29. Mia
29
MIA
The back porch of my almost-finished house has become my favorite place to unwind. Even though the construction work on Theo’s property can sometimes be loud and annoying, it’s a lot quieter after dinner. My back porch is out of the sun, and it seems like the world slows down back here.
Tonight, it’s the perfect setting for dinner with Theo. The sun is setting, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. The twinkling fairy lights I hung up last week add to the cozy atmosphere. Lightning bugs are starting to come out, flying close to me and adding to the serene atmosphere.
Theo arrives with a bottle of wine and a couple of takeout bags from an Italian place. It turns out I can get tired of seafood. He settles into the other rocking chair, the small drink table between us. “I can’t believe that picture you sent me yesterday. This place is really coming together.”
“Don’t tell me you’re about to sit down with dinner without kissing me,” I tell him, half-teasing but also half-serious.
“Never,” Theo responds, pushing himself back up to his feet. He gives me a sheepish smile. Then, he bends down and presses a kiss to my lips.
It’s been a week since we started officially dating, and I can’t spend enough time with him. Zoey texted me three times in a row to make sure I was okay, but I just kept forgetting to respond to her. When I finally responded to her, she answered immediately, telling her that she and Madison had been worried sick about me.
I haven’t told the Spinsters Society that I might not be a spinster after all, but I don’t want to share the news just yet. I don’t know why, but I feel like some things might be too good to be true.
“And thank you for the food, Theo, and the compliment. I think the place is turning out really well. I really only have a few finishing touches to put together, then I want to complete the listing.” I reply, smiling as I take the bags from him and set them on the table.
We settle into our chairs, and I pour us each a glass of wine. “To new beginnings,” I toast, raising my glass.
“To new beginnings,” he echoes, clinking his glass with mine.
As we dig into the food, we talk about our days.
“The resort is coming along nicely. Building A is completely ready. Even the furniture has been moved into all the rooms.”
“I saw the moving trucks. They had, like, three lines up here on the street. How many rooms does it have anyway?”
“There are only eighteen in Building A because it also has the amenities. Building B has more.”
“Well, that was a lot of furniture. I just kept watching it come out of the truck, more and more.”
“I thought you were hard at work in here. Turns out, you’re just sitting at the window watching my contractors.”
I laugh and grab another bite of lasagna. “I’m not watching them . I’m watching you . Clearly.”
Theo and I smile at each other over the rims of our wine glasses. I truly feel like a flirt, but Theo brings it out in me. And I kind of don’t mind letting go and just being who I want to be.
“What about you? Have you actually been able to work or just watch me?”
“I’ve been working . The turtle bedroom is finished now, too. I didn’t even have time to send you a picture of that one.”
“You didn’t have time because you were busy watching me.”
“Stop with that already!” I shove his knee with mine, but Theo’s eyes just twinkle back at me.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you, but I found something the other day that I thought you might find interesting. I brought it because…I wanted to share it with you.”
“Oh?” I say, curious. “What is it?”
He reaches into his bag and pulls out an old photograph. It’s slightly worn around the edges, but the image is clear: a group of teenagers, including a younger Theo, standing in front of our high school. They’re all holding up a trophy and smiling.
“This was from our senior year. The state championships. Remember?”
I take the photo from him, a rush of nostalgia washing over me. “Of course I remember. That was such a big deal back then. It was like whoever won the math whiz competition was going to be king of the world. Even though we weren’t together at that point, I was cheering you on.”
Theo smiles, a hint of wistfulness in his eyes. “I found this while going through some old boxes. I thought you might like to see it.”
“Was it tucked away with some other things? Things you left here?”
“Yes, I’ve…been going through some old things.”
“Why?” I want to hear Theo say it, that having me back here has made him think about the past more. I know it’s true for me at least.
“You…make me wonder if I made a mistake. What if I missed ten years we could have had together?”
I look at the faces in the photo, some of them familiar, others blurred by time. “I guess we will never know. We can’t know, so thinking about it… It won’t change anything.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right, but it made me feel nostalgic. Anyway, I was a nerd back then.”
“Back then? You’re still a nerd. You turned your love of numbers into a real estate investment business. That classifies as nerdy.”
“Well, you must be at least a little nerdy because you like me.”
“Do I? Or do I just put up with you because you bring good takeout?”
Theo stands up and leans over my chair, bracing himself on the arms of it. “I think the way you groan when we’re having sex says something about why you like me, yes?” Then, he leans down and gives me a lingering kiss. I can feel my panties getting wet from his words and his kiss.
But he pulls back too soon. He settles into his rocking chair with a self-satisfied smile on his face. “Just remember that I was your first boyfriend, and now, I’m going to be your last.”
His words remind me of something my grandmother wrote in one of her letters. I get up and go inside for a moment, returning with an old letter from my grandmother that I had found in one of the boxes. I hand it to Theo.
“You just made me think of this. I found some letters my grandmother wrote. They were letters to my grandpa. I don’t have his replies, but reading through them reminded me of… well, you’ll see.”
Theo takes the letter and starts to read. As he does, I watch his face soften, his eyes moving over the familiar handwriting. When he finishes, he looks up at me, his expression filled with some sort of admiration.
“She had a way with words. It’s clear how much she loved this place, and your grandpa.”
I swallow around the lump in my throat. “She did. She always talked about how important it was to cherish our roots and the places that shape us.”
“She was right,” Theo says, reaching out to take my hand. “And you’re doing exactly that. Look at what you’ve done with this place. If that’s not cherishing your roots, I don’t know what is.”
We sit there, holding hands, as the night settles in around us. The breeze from the ocean gets cooler as we find topic after topic to discuss. Who knew I would feel so open with Theo after such a short time?
“Do you see yourself living here forever?” Theo finally asks. “I mean, I know you want the bed and breakfast, but do you see yourself always running it, or are you going to hire someone?”
“You know, I haven’t thought it out that far. I’m just trying to generate some revenue after leaving my job to revamp this house. I would feel disappointed if I’m not able to get any guests. But would I have enough to pay someone a decent wage to live here and take care of the place?”
“You could find a college student for the summers. They would get to live at the beach for three months, and you would get a break. And in the fall and spring, you would have some guests, but not be full all the time. It could give you a chance to travel and see other places.”
“Thank you for planning out my whole life, Theo,” I tell him somewhat sarcastically, but I’m also worried that Theo thinks because we are together now that he can make decisions for me. I’m trying to forget the fact that he was so pushy about me selling the house at the beginning, but I can’t help it. Doubts crowd my mind.
Theo’s phone rings, and he takes it out of his pocket. I watch as he stares at the screen for a moment before shaking his head. “I’ve got to take this. It’s my partner. I’ll be back in a second, yeah?”
I release Theo’s hand, and he disappears down the porch steps and partway into the yard as he answers. I stare off in the direction of the beach and try not to listen to his half of the conversation.