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The wind blew again outside and Hope rolled her eyes. “Why didn’t you just accept the job when Jake offered it to you?”

“Because we’d already said goodbye, because it already hurt enough, and because I don’t want to up-end your life with all my baggage and bullshit,” said Ava.

Hope snorted. “As though we don’t all go around up-ending people’s lives all the time. You do know that only important people can do that, right? You don’t get your life up-ended by the cashier at the supermarket.”

“I may be starting to realize that,” Ava said. “And let’s stay on topic for a second.”

“Yes, miss.”

Ava pushed her glasses up on top of her head. “So, I stay.”

“Obviously.”

“No, not obviously. And not permanently,” Ava said gently. “We can’t put that much pressure on us, not yet. I’ll sign a contract for a school year and we see where we go after that, is that fair?”

“Eminently reasonable,” agreed Hope.

“I’ll see if I can continue renting the cottage.”

“Fine,” Hope said.

“And then, er, I suppose we just get on with things.”

Hope smiled. “Is that a euphemism?”

“Would you like it to be one?”

“I think I would.” Hope shifted on the desk. “Have we reached the kissing part yet?”

“Not quite yet,” Ava said. “There’s the question of Alice. You should tell her, I wouldn’t want to confuse her or upset her. She might not want me around, you know.”

“She very much will,” Hope said. “And even if she didn’t, we’d find a way to work with it. I can’t protect her from the world forever. She’s growing up and she needs to see reality, she needs to see what love looks like, she needs to learn that she’s not always the center of the universe.”

Ava bit back a smile and nodded. “Alright then, I suppose that about covers everything.”

Hope stood up again. “That was very logical and considered, well done.”

Ava shook her head. “There’s nothing logical and considered about the way I feel about you, Hope Perkins.”

Hope grinned up at her. “Good. Logical and considered is boring. And are we at the kissing part now?”

Ava pulled her in closer. “We’re getting close.”

Hope cupped Ava’s face with her hands, looking straight into her eyes. “Ava Stanford, I have no idea what’s going to happen in the future. I can’t tell you that this will all work out. I can tell you that I’ll try my best.”

“Now who’s being logical and considered?” Ava asked, drawing closer, watching Hope’s lips as she spoke.

“Me,” Hope said. “I will make you one promise, and I ask that you make one in return. I promise that I will never deliberately hurt you, Ava Stanford, and you—”

“I promise that I will never deliberately hurt Alice,” Ava said, knowing exactly what Hope was worried about, knowing that she’d put her daughter before herself every time. She leaned in even closer. “But I’m good for two promises. And I’ll never hurt you either, Hope Perkins.”

The wind blew outside, the glass rattled in the windows, the old school creaked in the coming winter storm as the first flakes of snow began to twirl to the ground. And inside the little classroom it was very, very quiet as the kissing part finally began. It didn’t end for a very long time, until snow was dusting the playground and the little town of Whitebridge was settling into winter.

Epilogue

The kitchen table was cluttered with just about every dish in the house.

“How are we supposed to eat?” Hope asked.