When she lifts her head, I see the hope in her eyes. I feel it too, but I have to go at her pace.

“Are you going to be okay?” I ask.

Delaney nods. “I’ll be fine. Talk to you tomorrow?”

“I’ll text you. If that’s alright.”

She nods.

We walk to the door, hand in hand.

I dip to kiss her goodbye. It’s soft and slow, and I don’t miss the small sigh she lets out when it finishes.

“You addle my brain,” she says.

I smile, raising my hand to her cheek. “Listen to your heart. I know what mine’s telling me.”

More than anything, I wish we had more time. If I wasn’t shooting back-to-back movies, I wouldn’t leave after I finish this one. But once this is done, I’ll be leaving the country, and while I know I could always come back, I want my family together before I leave.

Because if I don’t, there’s no way I’ll be able to convince them that where they belong is in the States—with me.

Twenty

Delaney

I’m so confused.

Josh has made his feelings obvious.

All this time, we both hurt over that day and for very different reasons.

But since Amelia was born, my path has been clear. All I’ve wanted was to make sure she had the upbringing I didn’t have. My mother resented me over my father leaving. Amelia just needed to know she was loved.

Seeing Josh again conjures up both good and bad feelings. Can we really put the past behind us? My cheeks heat every time I think of the way he so calmly showed me that movie clip. If I’d only put my pride away and gone to see the damn movie, I might have understood years ago.

We’ve lost so much time.

I’m not sure that Josh has genuine feelings for me, or if he’s living off a memory. For my part, I’m still frustratingly attracted to him. Any red-blooded, straight woman would be.

And then there’s the issue that played in the back of my head ever since Melly was born, and that’s the attention we’ll get from the media. Josh can’t shelter us from everything.

Pania knows better than to go anywhere near the topic, and manages to avoid it for two days before she approaches me about it.

“How did it go on Saturday?” she asks.

“Fine.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I shoot her the side-eye. “Do you want to know about it?”

“You know I do. Yes, I’m being nosey, but you’re my best friend and I’m worried about you.”

For a moment, I play my bottom lip between my teeth. “He wants us to be a family. He wants me.”

Her eyes widen. “And you want …?”