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Katherine studied her reflection as if a stranger were staring back at her. Of course, nothing about her outward appearance had changed. She was still the same person. Yet somehow, she wasn’t. Something in her eyes and the warmth of her complexion had her doing a double take.

In her youth, she’d heard that being in love made you glow, but she dismissed the notion as ridiculous. Nevertheless, staring at herself in the bathroom mirror with butterflies in her tummy and contentment in her heart, she just might be a believer. Because being around Matthew was good medicine, and it showed.

Smiling at the mere thought of him, Katherine searched for and found the spare toothbrushes Matthew had told her about.

“I guess Julia didn’t like pink,” she said, almost hating herself for the flippant remark. Slumping down on the edge of the bathtub, holding one of the brushes in her hand, Katherine started to doubt if it was really okay for her to be there. Maybe she’d been too caught up in the moment and those incredible kisses to make the best decision. Maybe the right thing wouldbe for her to leave and let go of the fantasy she’d built up in her mind.

She didn’t know how long she’d been sitting there staring at the pink toothbrush in her hand, fighting back tears of uncertainty, when Matthew tapped on the door.

“Katie… is everything okay?”

Katherine didn’t hesitate, she went to the door and yanked it open. Her eyes filled with tears and regret.

“What’s wrong?” Matthew asked at the sight of her pained expression. But Katherine couldn’t speak. She tried but didn’t know what to say, and her gaze fell away in shame.

“Look at me, Katie,” he said, his tone on the edge of demanding. “Look at me and tell me what happened.”

But she shook her head, afraid to lift her face and meet his gaze.

“Please,” he pleaded in a much softer tone. “You’re scaring me.”

When Katherine heard the worry in Matthew’s voice, she lifted her head and looked at him. “Are you sure I should be here?”

“I want you here.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

“Why are you asking? What’s changed in the last five minutes?”

“This.” Katherine held up the pink toothbrush. “As crazy as it sounds, this made me wonder if I should be ashamed to be here.”

“There’s no reason for you to feel ashamed.”

“How can I not?”

“Because we didn’t do anything wrong. Besides, how long is long enough before we can see where this goes?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never been in a situation like this before. I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel or what I’m supposed to think or what’s the right way to do this.”

“Well, I don’t know either. I guess it’s something we have to figure out for ourselves.”

“I don’t wanna feel like we’re always walking on eggshells. Afraid to make the wrong move. Or worried what people will think.”

“I don’t want that either. But like any other relationship, this is going to take time. We’re not coming into this without baggage or hang-ups. And of course, it would be great if our situation was a little less complicated, but it’s not.”

“No, it’s not.” Katherine frowned. “But I wish it were.”

“So do I,” Matthew admitted, his expression matching Katherine’s. “Going down the hall just now, there was a brief moment when I worried about the floorboards creaking and upsetting Julia. That’s the kind of stuff that won’t just go away automatically. Wounds take time to heal.”

“Well, I just wondered why she didn’t like pink,” Katherine said, holding up the toothbrush. “Who doesn’t like pink? I mean, come on, we’re girls. We’re conditioned from birth to like pink.”

“It wasn’t the color. It was her thinking a simple no-frills brush wasn’t good enough. Just likeIwasn’t good enough.”

“But that’s just it. You were good enough. She was just too blind to see it.”

Matthew smiled, pulling Katherine into his arms. “You’re amazing, Katie. I hope you know that. And I’m sorry we have to start with so much hanging over our heads.”

“No,I’msorry,” she said. “I’ve brought my own baggage into this.”