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Chapter Twenty-Two

Avery

T he day of my wellness fair had finally arrived.

Twenty-five vendors and food trucks to corral in the Rose Kennedy Fitzgerald Freeway, and my head spun.

Why I’d decided to also run evaluations at Harmony Point’s tent was a mystery. I was pretty sure my head was going to explode. However, since I had my own practice, I needed to be there promoting it. Myles had been a godsend, handling the table itself, and he’d also kept me upright by bolting to the food trucks to grab food and send vendor questions to the other designated volunteers so I could focus on my business.

The crisp fall breeze rolled through, the splendor of New England autumn in full glory on the cascade of golds, browns, and oranges from the surrounding trees. The lineup of tents looked fantastic, white peaks everywhere, and we’d garnered a large crowd. Relief flowed through me. The many nightmares I’d had leading up to the event where no one showed had woken me up several times. Myles had clutched me tight and nuzzled into me until I’d drifted back to bed.

“All right.” I placed a hand on my client’s shoulder. “You’re all set. How do you feel?” I was doing a simple single needle on common trigger points for prospectives to give them an idea of what acupuncture was like, but the process meant a lot of solo attention.

“It’s interesting,” the middle-aged woman said. “I always got nervous about the idea, but it’s something I’d give a try.”

“Here’s a discount for your next session.” Myles handed her a card. She took it with a quick thanks and wandered off with the rest of the crowd that filtered through.

“Thanks, gorgeous.” I leaned against Myles, and he wrapped an arm around my waist. He said he was inept around people, and while I’d witnessed his adorkable self in action plenty, when it came to lifting me up, he stepped in effortlessly. I’d never felt more supported in my life.

“Aves, this is great.” Chloe’s voice burst out in front of me. She approached with her clipboard in hand. She, Claude, Greg, and Xavier were running point with all the vendors, and I was grateful for each and every one of them.

“Nothing’s caught on fire yet,” Claude said, full of cheery sarcasm.

“Well, that’s good.” I squeezed my nape. Strong and vibrant energy flooded through here, the same vibe I loved at the club, and I could see running the wellness fair becoming a regular thing for me. Something about big communities coming together brought me to life in a way little else did. And with the right team by my side, this was a great opportunity for us all to congregate.

“And the food trucks are a hit,” Chloe said. “Though I think the smoothie and green bowl one just sent a nasty message to the noodle joint. Some sort of foodie turf war.”

“Why don’t you have a donut food truck?” Myles tugged at my scrubs.

I snorted. “Yeah, that screams wellness fair.”

“I should’ve brought donuts.” Myles wore a Harmony Point tee and looked damn fine in it, and if I wasn’t working, I would’ve climbed into his lap to kiss him senseless. The sun, which I rarely saw on him, illuminated his pale skin, his dark lashes, and his bony shoulders, all curves and features I’d mapped with my tongue and teeth. My heart ached whenever I stared at him too long, transporting me to a place where just the two of us existed.

“Next year?” Claude volunteered. “I’m assuming this is going to happen on the regular.”

Chloe’s features darkened, and I pulled away to hug my friend. I wrapped my arms around her tight and squeezed.

“I hate that I’m not going to be living here next year,” she said. We had a few months before the big move, but the reality settled over us more and more.

“Hey, you’ll still be a part of this. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to come visit for the event. Or Myles and I can come see you in San Francisco.”

The clipboard pressed between us, but I savored the hug from her. The waves of emotion slammed in at random, and we rolled through them when they arrived. Even though the change would rock me when it hit, I was on more stable ground than I’d ever been. A home with the man I loved, an acupuncture business that thrived, and a friend and family circle that was ever-expanding as we melded ours together.

Myles’s parents had already stopped by first thing this morning. His mom had sat in the client seat and let me pierce the spot in the meat of abductor pollicis brevis, and she’d been chatting the whole time. The ease I slid into conversations with Myles’s family was what I’d always craved from my own, and the longer we were together, the more my relationship with his parents would deepen. I couldn’t damn wait.

