The Art of Falling in Love with Your Fake Fiancé: A small town closed door romantic comedy (Sweetkis

20. Georgie

TWENTY

The early morning sunlight streams into the first-floor apartment, casting a warm golden glow across the room. I’d woken up early, expecting the arrival of the Porter family. They’d decided over the weekend it would be best for them to use Levi’s Sweetkiss Creek apartment as their meeting place, or green room, before heading to the courthouse.

Once I manage to get Toto out of his bed and into the backyard, I pour myself a cup of coffee before heading to the living room to sit, sip, and wake up. The light dances through the sheer curtains I hung the other day, painting delicate patterns on the walls and floor. Every corner is illuminated by the morning sunlight, turning the space into a tranquil sanctuary. I’ve come to enjoy staying here over the past week, but based on the phone call I’d gotten yesterday, my days here are done. My landlord had been excited to let me know my place was ready and I could move back in this week, if I wanted to.

Outside, the world is awake and pumping. A small amount of traffic makes its way down the street, and a horn honks just outside, signaling one of the neighbors being picked up for work. The sounds of birds chirping fill the air, mingling with the soft rustle of…my door handle being jiggled back and forth over and over again.

There’s a knock at the door. I take a few long strides across the living room to open the door, finding Duncan on the other side of it grinning up at me.

He holds up a paper bag in front of him. “We brought donuts.”

“I like donuts,” I say, taking the bag from his outstretched hand as he trots past me. Mary marches up the steps, a tight smile stretched across stressed features, with Austin right behind her, both of them sipping coffee in to-go cups.

“Good morning,” she says, kissing my cheek as she makes her way past. “Sorry for this early morning intrusion.”

“It’s a big day,” I say as I turn and wait for Levi to lock the doors of his SUV. Swinging a garment bag over his shoulder, he jogs over and takes the steps two at a time to come up to greet me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me in tight to his chest as he does.

Even in this moment where his and Duncan’s future hangs in such delicate balance, I know inside of me with all my heart that I am in love with this man. Forget the falling part, I’ve already face-planted. I’m his.

His smell has changed; today’s cologne makes me think of clean sheets in the wind, hanging outside on a summer afternoon. There’s a note of coffee and peppermint, but that comes when he brushes his lips across mine.

“Hey,” he whispers, pressing his forehead against mine and closing his eyes. “You sleep okay?”

Nodding, I kiss the tip of his nose. “Thank you for not being mad about yesterday.”

He pulls away and treats me to a half-smile. “You were trying to solve the problem. I can’t be mad at you for that.” He nods toward the house. “I should get Duncan dressed and ready for court.”

I follow him as he goes inside, grabbing Duncan as we head to the back bedroom. I’d already showered and dressed, clearing the path in case anyone needed the bathroom. However, when I look closer at Levi and Duncan, they’re both already in their suits.

“I thought you were using this place as your staging area today?” I picked up the garment bag. “What’s in here?”

Levi unzips it and pulls out their jackets and a couple of matching ties. This small gesture brings a smile to my face, and to Duncan’s.

“You got me a tie like yours?” he asks, beaming.

“Of course,” Levi responds, putting the tie around Duncan’s neck. I watch as he threads the material and loops it through, his hands deftly moving as if they’ve done this a million times before. The tie, a deep navy blue, contrasts beautifully against Duncan’s crisp white shirt, adding a touch of sophistication to his already handsome, and quite grown up, appearance.

Levi adjusts the knot with practiced ease, his fingers brushing against Duncan’s collar in a way that’s both parental and casual.

“Will you teach me how to do this one day?” Duncan inquires as Levi steps back to admire his handiwork.

Levi shoots me a look, his eyes a bit woeful. “I hope so, buddy.”

It only takes him another second before he puts the finishing touches on Duncan’s tie and hands him his jacket. Levi looks at his watch. “It’s eight o’clock now. We’ve got a few more minutes before we have to leave and meet Buzz, so if you’re going to have a donut, get one now from Austin, okay? But nothing with powdered sugar.”

