too.”
Ella finishes her pancakes and wanders into the living room, making the house fill with the noise of cartoons a minute later.
I start stacking the empty plates and take them over to the counter so I can load them into the dishwasher. As I’m cleaning, Jamie comes up, resting his hand on my back. “Can I ask you something?” he asks quietly, so as not to disturb Ella who’s watching cartoons.
I tip my chin up, giving him the quickest kiss I can. “Of course.”
He puts his plate on the counter and runs his hand through his hair. “What would you think about… maybe moving in together?”
I nearly drop the plate, but Jamie catches it in time. “What?”
“I know it's premature,” he rushes on. “But I don’t want to keep leaving you both. The idea of going back to my soon-to-be apartment doesn’t feel right without you there. I want to be with you and Ella. Every morning, every night.”
I open my mouth, my throat dry because I’m not really sure what to say.
Permanent feels a lot morepermanentwhen he asks like that.
He shakes his head. “I didn’t mean we’d have to do it right now. I just thought it would be nice to be together as a family…whenever you’re ready.”
My heart is hammering so hard I'm sure he can hear it.
“Jamie—”
“Yeah, it was a stupid idea, wasn’t it? We’ve only just—”
I kiss him.
It's the only response I can manage because words feel too small for what I'm feeling. When I pull back, his eyes are wide and hopeful.
“I'll think about it,” I whisper. “But Jamie… I want that too. I want all of it. Eventually.”
Every edge of Jamie’s face softens with relief. His hand stays on my back, his thumb tracing small, absent-minded circles against my skin.
“Do you mean that?”
When I nod, he smiles fully and leans his forehead against mine. “You know, I spent years thinking I’d never see you again, and when I found out where you were, I thought I’d already ruined everything, but standing here, with you saying that…makes me feel like I’ve finally found my home.”
Home.