Page 12 of Free

“I love y—”

The door chimes, and Remi throws me off his lap so fast I almost end up on the floor.

Well then.

I stretch out across the couch beside him as Remi collapses in on himself. It was a nice moment while it lasted.

“I brought sustenance,” comes from the entryway.

I close my eyes and picture her removing her shoes and her jacket before venturing deeper into the house.

“In the living room,” I yell back.

If Remi’s breathing doesn’t slow down, he’s going to hyperventilate. He clasps his hands together to keep them from shaking.

Julia makes her way into the room, staring at the floor of all things, looking around in corners, and smirking.

Weird.

Her hands are laden with bags and packages as the smell of Chinese food wafts through my senses. When she finally looks up, her eyes go wide as saucers. Her mouth drops at the same time as all her bags slide from her fingers, and rice spills from its container.

Damn. It was Wong Foo’s too. My favorite.

“Hi,” Remi says softly, looking up at her from where his head is still bowed on his shoulders.

Her gasp could rock continents.

I can’t help it. I wink.

“Told you my present was better,” I tease.

Remi rolls his eyes and rises to his feet. I flinch, prepared for him to swat at me, but it never comes. He’s too worked up. He runs his hands down his sides, probably trying to dry the accumulated sweat.

“Justin?" She breathes, eyes never leaving Remi. Her voice is high and squeaky, like a wind-up toy.

“Yeah, baby girl?”

Don’t sound smug. Don’t sound smug.

“Is this real?”

She’s blinking like an owl, her chest heaving in pants. I want to laugh, but I don’t. After all, isn’t that what I thought too? That Remi was a hallucination.

“Yeah, Jules,” Remi answers for me. “It’s real.”

If the tension gets any thicker in here, it’s going to get claustrophobic. As it is, my stomach is twisting, and nervous anticipation is zinging through my fingertips. If we can make it through the next half hour, we can handle anything together.

“Oh God,” she whispers, shaking. Her trembling hands cover her mouth, and I’m about ready to stand up and go to her when she finally speaks. “Can I hug you?”

Remi doesn’t hesitate. He eats the wide expanse between them in three giant steps and swings her up into his arms.

“REMIIIIIIIII!” Julia squeals and wraps her legs around his hips, catching his face between both her hands. She’s kissing his face as quick as she can, everywhere, despite Remi trying to catch her lips.

I give up the fight not to laugh. It bubbles out of me, a release of tension and overwhelming happiness.

“You’re here!” she mumbles between fat wet smooches. “You’re HERE!”

“Let the man breathe, baby girl.”