“Hold on a second.” He looked around the room, spotted the stereo system and the shelf full of records, and strode toward it confidently. Flipping through the records, he plucked one from the shelf that had a familiar cover and placed it carefully on the turntable. As he made his way toward me with a smile on his face, the first chords of Dinah Washington’s What a Difference a Day Makes began to play.

A smile spread across my face as he took me in his arms and began to sway.

“This is one of your favorite songs, isn’t it?”

“Yes, how did you know?”

“You played it all the time when I lived here with you.”

“Hm,” I hummed, leaning my head against his shoulder. “You remember that?”

“I remember lots of things, Darcy.” His arms encircled me, holding me against him as he rocked and twirled me around the room. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” I answered reflexively.

“I don’t think that’s true. I know you’ve been holding it in all night. You can let it go now, hermosa.”

Almost on cue, the tears came. It wasn’t like they had far to go. They were right under the surface all day, weren’t they? “I don’t know why I’m so sad. I love my son, and I’m so happy that he’s found someone to love, but...all of it makes me feel so empty.”

“This is a big transition, and he’s your only son. It’s perfectly normal to mourn that.”

I clung to him, and Tommy just held me. He just gave me something to hold onto. I was so glad he was here. Glad that I didn’t have to go through this by myself. He pressed sweet kisses against my temple and along my neck. I tipped my head back to look him in the eyes.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

He shook his head, a wrinkle forming between his brows. “You don’t have to thank me, Darcy.”

“I know. But you didn’t have to be so good to me tonight. So sweet.” I brought up a hand to cup his cheek, and he nuzzled into the touch.

“Hm. I tried. Can I have my kiss now? Have I been good enough?”

I laughed, but the sound was deep and unfamiliar to me, like a laugh that belonged to someone else. Maybe it did. “Yes, Tommy. You can have your kiss now.”

The first brush of his lips was hesitant. The next, searching, teasing with a nibble at my bottom lip so that I gasped and opened my mouth to him. “Darcy,” he whispered between soft, sucking kisses. “You shouldn’t feel empty. Not tonight. Not when I’m here to fill you up.”

13

Darcy