Duncan nods before zipping out the bedroom door, small little boy feet flying down the hallway at the mere mention of sugar. There’s a bittersweet knock at my heart as I turn around to see what Levi’s doing and find him standing and facing the bedroom mirror, his own hands shaking, struggling with his own tie mere seconds after taking care of Duncan’s.

“Here,” I say, stepping in front of him and taking the tie from his hands. The weight of the day and the gravity of what’s about to happen must be hitting home for him. This is one thing I can do to help. “Let me. Being in foster home after foster home, you end up having a lot of ‘brothers’ who need help, always, with their ties.”

“So you come with experience.” He tries joking, but without a smile or laughter in your voice can it be considered one?

It’s my turn to fold the fabric over, looping it around and making the knot tight but not too tight so we can adjust as needed. The hint of coffee and peppermint is back, his breath warm as he stands here and takes deep breaths, trying to calm himself. I wish I could help, and make his pain my own, but I can’t.

Stepping back, I admire my work, like Monet or Degas must have done when they’d finish a masterpiece. Only Levi is his own masterpiece, really; I’m just the lucky girl who got to call him my fiancé for a brief, if not insane, moment in time.

As I smooth his tie and help him put on his jacket, there’s a knock at the front door.

“Grab it, Austin?” Levi calls out before he looks at me with an odd expression. “You’re not expecting anyone right now, are you?”

I shake my head. “At this hour? No way.”

We both pause, ears to the door listening to garbled conversation as it floats down the hallway to the back of the place. A moment later, the clicking sound of Mary’s heels on the hardwood floor as she makes her way back to where we’re lurking breaks our silence.

“Hey,” she says, stepping into the bedroom. She has her eyes on me but drags them to Levi. “Someone is at the door for you.”

Levi starts to follow her, turning around and grabbing my hand as he does.

“Come with me?” He kisses the back of my hand. “I need you to be by my side for all of this today.”

“You got it.” I point to the door. “You lead?”

We walk in silence to the front, not sure who could be waiting to see Levi. I can tell you this much, I am not expecting to see Lorna when we walk into the living room, but there she is, standing and clutching the side of the front door. Her face looks as if it’s been pulled tight in the same way Mary’s does. It’s the look of a mother who wants to help her children, but can’t.

“Glad you’re here.” She looks at me, nodding a hello. “Can I talk to you for a minute outside, Levi?”

“Of course,” he says as he goes outside, his hand still clutching mine. As we walk down the steps to the sidewalk with Lorna, she turns around and puts her purse on the ground.

“I came to say a few things before this morning unfolds.” She’s nervous today, I can tell by the way she fidgets with her hands. It’s not something I’ve ever seen her do before.

She looks at me first, taking me by surprise. “Thank you for tricking me yesterday. It’s something most people would never do. I’ve got to say, I didn’t think it was a smart move until I left here and was home replaying the meeting, and like I told Levi, it took some guts to do what you did.”

“Thanks?” I manage, unsure what to say here.

Lorna chuckles. “I know it’s an odd way to show gratitude, but what you did is show me how much you care about Duncan in that one move. You were willing to risk upsetting Levi by forcing us to talk about Duncan’s future and welfare.” She then does something I’m for sure not prepared for: she reaches out and takes my hand and smiles at me. With genuine warmth and appreciation. “What you did yesterday was the most motherly move of all, and I wanted you to know that I see you.”

I’m stunned. Shocked. Flabbergasted and silenced. I want to cry and hug her because I feel like I know where this might be going, but I’m too scared to move. Instead, I squeeze her hand before she pulls it away and turns her attention to the hulk of a man beside me.

“I’m dropping the case.” Sighing, she clasps her hands in front of her while Levi’s jaw goes slack.

“You are?” he asks, excitement in his voice.

