She smiled and my pulse jumped. “I’ve been single for three days,” she said. She held my hand. “But I don’t want to be. I want to try again with you.” She held up her hand when I tried to interrupt. “No, you’re not the rebound person. You’re the one. You’ve always been the one.” She brought my hand up to her chest and placed it over her heart. “You’ve always been right here. Even when I was too scared to admit it to the world.” She brushed her lips across mine. “I’m not scared anymore.”

“This is going to get messy. I want what’s best for you and the girls.”

“They want us both to be happy. Right now they are with Grayson and Matt until Wednesday.”

“How are they going to feel about you? Specifically dating me?”

“At least a third of the students at Wellington have same-sex parents. It’s something they’ve grown up with. I can’t tell you how many books are available to help parents with this very thing,” she said. She straddled me and locked her fingers behind my neck. “I need you to trust me again. I know it won’t be easy and I don’t blame you at all. But I’m here, and unless you kick me out right now, I’m staying until Wednesday.”

I wasn’t going to play coy during such a heartfelt moment. Everything I wanted was right in front of me. We both went about it the long way, but just like my dad and Hayley told me, if Parker and I were meant to be, then it would happen. Who knew it would be fifteen years later? I wanted to take the plunge. I deserved it.