Page 64 of Dangerous Kiss

“Thanks, Dad, and I know you wanted me to consider Stanford, and I swear to you, I did. Me and G-Ma went to the campus a week or so ago, and it’s beautiful…but I need my pine forests and rain.”

“Word.” Biba tapped her soda glass to his, and he winked at her.

“Thanks, Beebs. So, Dad?”

Cosimo got up and hugged Nicco. “I could not be prouder. You killed it with that 4.0.”

“Oh, I know,” Nicco was all swagger as he sat back down.

“You didn’t want to take a gap year?”

Nicco shook his head. “Nah, I want to get on with it, you know? I’ll do the years of under- and post-grad. I cannot wait to get to do the actual work. And I’ve broadened my scope, too. Ever since we went to Rainier, I can’t stop thinking about specializing in volcanology, both on land and under the sea.”

Cosimo was shaking his head, smiling. “What happened to my sulky teen?”

They chatted for a little while more, and then decided to walk to the departure gate. Biba held Cosimo’s hand as Nicco and Olivia walked in front of them. She stopped suddenly and looked at Cosimo with nervous eyes. “Baby… I need to make a call.”

Cosimo looked concerned. “Everything okay?”

“Oh yes,” she said, and gave him a smile. “I just figured out the unfinished business.”

She could tell from the way his eyes shone at her that he knew what she was talking about. “You want some privacy?”

She shook her hand. “No, I need you to hold my hand.”

“For the rest of our lives,” he said softly, “you can count on that.”

Nicco and Olivia looked back at them, somehow knowing this was a moment that wasn’t to be shared. They moved away to a discreet distance as Biba took out her phone. She scrolled to the number she wanted, then hesitated, her finger hovering over the screen.

“No matter what,” Cosimo said softly, “you are loved beyond words.”

Tears in her eyes, Biba kissed him, then pressed the call button. When the call was accepted, she drew in a long shaky breath.

“Mom,” she said, finally, “It’s me. It’s Biba…”

The End