Throw Away the Key

Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Emma stood to her feet. “Do you want to come in for a cup of coffee? There's no expectations for anything at all tonight. We could just keep talking?”

Sadie nodded. “Yeah, that sounds nice.” She was still holding Coco in her arms as she stood. She stooped back down to reach for one of Emma's shopping bags. “What all did you buy this dog? She's barely ten pounds.”

“Oh, I think she's like 8 pounds. She’s just a baby!”

“Okay, that's not exactly a big distinction.”

Emma chuckled. “Yeah, okay, you might be right there. I just felt like Coco is a fancy girl, so she needs all the things. She’s gonna be here for at least a month, if not more.” She unlocked the door and let them in, kicking off her shoes before dropping the dog crate and some of her bags on the kitchen counter. “Here, I'll take that bag from you.”

Sadie closed the front door and unhooked Coco's leash from her harness, setting her on the floor. Coco's tail wagged as she sniffed the area rugs and the furniture.

“Is coffee okay or do you want tea?”

“Um, I'll have whatever you're having.”

Emma turned into the kitchen and washed her hands. “I’m feeling like having a matcha latte. Are you good with oat milk?”

“Yeah, that's perfect.”

Emma set to work. As she waited for her kettle to come to a boil, she began to unpack the supplies from their shopping bags. She set a fuzzy dog bed on the floor in front of a bookshelf. Coco ran up to it, sniffing around its sides before climbing into it, circling twice and laying down. “She likes it!” Emma squealed. “Oh, that makes me so happy. I was looking at this blue one and then there was a bright pink one, but something just told me to pick this brown and cream one. It felt like it just went with the furniture better.”

“You know she probably wouldn’t have seen some of the color anyway, right?” Sadie asked, her lips twitching in amusement.

“She could have special abilities,” Emma shrugged, pouting slightly.

Sadie shook her head and burst out laughing, wiping the corners of her eyes. “What else did you get?”

Emma showed her bags of treats and different toys. Pet shampoo and special dog food that she purchased.

As the kettle came to a boil, Emma set it aside and pulled a container of matcha powder out of the fridge. She scooped the bright green powder into a tea bowl and poured hot water over the top, whisking carefully before distributing the tea into two mugs. She poured oat milk into a frother. “These things are so convenient. Makes me feel like a barista.”

“It really is the little things, isn't it?” Sadie laughed.

“Yeah.” As she poured the milk and picked up the mugs, she gestured towards the couch and Sadie followed. She grew pensive. “You know, you're not the only person that deals with feelings of abandonment. I haven't been in a serious relationship in a long time, and it's because my last real relationship was my first one with a woman. I was head over heels, and I don’t know if it was a timing thing or what, but she decided to end things pretty abruptly. I was heartbroken, and for a long time, I’ve been afraid to open myself up or to even consider the possibility of getting serious with anyone.

“And so, for the last several years, I've had kind of a dating rotation. I've been dating a handful of guys–each one basically filling a different space. I don’t know, it feels like most of the guys that I've met in DC are so unserious when it comes to monogamy, so I didn’t want to put myself in a position where I could catch feelings.”

Sadie nodded. “Yeah. Some of my friends say similar things.”

“To be honest, I didn't want to get involved with a woman again until I was ready to fall in love,” Emma shrugged, taking a sip of her latte.

“So are you saying that means that you're now at a point where you're ready?” Sadie searched Emma's face, her expression unreadable.

Emma nodded slowly. “I think so. I may already be there. I know that I’m ready to work at something–to build with someone. But that doesn't mean that I want you to feel pressured or anything like that–you don’t have to change anything about how you move. We can take things slow.”

Sadie suppressed a chuckle. “You know,” she put her arm around Emma's shoulder, “slow really hasn't been our style so far.”

Emma giggled. “It really hasn't.” They sat in comfortable silence, relief washing over Emma as she melted into the couch next to Sadie. “I’d really like it if you slept here tonight.”

Sadie intertwined her fingers with Emma’s, lifting their hands to press her lips against Emma’s knuckles. “I’d like that too.”

Emma’s heart swelled as she leaned in to kiss Sadie softly. “No more walking away without an explanation. Okay?”

Sadie sighed contentedly, pressing her forehead against Emma’s. “Promise.”

After they finished their lattes, they checked on Coco, who was still curled up in her bed and fast asleep. Sadie followed Emma into the bedroom. “It’s like Coco knew it’s been a long day,” she laughed.

“Do you want some pajamas?” Emma asked.

“What do you wear for pajamas?”

Emma shrugged. “Could be anything from sweats to a negligee to nothing, honestly. It just depends on the mood I'm in.”

Sadie nodded. “How about a pair of sweats and a tank top? I get cold at night.”

“That’s not likely to happen if you’re in bed with me. I’ve been told I radiate heat.” Emma dug into her closet, producing clothes for Sadie and changing into an oversized t-shirt. They climbed into bed, and Emma turned to spoon Sadie, wrapping her arm over Sadie's chest and pulling her close as she kissed her shoulder. Sadie shivered at the contact. “Get some sleep, babe,” Emma whispered, pressing her lips against Sadie's nape.

Sadie sighed as Emma held her, her breathing evened as she fell asleep. Emma smiled, nuzzling Sadie’s neck as she drifted off.