Chapter 34
CHAPTER 34
C lara
I stopped at the cafe on the way to work. Jen was already waiting for me at her favorite table in the back near the counter. She waved when I walked in.
I hopped up to the table and sat down, practically bouncing in my seat. I rested my arms on the table and leaned against them. But I couldn't stop my legs from shaking. My happiness was overflowing.
“Wow, did you already get caffeine?” she teased. “Maybe I should tell them to cancel your order. We don't want you bouncing into another dimension.”
I shook my head. “Nah, it's not caffeine.”
“Did you take a new vitamin or something?”
“Nope.”
“Alright, spill it. Don't keep me waiting.”
I grinned ear-to-ear. “You must have a joking gene in your family or something.”
“I don't know what you're talking about.”
I stared at her, confused. “Levon didn't tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“Oh, wow. You two are supposed to be close.”
She laughed. “Come on, Clara! You know I've been busy with the new house and new husband. Stop keeping me on my toes. I want to know!”
“We're moving in together.”
“Oh, my God.” She took my hands. “Clara!”
“I know, right? It's about damn time.”
“I can't believe he never mentioned it. What a dork! I'll have to tease him about it later. When did this happen? What did I miss? Details, woman—give me details!”
I laughed. “We just had such a good weekend together and then we went out to dinner last night where he told me about how he took a new position at his job.”
“What new position?”
“It's a domestic position. He won't be traveling internationally anymore.”
Her eyes widened. “Wow, I never thought he would give up that lavish living.”
“Well, he did. And I'm positive he did it for me.”
“Of course, he did it for you, sweetie! That boy loves you more than I love cake. It's just too obvious. And I couldn't be happier that you two are taking the next step.”
“It's really getting me thinking about everything.”
“I bet. It's pretty fast.”
I laughed. “You sound like my sister.”
“Maybe I'm practicing for the day I get to be your sister-in-law.”
“One can only hope.”
She winked. “I think it will happen one day.”
“Don't put ideas in my head. I've already been spinning about the future.”
“I think it's okay to want those things. Heck, I wanted them with Ryan. I was more than happy when they finally came true.”
“And how's that been going?”
She smiled warmly. “He's such a sweet man. I swear, I've never met a guy who was so in tune with his emotions. He really doesn't hide anything from me.”
“I'm so glad to hear it, Jen. You deserve to be happy.”
“And so do you.” She squeezed my hands. “When is he going to be moving in?”
“Soon. I think he's going to start packing up this week.”
“He doesn't have much, so that shouldn't be too difficult.”
I giggled. “As long as he's not planning on bringing his childhood bedroom with him, we're totally good on space.”
“And you're a decorator. I know you know how to capitalize on space.”
“I've got a million space-saving ideas. And if this works out, we can always find a bigger spot.”
She smiled. “I'm so happy, sweetie. This is just the best news I could have gotten this morning.”
“I'm happy, too. When Levon came back into town, it complicated things, but in a really good way. It really made me think.”
She nodded.
“Gabe and I were always meant to be friends. I love him like a brother and I've always wanted the best for him. I think he feels the same about me.”
“I think so, too.”
“When he took that job in New York, it was just confirmation that we weren't meant to be together as a couple. It just made sense in that moment. Everything led up to that moment and it just woke me right up.”
She nodded. “I believe it.”
“Everything was complicated and blurry at first, but Levon has made things clear. I can finally see what I want. And I want him.”
“This is wonderful news.”
“The one thing I'm sure about in my life is Levon.”
She giggled. “Okay, I think you're talking my brother up a little too much.”
“I don't mean to. I'm just so excited. He means everything to me.”
“I know he's a great guy. Heck, I grew up with him.”
“You two used to wrestle.”
She cackled. “Yep! We used to do that all the time, but he would always let me win.”
“He used to tell me the stories about it.”
“He was such a good brother. I know he'll make a great family man.”
I smiled warmly. “I hope he wants a family of his own one day. He never used to want that. I've been thinking about that a lot lately.”
She firmly squeezed my hands as her name was called at the counter. She whispered, “He will want a family.”
I smiled as she collected our drinks. She handed me my coffee and I sipped it carefully, humming as the warm liquid hit my stomach. It perked me up. I leaned forward and listened to Jen talk about the new house and how it was coming along. She was describing the decorations she wanted to hang up but I was admittedly a million miles away.
I hope Jen is right , I thought with excitement. I hope he wants a family of his own. That would really be the icing on the cake for me.
I smiled at Jen, trying to keep up. She was spilling more information than I could absorb. I sipped my coffee and let my eyes close to focus on her words.
