Page 119 of Igniting Sparks

Ori points to her belly with a laugh. “Woman, I’ve got a few things cooking in here. Let me have the baby, and we’ll talk about vacations, okay?”

Mina smiles and nods, once again pulling her friend close.

Meanwhile, I stand on the sidelines, drinking in every moment—all the details that make Mina so unforgettable. There are many. Her laugh. The way she plays with her hair when she’s nervous. Her soft, almost silent footfalls. The way her every move feels like a well-choreographed dance.

I commit them all to memory, because that’s where they’ll live from now on.

Then there was last night, which was truly spectacular. No, it wasn’t about the sex—although we made love three times. It was a glimpse into a future we’ll never have.

She asked me to cook her dinner instead of going out and admitted she’s a fool for my cooking. I hope she knows I’m a fool for her.

We shared a bottle of wine and watched one of her favorite movies. She has every line memorized and never misses a cue. We cut up laughing at the jokes we’d heard a dozen times before, despite the realization this will never happen again.

At the end of the night, after making love once more, she collapsed on my chest and demanded I not move a muscle until morning.

I held her all night, her soft curves pressed against me in a way that felt so right—and yet so out of my reach.

“Promise you’ll love me forever,” she murmured, kissing my chest.

“Forever.” I twirled my fingers in her hair, a soft smile on my mouth, knowing that I would.

“Forever,” she repeated, tracing her fingers along my jaw before sleep overtook her.

No, Mina and I won’t wind up as the happily-ever-after in a love story—but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t real.

For a moment in time, it was the realest thing I’ve ever experienced.

You know those moments where time seems to fly and drag all at once?

That’s me as I park the car at the airport. I dread letting Mina go, but I’m also aware that—regardless of my feelings—it’s a necessity.

I’ve thought about London a lot this past week, wondering who I might have become if obligation hadn’t tethered me to Sparkwood. Don’t get me wrong—I have no regrets. Just idle curiosity. Maybe that’s why I’m pushing Mina to seize her dream—so I can live vicariously through her.

Or maybe it’s just an excuse to make the wound bleed a little less.

We didn’t speak during the ride to the airport. We just sat with our hands intertwined, with some music playing softly in the background.

Because really, there isn’t much left to say except goodbye.

“You know, I should probably get an autograph from you now before you become all big and famous,” I tease, pulling her bag from the backseat and wheeling it toward the terminal.

Mina smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I’ll always give you free autographs. Besides, I’ll always be Mina.”

“I hope so.”

Do I believe she’ll become one of Hollywood’s dance elite? Without a doubt.

Do I believe she’ll stay the same shy, slightly awkward woman I fell in love with? Not a chance.

And I don’t want that for her.

Mina is a star, and she needs to shine—even if the idea terrifies her.

She screeches to a halt as we step into the terminal, her eyes scanning the TSA security line. “This is really it, isn’t it?”

She turns, her face tilted up, eyes wide and questioning, waiting, gauging my reaction.

I have three choices: say nothing, beg her to reconsider her plan, or convince her how amazing a life she’s about to live on the other side of the country.