Page 81 of That's Amore

It amuses me that she can pick up such things just from a few words. “I am. Marina just left for work and Reggie is watchingme from his chair in the living room, waiting for our morning walk, and I’m just…thinking about how different my life is from this time even a year ago.”

“You’ve had some changes, that’s for sure.”

I grin as I slowly wander. “I mean, there’s art on the walls now that Marina helped me pick out. Her shoes are next to mine near the door. Her jacket is draped over a dining room chair. My guest room closet is hers now.”

“It’s good, though, right? I mean, she needs a room.”

I snort a laugh. “Oh, no, she doesn’t have a room.Wehave a room. My room is her room, and the guest room is the guest room. She just needed extra closet space. She has a ridiculous amount of clothing!”

Jessie laughs along with me, then says, “Something else that’s changed? You.”

“Have I?” I’m both surprised and not to hear her say that, which makes no sense, I know. “For the better?”

“Oh, honey, very much for the better. I’ve never seen you this happy. Makes me a little ill.” I laugh, and she goes on. “I admit, when you told me a few months ago that you were going to have her move in, and even stay in your place when you went back upstate, I was a little worried.”

“Did you have visions of me returning to an empty apartment, having been robbed blind by a hot Italian woman?”

“Yes!” She says it adamantly.

I can’t help but laugh. “I very much appreciate your worry. I have yet to be robbed of anything.”

“Except your heart,” she says, and she’s teasing, but also not.

“Except my heart.”

“You sound great, Lil. Truly. I can’t wait to see you.”

“Same.”

We sign off, and I’m left to think about the call as well as the past year or so. I pick Reggie up and sit down with him onmy lap. Looking around my Manhattan apartment—something I was so proud of when I bought it—I can’t imagine Marina not being here. Like, it won’t compute. My brain won’t accept it.

“This is it, Reg,” I say softly to my dog as I kiss his head. “This is where we’re supposed to be.”

My phone pings a text notification, and I glance at it, then hold it up for Reggie to see. It’s a text from Marina.

Just texting to say my home is with you and Reggie.

I love you both so much.

Can’t wait to come home to you tonight.

The lump lodges solidly in my throat, and it takes me a couple of tries to swallow it down. I kiss Reggie’s head again as I feel the most wonderful calm settle over me.

“This is where we’re supposed to be.”