Page 104 of Lumi

“Ye know people are goin’ to think us irresponsible if ye’re pregnant. We don’t even live together.”

Lumi brushed a hand over the bedsheet and met my eyes. “I’m not worried. I’ve never been considered irresponsible in my life.”

I watched her with a smile on my lips. “I’m still surprised at how we got here. It’s like I’m waitin’ for ye to tell me it’s all a prank. Ye’re not the spontaneous type, so for ye to let yerself be tied to me for a week and makin’ love with me without protection, well, it’s… surprisin’.”

“Can I confess something without offending you?”

I gave a nod.

“The real reason I said yes to the experiment was to get over you. I figured that an overdose of you would help me fall out of love with you.”

I moved closer and leaned my head against her shoulder. “I wish we hadn’t wasted so much time.”

Lumi touched me. “We’re here now.”

I rolled on top of her and nuzzled our noses together. “I’ve never been so deeply in love with anyone as I am with ye, Lumi. Not once.”

She intertwined our fingers. “Same!”

For a long moment, we smiled at each other. To everyone else, it might be a regular Tuesday, but to me, it felt like one of the happiest days in my life.

“It’s weird. I’ve celebrated yer birthday every year since ye turned eighteen, but this is the first year I get to be the first to see ye and congratulate ye.” I felt myself getting emotional, so I rolled off her and changed the subject. “How about some breakfast? I would have cooked for you while you slept, but ehh…” I raised our hands. “Can I take you to the French café around the corner? They have the best pastry and make excellent breakfast.”

“Sounds lovely.”

Lumi and I showered before we walked to Petit et Doux. She got embarrassed when, on the way, I paid a street musician to sing her happy birthday.

Once we had a table full of coffee, orange juice, and breakfast, we recorded another video for Jolene with us discussing our daily questions.

“I wonder if they’ve seen any Northern lights up in Norway,” Lumi said as she sent off the video to Jolene.

Reaching for the orange slices on her plate that Lumi had pushed aside, I announced, “That’s a trip I’d love to take one day.”

“Me too.” Dressed in a white summer dress, Lumi sat leaning against the window behind her.

I was mesmerized by the way her fingers weaved in and out to undo her braids. There was something undeniably aesthetic about the way the sunlight bounced off the yellow color on the walls and lit up Lumi’s pretty face. She looked relaxed and at ease as she closed her eyes, leaned her head back a little, and combed her fingers through her wavy hair. The exposed skin on her neck and shoulders made me long to reach out and touch her. Almost as if I needed to test that she would allow it; that she would welcome my touch as more than her friend.

Lover.

The word reverberated in my mind but felt insufficient to cover my feelings for her.

My first marriage had been miserable, but marrying Lumi Robertson would be the highest honor and greatest triumph of my life.

“What are you thinking about?” Lumi asked me.

“I’m thinkin’ about how much I adore the relaxed smile on yer lips and how proud I am to be yer man.”

Lumi tilted her head and picked at a white napkin. “Damian, can I ask you something?”

“Anythin’.”

“How do you remember me from the first night we met?”

“Awk, that’s so many years ago.”

“So, you don’t remember what I looked like that night?”

“I do!” Closing my eyes for a second, I brought back the memory of Lumi from the night I saved her life. “Ye looked petrified and heartbroken. Ye wore large bulky Mickey Mouse slippers, a blue chemise with flowers on it, and a kimono.”