Chapter Forty-Two
chapter forty-two
CAIO
“Ow!” May exclaims as she walks into the wall with boxes piled up in her arms.
We’re helping her move into Rosemary Cottage down by the water. It’s a little original cottage that Marina bought years ago. She’s been renting the two-bedroom place out for the last couple of years, but now that Isla is officially moving into my apartment with me, Marina offered it up for May to have her own place instead of sticking around in the hotel.
The cottage sits right on the edge of the hillside. Set in between big trees and lush surroundings, it really is the perfect little spot for May to get settled.
“Here,” I say, taking two of the boxes off the top of her stack.
“Thanks,” she says, dumping the remaining boxes on the wooden floor. “I think that’s most of it.”
“You’ve accumulated a lot of stuff over the last couple of months.”
“You should’ve seen the state of our dorm room,” Isla interrupts, walking in with yet another box of books. “It was really displaying that maximalist look.”
“I like to make the spaces I live in feel like mine, otherwise it just feels like another house or another room I’m staying in, but not like home,” May shrugs.
It reminds me of all the things that Isla has left around my place. Like the white wine in the fridge, or the blue blanket that now belongs on the back of the couch. I took her to Sorrento last week so that we could do some shopping for my place. I wanted her to feel like it was her home as well, not just my house that she’s staying in. So I get exactly what she’s saying.
May starts unpacking some of the boxes straight away, tucking knickknacks away on the multiple shelves against the cream walls. “You guys can go now; I think I’ve got it from here.”
Isla pulls her into a hug. “It’s going to be so weird not living together.”
“Yeah, I’d rather not be shacked up with you two.” Her eyebrows shoot to her hairline. “I value my beauty sleep.”
I chuckle as I wrap my arms around Isla’s shoulders, replacing May’s embrace with my own. I can’t resist touching her at any given moment.
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that she’s staying here. It’s like if I don’t hold on to her, she’ll slip away, and I’ll realize this was all just a fever dream.
“Oh, don’t you worry. I get plenty of rest,” Isla says.
“Okay, okay, get out,” May walks over pushing me from behind shoving us out the door.
“I’ll come visit soon, okay?” Isla yells out once we are out the door.
“Can’t wait to hear about how well rested you are,” May yells back.
I chuckle as I interlace my fingers with Isla’s in between us as we walk back to my car.
She sighs as she lays her head on my shoulder.
“What’s up, sweetheart?”
“Everything just feels so…right,” she smiles.
After surprising her with the gallery last week, Isla spent some time going through the offers on her artworks that I’d hung in the gallery. She’s got some cash coming in from some of the sales she’s made, but a few of the pieces she chose to keep for us to hang around the hotel. The pieces were some of her favorites that she couldn’t let go of but didn’t want to just leave sitting around the studio forever.
She’s been going through what she likes to call Nora’s archives and pulling out pieces every once and a while to display in the gallery alongside both of their new pieces. Isla doesn’t think they deserve to be collecting dust, and neither do the citizens of Ruby Cove, as a few of them have already found new homes.
Something else that’s found a new home is a gigantic cat bed that now permanently sits on my living room floor, just in case Marvin decides he wants a comfy cushion to lay his head on.
Isla’s words. Not mine.
I place a kiss atop her head in response as a motorbike rumbles to a stop in front of us.
“Is she already done in there?” Marina asks as she ruffles her hair before resting her helmet on her lap.
“Pretty much,” I say.
“I’m sure she would appreciate help with getting all of her five hundred books on her shelves though.” Isla smiles at my cousin, giving her a hug before making her way over to my car.
I smile at the sight of them. Isla has so easily become a part of my life, a part that isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. I’m still adjusting to the light feeling in my chest, devoid of the heavy doubt that used to sit there while I constantly wondered about our future.
She’s here.
She’s staying.
I still feel the need to pinch myself when I wake up with her in my arms every morning.
I’ve come to find a real balance in my new normal, splitting my time between work, the foundation, Isla, and our friends.
I’ve realized that I don’t need to be there for everything anymore. This hotel has been successfully running for years, and with Stefan around, I can relent some of my control. Allow others to help me and allow myself to enjoy my work again instead of it feeling like a weight I have to carry all by myself just to prove that I can.
“Where did you go?” Isla asks as we sit in my car, but I haven’t moved to turn it on.
“Just thinking about how everything feels so right.” I smile, and she treats me to my favorite view as she smiles back.
She twines her fingers with mine. “Come on then, let’s go do something else that feels so right.”