“Why? Because Mom and Dad were such a mess? That was them. This is you. Don’t let that stop you from leading a life, Fi. Marry him if you want to. You’ve been together for fifteen years.”

“I know. Isn’t that ridiculous?” she laughed. “It shows an epic lack of imagination on both our parts. We’ve never even cheated on each other. That’s pathetic.”

He laughed at his sister’s view of things, but he loved her, as funny and odd as she was.

“Don’t get married until I can give you away,” he called down the subway steps after her and she turned back and laughed.

“Yeah, count on it. I wouldn’t do it without you.” But she would have, one day on the spur of the moment, and they both knew it. Their mutual acceptance of each other’s foibles had always made the relationship work, and he loved that she and Theo got along. It was important, and one more point in Theo’s favor, because she accepted her too, and even enjoyed her, and saw the beauty and talent in her, pink hair, paint-splattered clothes and all.

It reminded him of the red purse he wanted to give back to Theo so she could use it, and he put it in his suitcase to take with him.

—

Theo was waiting for him at the airport when he arrived. She was standing with Daniel when Mike came out of baggage claim, and Daniel took the suitcase from him and walked away as Mike pulled Theo into his arms and kissed her.

“I thought I’d never get back here. All I could think of was coming home to you.” She loved that he felt that way about her and coming to Paris. He appreciated the beauty of it and the home she had there.

They talked nonstop all the way into the city, laughing together, with his arm around her in the back seat, holding her close to him. The driver and bodyguard talked to each other in low voices in the front seat, kept their eyes forward, and paid no attention to them.

Mike walked straight into her office when they got home, and from there straight into her bedroom. He closed the door behind her and didn’t wait another minute to start peeling her clothes off. She saw the scars from his surgery when he took off his shirt. They looked angry and raw, and she touched them gently.