Epilogue
One Month Later
“Your daddy lasted all of two minutes with that secret,” Mama says through the phone, and I can’t help but laugh.
“I still can’t believe he told you.”
She lets out an amused huff.
“Sarah Eileen, that man has never kept a secret from me longer than he absolutely had to.”
I smile as I lean against the kitchen island, tucking the phone between my ear and shoulder while I absentmindedly straighten a stack of mail.
“I guess I should’ve known.”
“You should have.”
There’s a smile in her voice.
“He came inside after talking to Luca and said, ‘Well, I reckon I oughta tell you somethin’.’”
I laugh again.
“That sounds exactly like Daddy.”
A comfortable silence settles between us before she speaks again.
“So, have y’all picked a date yet?”
My smile fades.
“No.”
“No?”
I shake my head even though she can’t see me.
“I don’t want to.”
“Sweetheart...”
“I don’t.”
I look out the kitchen windows toward the backyard.
“Not until everything’s okay with Katie.”
Mama is quiet for a moment.
“It’ll be okay.”
“I don’t know if it will.”
“It will.”
I close my eyes.
“It’s been a month.”
“I know.”
“And she still won’t answer my calls.”
“I know.”
I swallow hard.
“I miss her.”
“I know you do.”
For a long moment, neither of us says anything. Finally, Mama breaks the silence.
“Sometimes the people we love need a little longer than we’d like.”
I nod to myself.
“I know.”
“Just keep loving her.”
“I will.”
“And let the rest work itself out.”
I let out a slow breath.
“I got accepted.”
Her voice brightens instantly.
“Oh, sweetheart.”
“I still can’t believe it.”
“You worked hard for it.”
A smile finds its way back onto my face.
“I start in January.”
“And you’re going to make one wonderful counselor.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so.”
The front door opens.
“I’ve gotta go,” I say. “Luca’s home.”
“Tell him we love him.”
“I will.”
“And, Sarah?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m proud of you.”
The lump in my throat returns.
“I love you, Mama.”
“I love you too.”
We hang up just as Luca walks into the kitchen. He loosens his tie as he crosses the room before slipping out of his suit jacket and draping it over one of the barstools. The second he reaches me, he cups my face and kisses me slowly.
“Hi, Baby Girl.”
“Hi.”
“How was your day?”
“Pretty good.”
A grin spreads across his face.
“I have a surprise for you.”
I narrow my eyes.
“What did you do?”
He chuckles.
“Come here.”
He takes my hand and leads me back toward the foyer.
“Luca...”
“Trust me.”
He stops just inside the garage door and bends to pick up a small cardboard box sitting beside the shoe rack.
“You left a box by the door?”
“I had a good reason.”
He carefully lifts the flaps and turns it toward me. Inside, curled up on an old towel, is the tiniest gray kitten I’ve ever seen.
I stare. The kitten blinks up at me with enormous blue eyes before letting out a tiny, raspy meow. My hand flies to my mouth.
“Luca...”
“I found her outside the grocery store.”
He looks down at the kitten before looking back at me.
“She kept following people through the parking lot.”
I don’t think before I reach into the box. The little kitten immediately climbs into my hands, purring the second I cradle her against my chest.
“Oh, honey.”
She presses her tiny face beneath my chin. I feel my eyes begin to sting.
“You were supposed to be buying groceries.”
“I did.”
“You came home with a cat.”
“I did.”
I laugh through the tears.
“You have absolutely no self-control.”
“None.”
He slips an arm around my waist, smiling as he watches the kitten settle against me.
“I couldn’t leave her there.”
I lean into him, still holding the tiny ball of gray fur against my chest. He kisses the top of my head before reaching down to scratch beneath the kitten’s tiny chin. She immediately starts purring louder, curling deeper into my arms like she’d already decided this was home.
“I think she likes you.”
“I fed her.”
I laugh, looking down at the tiny gray face tucked beneath my chin.
“What are we going to call you?”
Luca shrugs.
“I figured you’d decide.”
“You trust my judgment?”
“On cats?” He smiles. “Absolutely.”
I laugh.
The kitten lets out another tiny meow before stretching one little paw against my sweater. I scratch gently beneath her chin, and her purr somehow grows even louder.
“I think she’s already she likes me,” I say.
“She has good taste,” he grins.
I smile down at her, feeling the tiny vibration of her purr against my chest.
“Welcome home, sweetheart.”