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Her mouth falls open, and she slaps a hand across it to muffle her squeal.

There’s childlike excitement on her face I’ve never seen before. “So you like her. She’s yours.”

“You arejoking! She’s mine?”

“Well, ours since I live here, too.” I turn the phone over again. “Look at that little heart on her stomach.”

“Ugh,” she groans. “That’s too much, my heart is going to explode. I can’t wait to snuggle her. What are we going to name her?”

“I don’t know. We’ll think on it when you get home.”

Her expression softens. “Thank you. I love you so much.”

The tenderness in her eyes makes me feel like the luckiest man on the planet. “I love you, too. And I fucking miss you.”

“Oh baby. I miss you, too. And I have good news. We got through the documents faster than we expected. I’m coming home tonight.”

“Great. What time?”

“I’ll text by noon to tell you the train time. But it’ll be the evening.”

“That’s great. I’ll make dinner.”

“I can’twaitto get home and eat your amazing dinner and smell you and sleep in our bed.” She closes her eyes and smiles. “Just the thought of it makes me happy.”

“Well, when you get home, I’ll make you even happier.”

“I’ll call you by noon. I can’t wait to talk.”

“Me, too. Text me your train time.”

I feel lighter than I have in days. We’re all right. The distance I perceived was my imagination. I reach down and scoop the kitten up and take a good look at her. She blinks at me, and her tiny pink tongue darts out as if to taste the air. She makes a tiny little yowl that turns into a yawn. It’s contagious, and I yawn, too.

“What am I going to call you?”

She looks at me and yawns again. And then she curls her tiny body around my hand.

My phone rings, and when I see Reece’s name on the screen, I answer.

“How’s my favorite asshole?” he says when I answer.

“Wondering why you called to ask that instead of texting.”

“Because it’s so much more fun to argue with you in real time.”

“I mean, isn’t it like 2 a.m. your time? Why are you awake?”

“I’m packing. I’ll be in London tomorrow. I’m only there for the night, and it’s last minute, but how about dinner? I want to meet the woman that’s turned you into Lord Byron.”

And the hits just keep coming.

“I’ll book a table at Anabel’s for 8 p.m. They gave me a free trial membership.”

“So you’re really thinking about staying?”

“For now, yes. But when Jules is done with all her training, I think she might be persuaded to move.”

“Long game, then?”