The night before they’d talked all night. The conversation had started light, with jokes that had them laughing until they both had tears in their eyes. But somewhere along the way the conversation had shifted. Walls were let down and guards were dropped. Revelations were made.
They started talking about things that hadn’t been spoken aloud since the divorce—things buried so deep, neither of them had been sure they would ever resurface. There were thoughts that had gone unsaid, so many regrets and misunderstandings.Matters that had been left unresolved. But last night they made confessions—real ones.
He wasn’t blaming her anymore. He was just giving voice to what had lingered in his mind for years, and she spoke her truths too.
She had hurt him in the worst way, and between the shots he’d plainly said it without anger. He told her he’d only gotten involved with Jen in a desperate attempt to stop thinking about her, to move on with his life. But it hadn’t worked. Yes, Jen had been easy to be with, listening to him without judgment. She filled a void. But eventually the comparisons crept in. He realized he was measuring Jen against someone she could never be.
“I thought I could replace you with her,” he’d said. “But there was no chance of that happening. You really are one of a kind.”
Bianca hadn’t said anything right away. She let his words, his honesty, press against her chest. She’d never stopped carrying her own guilt, and she told him so. She admitted to him that she still loved him—deeply. That for years she’d secretly held on to hope that they would reconcile.
They’d talked through it all, and then there was nothing more to be said.
Now she slipped from the bed, wrapped her naked body in a robe, and made her way to the kitchen, her bare feet tiptoeing down the hall against the hardwood floors.
She answered the phone quietly, her voice still hoarse from drinking. “Hello.”
“Good morning, Bianca. Dr. Lee here.” The voice on the other end was cheerful. “I have the results of your imaging test.”
Bianca tried to compose herself as much as possible. “And?” she asked.
“Unfortunately, there’s really been no change since ourlast testing. There has been no further shrinking of the tumors.” She paused. “But they haven’t expanded either. No new growth.”
“Okay,” Bianca said softly.
Dr. Lee, sensing her pause, said, “So, I guess that’s both good and bad. We’ll just continue to monitor them regularly.”
“Okay; thank you, Dr. Lee.” Bianca stood. “Thank you for calling.”
“You’re welcome, Bianca. Have a great rest of your day.”
“You do the same.”
Bianca slipped into the bathroom, stared at her face in the mirror. She brushed her teeth and washed her face. Then she slid her fingers through her soft, dark curls. She opened the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol, emptied two pills into her hand to ease the headache she felt coming on.
She tiptoed back to the kitchen and poured herself a small glass of orange juice. She popped the pills into her mouth and let them slide to the back of her throat. She moved to the couch and allowed her body to slowly sink into the cushions—let the Tylenol settle and closed her eyes as the pain started to leave.
Thoughts of last night’s intimacy with Harry caused a light smile to creep into the corners of her mouth. He had kissed her aggressively, with urgency. She liked it that way—intense. Back in the day, she’d taught him how to love her. She didn’t want him to be gentle with her—she wasn’t fragile or breakable. She wanted passion. Life was meant to be lived fully, fiercely, and not half-assed. Lovemaking with them had always been vigorous, energetic. And last night had been no different.
She couldn’t believe he’d actually shown up in Napa andthen driven her to Bodega Bay last night. She’d half teased him about coming to California, half hoped he would. Still, his unannounced appearance at Remi’s wine tasting had stunned her. And at the same time it made her heart happy. Seeing his face in that moment felt like grace, like God was giving her a second chance at life—to breathe and love again. This time she wouldn’t mess it up. She’d cherish each moment, just like Dr. Lee said.
She pulled herself together enough to make it to the kitchen. The hardwood floor felt cold against her bare feet. She laid strips of bacon on a baking sheet and slid them into the oven, then moved to the stove to scramble some eggs. Sliced potatoes sizzled in a skillet with onions, bell peppers, and garlic. The scent of it all was sure to wake up Harry.
She was focused on the eggs when he slid up behind her, his body warm against hers, wrapping his arms around her waist. He gently kissed the back of her neck, nibbled her ear.
“Good morning,” she said without turning around.
“Good morning,” he whispered in her ear.
He walked over to the window, wearing nothing more than a pair of boxers.
“Last night was …” he started, and then turned to face her.
“Amazing?” she asked.
“Yes.” He grinned. “I also learned some things I didn’t know.”
“Like?”