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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.
CHAPTER35
Levon
I grabbedthe packing tape and unrolled a long strip, applying it to a box that was filled with books. When the box was properly taped, I shoved it aside near the bookshelf and went about collecting some clothes from the closet.
“Do I really need all these ties?”
I held up a huge collection of them while wearing a goofy smile.
“Of course, I do.”
I tossed them into a trash bag and set those aside. I dove into my closet, discovering a plethora of clothes I hadn't worn in many years. I pulled a few work shirts from their hangers, holding them up to the light to inspect them. Some of them had never been worn at all. I tried each of them on to make sure they fit, delighted to find they were still the right size.
I took them to the bag of ties and shoved them inside. I could iron them later. I imagined Clara had an ironing board. If not, I could always purchase one for our house.
Our house, I reflected mirthfully.We're going to have a house—together.
A smile crept across my lips as I continued gathering clothes. I tossed whatever used shirts and pants I didn't need into a separate trash bag, reminding myself to drop it off at a donation store somewhere in between moving.
I also have furniture in storage that I need to pick up.I whipped my phone from my pocket to text Ryan.I could ask to borrow his truck for an hour. That would help move some of those items.
I heard a knock at my door. I looked up to see my mother standing there, wearing her usual peaceful grin. The lines around her eyes betrayed her age but her smile denoted her youthful spirit.
“Hey, Mom,” I said with a grin. “Is it time for lunch yet?”
“Not yet. I was wondering if you had a minute?”
“Of course.”
She wandered inside my room and sat on the edge of my bed. The mattress squeaked beneath her. She bounced slightly on the bed and then patted the mattress, chuckling lightly. “Looks like we'll need a new bed for the guest room.”
“Ah, so this will be the guest room?”
“Jen's room will be the craft room, but you're always welcome to come back.”
I laughed. “You know I'll come back and visit. We'll be right in town.”
“I know, dear. I just wanted to let you know we've always loved Clara. You've always had our blessing with her. But I don't want either of you to get hurt again.”
“Mom.”
She held up her hands. “I know—I'm being a worry wart. I don't mean to be. I just care about you both and I don't want to see the two of you falling apart because you're moving too fast.”