Carefully, Aldo climbed to his feet and brushed at the sap and needles that covered him. He glanced at her suitcase and back at her, expressionless. “Going somewhere?”

She nodded, and his face fell.

“I’m moving in,” she said quickly. “Well, I mean, if you’ll still have me, I’m moving in with you.” Lord, she was nervous. It wasn’t the cold that had her hands shaking. It was straight-up nerves. But she pressed on. “This is my literal and metaphorical baggage,” she explained pointing at the bag.

“You’re bringing me your baggage,” he said slowly, sliding his hands in the back pockets of his jeans.

Gloria nodded. “We all have baggage. Some of us have more of it than others. But you loved me before I freaked out, and now that I know exactly what my baggage is, I hope you can love me again. Or still.” Her voice broke, but she rallied.

Damn it. She was doing this and doing it right. Pride be damned.

“Aldo, I screwed up. I let fear get in the way of what I was feeling. I let it make me doubt myself.”

“And you’re not afraid now?” he asked softly.

“I’m freaking terrified,” she corrected him. “I’m scared you won’t be able to forgive me. I’m scared that I wrecked the best thing that happened to me because I thought it was too good to be true. That someone like me didn’t deserve to be loved by someone like you. I’m scared that I’m not going to be able to fix it.”

“Gloria, that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”

She laughed, hot tears bubbling up.

“I thought I was too damaged to know what real love was. But I was wrong. I know what it is because of my scars, because of my past. I know what love is. I know that I love you and that I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you if you let me.” Her voice trembled. “Hell, I’ll spend the rest of my life loving you even if you don’t let me.”

“You and your baggage,” he confirmed.

She nodded. “Unfortunately, it comes with me. But maybe between the two of us we can whittle it down to a carry-on.”

He looked at her, then looked at the ground.

“Do you still love me?” she asked in a tiny voice.

“Of course I do, Gloria. But, Jesus, woman. You walked out on me.”

“I didn’t know how to be happy when she was sad,” Gloria blurted out.

“Harper?” he asked, looking at her again.

Gloria nodded. “She was so hurt, Aldo. And all I could think of is that’s how it was going to end up for us.”

“We aren’t them,” Aldo said softly.