Laura placed her hands on top of Amy’s fidgeting ones and squeezed gently, stilling her movements. “Wow, okay.” She didn’t speak for a moment, giving her brain a chance to catch up with Amy’s offer. She shifted on the sofa, making direct eye contact with her. “Amy, I love you, and I can’t think of any reason not to say yes. I want to spend my life with you and Aaron and I’d be thrilled to build our new home together.” She was pleased when Amy’s features lit up, her whole demeanor seemingly lifting. “But I want Aaron and your input in the design. This will be our home and it should be something we all want.”
“As I said, there is no rush so if you change your mind—”
“I won’t be changing my mind. I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Amy moved closer and wrapped her arms around Laura, kissing her ferociously. “Are you coming over tonight?” she asked after they pulled apart.
“Are you sure Martha isn’t sick of me? I’ve been there nearly every night.” And she had been. She could only recall staying in her own bed maybe three times in the last four weeks. She sometimes felt she was imposing but the whole family assured her that wasn’t the case. She had felt welcomed and loved and the warmth of being including in all their lives made her head spin. She had never experienced such acceptance before, aside from her nan, and she never wanted to lose the connections she had made, she had Amy to thank for that. She knew she would be forever grateful to Amy for giving them a chance.
“Nah, she loves it when you’re there. And my dad enjoys watching the sports channel with you and Aaron.”
They had settled into a routine, the five of them. Amy and Aaron would go to school while Laura headed off to work. Martha would see to Jim during the day, and on the evenings Martha, Laura, and Amy would cook dinner and then they would set about either playing games, watching television, or evening walks on the beach. The weekends were much of the same, playing around and having fun.
Aaron had struggled in the beginning coping with the new Jim, but with Laura and Amy’s guidance he had found a way to communicate with him and they found they could still do all the things they did before, except Aaron had taken on more of the responsibility in whatever task they were doing. He had grown up a lot in the last few weeks and Laura was proud of the man he would become.
“I need to head home first and sort out a few things, but I’ll be by about seven.” She had bought a new car two weeks ago and driving wasn’t too hard with the cast. She thought she may have had trouble getting behind the wheel again because of the accident, but she found that wasn’t the case. She didn’t miss the worry in Amy’s eyes every time she grabbed her car keys from the hall sideboard, but Amy never made a comment. Laura knew it would take time for Amy to let go of that worry, however, gradually, it dissipated a little each day.
“Perfect. See you then.”
They both stood and after another heated kiss, one that left Laura shaking with need, Amy said, “Drive safely,” as was her norm.
“Will do.”
Epilogue
One year later…
Amy added ice cubes to the pitcher of lemonade she had made earlier that day with Aaron. She placed the pitcher onto the tray, that already had cookies and glasses on it, and then carried it out onto the porch. She could see Laura being chased by Aaron out in the field, so she settled on the porch swing to watch.
The last year had been crazy busy and finally they were settled into their new home. She and Laura had spent many a night discussing what they wanted their home to look like, with Aaron’s help, and building had begun eight months ago. Now it was completed. They had moved in two weeks ago and the feeling of peace she now had in her life still thrilled her.
She still couldn’t believe how much her life had changed since meeting Laura. She had always thought she would be alone, never to be able to love again the way she did with Julia. And she hadn’t wanted to. However, Laura changed all that, and she was glad she had allowed her into her heart. Of course, they still had their disagreements, and sometimes her mind would wonder about how her life would have been with Julia, but she only had to look at Laura and she knew she wouldn’t change her life now. She loved her completely, and she tried to show her everyday just how much.
Laura’s shadow passed over her as she sat by side her, setting the swing in gentle motion. “Whew. That kid never stops,” she said, wiping imaginary sweat from her brow.
Amy smiled and kissed her cheek. “I told you, we should get a dog, that way Aaron can chase it all day long.”
“Nah,” Laura said, waving a dismissive hand in the air. “He keeps me young.” She took hold of Amy’s hand. “Have I told you I love you today?”
“Yes, but I don’t mind hearing it again.”
“I love you.”
Amy smiled. “I love you too.”
“What time is Martha and Jim coming over?”
“About six I think.” Jim had made great progress over the last year. He was able to walk with the use of a cane and his speech had improved immensely. He still struggled over some words but his determination to get his point across was courageous.
“Do you think I could convince Martha to cook for us?” Laura asked.
Amy laughed. “I swear no one loves her cooking more than you do.”
“Hey, Laura!” Aaron shouted from the edge of the woods. “Do you want to play hide and seek?”
“Sure, buddy.” She stood and kissed Amy soundly on the mouth. “Come on, lets go find our son.”
Amy stood also and followed Laura, a smile stretching her cheeks. It had taken her a lot of effort to begin a new life with Laura, but she found she didn’t mind one bit. She was happy. Aaron was happy. And Laura was her world.
The End
About the Author
Samantha Hicks
I am currently working toward my bachelor’s degree in art and humanities, and when I am not writing or studying, I can be found with a pencil in my hand drawing pictures of wildlife, pets, and plenty of monkeys. (I love monkeys!) I have quite a few tattoos, and love getting out on my road bike or playing golf, weather permitting. I am currently single and have fallen in love many times with the characters I read about in books by so many terrific authors. It is these stories that have inspired me to write down my own characters that have taken up residence in my head, clamouring to have their own love stories told. My biggest fears are heights and horses and I plan to one day conquer them both. I have a passion for reading, preferring it to almost anything, and hope to one day settle down by the beach.
A New Beginning Page 17