Chloe and I separated, and I slipped back to my booth.

“I’m going to incinerate,” Myles warned, holding out his bare forearms. He’d brought one of his hoodies, but he’d kept it off all morning to showcase my business’s shirt.

“Do you need more sunscreen?” I asked, glancing up to the sage green top of the tent above us.

“No, just the whole sun adjacent problem. Can’t be good for me.”

I rolled my eyes.

“I feel that,” Chloe agreed.

“You guys need to visit all these booths apparently and take notes,” I muttered, rubbing my head. Keeping Myles alive was a task in and of itself. When he wasn’t in full-blown “finish the book” mode, he did fine, but the second he neared the end, any sense of self-care got thrown out the window.

From this park, I had a great view of the cityscape. The splashes of green amid the elevated rail and the towering historical buildings on all sides were the perfect juxtaposition of this city, and I loved it. The tapestry of history and narrow streets melding with the burst of ingenuity and modern bustle called to me every time. I’d always lived nearby, but I thrived in this place, full of life and energy I craved.

And with Myles, I could find peace here as well, plant roots I’d never realized I was searching for.

“Aunt Avery?” a sweet, familiar voice asked.

Kylie and Layla walked toward my booth, the sight of them lobbing a punch straight to my sternum.

“Layla?” I was moving before I could stop myself and dropped to my knees in front of the booth. She rushed into my arms, and I squeezed tight. My eyes watered, and a wave of overwhelming relief washed over me. Only a fraction of my massive family had shown up, but the two of them being here meant the world to me.

Kylie crouched, a sympathetic smile on her lips. “Mom and Darla are shopping for outfits for tonight, but I said I’d check it out and meant it. Plus, your boyfriend might’ve hit the family up about your event. He’s a spicy one. I like him already.”

“Are you poking people?” Layla peeked at my massage table setup I had out.

“Yep, that’s my job, but it’s to help make them feel better.”

Chloe patted my head. “We’re off to go check on the vendors, but good luck.”

I nodded, disbelief trickling through me that anyone from my family had shown up. Myles’s shoulders scrunched up, and he stared at us wide-eyed like he might bolt.

“This is my boyfriend.” I held Layla’s hand as I walked her over to him. “Myles, this is Layla, my niece, and Kylie, my sister.”

“Am I the first of the family to get to meet him?” Kylie asked, thrusting out a hand. “I’m going to lord this over everyone else tonight.”

Myles shook. “Nice to meet you.” He’d fallen into his simple words, which meant he wasn’t feeling comfortable around her yet, but that might never happen. I was perfectly okay with that.

“Yeah.” Warmth flooded me at the unexpected affection. My sister had always been more understanding, and Layla was a little light in my life, but I’d given up the hope of any of them showing.

Myles had been the one to give the nudge. If I ever needed more proof he was the perfect person for me, that was it.

“I want to climb on the table,” Layla said, extricating herself from my hand. Myles offered his hands to give her a lift up. She accepted with ease and flounced on the spot, fluffing her little red dress.

“There you go,” he said. “Should Avery do all her doctorly stuff?”

“I’m not a doctor.”

“More of one than I am.”

I snorted. “That doesn’t mean a lot from the man who decided he could live three days off a block of cheese and a stale box of fruit leather.”

“Uh, protein and vitamins in abundance,” he said, his gaze for me alone.

No matter where we were, whether it was the coziness of our home or in the middle of a wellness fair with hundreds of people, Myles and I carved our own space. When we were together, everything else faded away, even for a moment, and that was a gift I cherished with all my might.

He was my contrast in every way, quiet to my loud, solitary to my crowd, and the more time we spent together, the more I felt myself grow. Like our roots and branches traveled toward each other, reaching out instinctively.

As if part of me knew I was meant to be with him.

And I hoped we continued to grow upward and onward into the brilliant night sky unending.