“I can’t do it anymore. Not when it’s for all the wrong reasons.” Her eyes meet mine. “You helped me see that, Georgie. I’ve been fighting for something I’ll never get back, and I need to deal with that on my own.”

No one says a word. I’m afraid to breathe, to even disturb the force at this very moment.

“I would ask you if you’re sure, Lorna, but I want this to be over too badly,” Levi says, honestly, after a moment. “I guess what I should say is thank you.”

She smiles at Levi, taking both of his hands into her own. “No, thank you for dealing with a crazy woman who needs some time to grieve. I do plan on taking you up on the offer to be together as much as we can as a family, though—”

“Are you kidding? Of course!” Levi says, pulling her in for a hug. “I cannot imagine anything better than for Duncan to have the best of everything, and we can give him that.”

As he releases Lorna from his embrace, she looks back at me once more. “I know we can. All of us. That is one very lucky young man.”

“He is,” I say, looking back over my shoulder. I half expect to see a small crowd gathered at the window, but no one’s there. Guess they’re not as nosy as I would be if it was me.

“Okay, then,” Lorna says, picking up her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. “I’m sure Buzz will be calling you soon to let you know you don’t have to go to court. I already called my lawyer on the way over here. You should go, celebrate, and ring in your new beginning.”

She looks at us, sadness etched on her features as she fights through a smile, turning on her heel to walk away. Levi grasps my hand again, threading his fingers through mine as I look at him, my eyes silently pleading. I’m sending him a message, so I hope he can read my mind.

“Lorna,” I called out, letting go of his hand so I could jog a few steps to meet her. “We probably will go celebrate and have breakfast somewhere, but you should join us. Right, Levi?”

When I turn around, Levi’s already nodding in agreement. “I most certainly do. I think that we should start a tradition today for a weekly family meal.” He wraps an arm around my shoulders as I let those words sink in.

He means it for me, too. Not just for Duncan. Not for Lorna. For us.

Family.

Lorna’s eyes bounce back and forth between us before she bursts out into tears, covering her face with her hands. Instinct tells me to give her a moment, so I do. In a few seconds, she puts her hands down and is laughing through her tears.

“Yes! Yes, I’d love to go to breakfast and I’d love to make this a weekly tradition.” She digs in her purse, pulling out a wad of tissues to dab at her cheeks.

“Well, follow me, then,” Levi says as he steps forward and takes her hand. “Let’s go inside and get the others. We’ll let Duncan pick the place.”

I stay on the street, watching as Levi and Lorna go back up the steps and inside the apartment. This is a moment I want to sear into my memory banks for always so I can tell Duncan about it one day. How his grandmother and Levi made peace in order to give him the life he deserves.

How they became a family.

“Hey,” Levi calls out, gripping the door handle still. “We need you in here.”

“Really?” I ask. I make my way up the steps as Duncan appears in the doorway beside him.

“I need you,” Duncan says, pointing to his tie, which has already come untangled. “Austin messed my tie up, but Levi says you know how to fix it.”

Grinning, I hold my hands out to my side. “Guilty as charged, I”m good at tying ties.”

Duncan giggles. “Tying ties. That’s going to be the title of the first book I write.”

“Is it?” I say, smiling over his head at Levi. “I like that. I can see you being an author.”

Levi ruffles his hair, a move I love watching him do. “Okay, buddy, let’s get the family together and get some food, okay?”

Duncan nods, his eyes still trained on me. “You heard him. Come on, Georgie, I need to get the family together.”

My heart hiccups in a way that I’m not comprehending. As Duncan holds his hand out for me to take, and I do, I’m hit by a wall of emotion and overwhelm.

Family. Even Duncan sees me as family, and it’s more than reciprocated. I feel this in my bones as pure and solid as the Earth is round and rotating in a circle, orbiting the sun.

I don’t care what else there is to this life. This moment of acceptance is all I’ve ever needed.

Ever.