“But the egg shell white isn't as appealing as the cream. What do you think?”
“For what?” I opened my eyes and found her staring at me. “What?”
“You totally zoned out, didn't you?”
“A little bit.”
She laughed. “I'm talking about the bathroom.”
I nodded. “Then, definitely the cream.”
“See? This is why I trust your advice. You know what you're talking about.”
“I hardly spoke at all!”
She giggled. “I know. You were probably thinking about my brother.”
“I mean, maybe a little bit.”
She shook her head and lifted her coffee. “You should come by sometime to see the place. I could use your eyes to help me fix up the inside.”
“I'd love to do that.”
* * *
My phone chimed as I drove back to work. After I parked in front of my office, I pulled my phone from my purse. I noticed a text from Gabe in our friend's group chat. I opened the message and found a picture of his office.
I marveled at the sight. It looked like it towered above the city with a view fit for a king. I almost envied how the view encompassed all of downtown. The text below the picture outlined how much he loved New York and that everything was going great.
I smiled at my phone.
I sighed and glanced at my office. It felt like home here. I knew I wouldn't have reacted well to moving. Nothing could have gotten me to leave—not even someone as handsome and intelligent as Gabe. It just wasn't meant to be and I had accepted that. I knew he accepted it, too.
I held up my phone again and opened a fresh text.
“It makes me happy that you're happy,” I wrote. “You should know that.”
I watched the three dots appear at the bottom of the screen, indicating that he was typing.
He replied, “That makes me happy, too!”
“I guess we're just in a cycle of happy!”
“How are things back home?”
I smiled at my phone again. “Everything has been going well. Levon is moving in with me and my business has been booming. Everybody wants me to plan their parties.”
“Wow, moving in already?”
I rolled my eyes. “Aren't you supposed to be at work right now?”
“I was on my break. I just wanted to share my view with you guys.”
“Well, I'm glad you did. It looks amazing.”
“Maybe you could come visit sometime!”
I laughed. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
He sent me a laughing face and then added, “Some things never change.”
“But some things do change. I never wanted to hurt you with the breakup, Gabe. I hope you know that.”
“I know, Clara.”
I nodded. “I just knew you weren't going to commit. But I've come to terms with that.”
“I think we both have.”
“I'll be sure to send you pictures of the view from my office next.”
I giggled as I read his response: “You're such a dork!”
I set my phone down as I looked at my office again.
Yeah , I thought. This definitely is home for me.
I stepped out of my car, taking my purse and my coffee with me. I unlocked my office and walked inside, inhaling the faded scent of vanilla. I walked over to the candle I had used the day before and lit it again, delighting in the wonderful aroma that filled the room. I went to my desk and set down my purse.
When I sat down, I heard my phone chime again.
I checked my phone and found a text from Levon.
It read, “Can't wait to live with you!”
I smiled and bit my lower lip. I set my phone on my desk and powered up my laptop, aiming to check my emails for the day. It was hard to focus when I knew Levon would soon be with me. And everyone seemed happy for us. It made my heart flutter to think we were about to live happily ever after.
As I focused on work emails, I picked up a decent pace. I went through a few party planning sheets as I wrote down what a few new clients wanted for their parties. I plucked my folder from beneath my desk and started organizing the tabs, applying fresh ones for the new client requests. Once they were organized, I went through the sheets to tally up their totals.
I opened each email to reply with their quotes. I clicked away and didn't mind the chiming of my phone. It was probably the group chat with my friends commending Gabe for his new job. I smiled at the thought of their support. Although we had plenty of drama in our group through the years, we still remained relatively close. I was more than lucky to call them friends.
And I was more than lucky to call Levon mine.
Fresh thoughts sprang up in my brain about how our home would look. I could put that fireplace to use and decorate the mantel with our pictures. The excitement in my heart inspired my fingers to type with ease and my work emails were finished in nearly an hour.
One of my clients wanted me to decorate their wedding and organize the entire event. It would be a huge order with plenty of hours and I calculated the amount plus the fees that would be involved. Jen's wedding had been easy considering she knew what she wanted, but this bride was unsure. That meant I had to pull all the folders out and set them up on my desk.
I squinted at the email.
“Today?!” I gasped. “Well, I guess business never stops, right?”
I smiled as I checked my calendar. When I was sure I had an hour free, I replied to my client with the time and waited for confirmation. I brimmed with energy. Every ounce of happiness I felt translated into fuel for me to work. I was concerned that I would be distracted, but I was working better than usual.
And I didn't mind that it was because of Levon.