by Jill Cooper
Donovan’s leaning on the railing and when he sees me, he straightens up. “If it isn’t the girl of the hour.” He slips his hands on my hips and pulls me in close.
“Oh please, that’s Delilah.”
“And she was your pick. It was your idea.”
I can’t hide the surprise on my face. I hadn’t picked that fact out yet.
He doesn’t miss a thing. His nose scrunches and he scowls at me. “What aren’t you telling me, Montgomery? What’d you do this time?”
I lock my wrists behind his head and pull him in for a tender kiss. “None of it matters anymore. It’s over. And now I’m ready.”
“Ready for what?”
“To live life normal. One day at a time. One hour at a time, just the way it’s meant to be.”
“Sounds perfect.” Donovan gives me a gentle kiss. Not a good-bye kiss, but a forever kiss.
And that’s what I choose. I choose a normal, everyday life.
For the most part, but for a brief moment, I decide to show Donovan. He’s only ever heard me talk about time travel and be influenced by it. He’s never seen how beautiful it can be. It’s been a curse since the moment I saved my mother’s life, but there is a rare beauty to it.
Even if it was corrupted by man.
So as a pink flower blows up from a bush and over the railing, I outstretch my hand. I slow the petal down. It spins toward me in slow motion and I easily catch it in the palm of my out stretched hand. Donovan’s eyes are wide as he takes it from me and I flick a finger, speeding just the flower up and it spins.
Like a ballerina on stage it pirouettes, caught in the whirlwind of time. It’s a life changing thing to see. To witness. Even I’m surprised by how it stills my soul.
“I don’t know you can give it up.” Donovan admits. “I don’t know how you can just go back to being Lara.”
“I’ve always been Lara.” I admit. “With the time travel or not, it hasn’t changed who I am. But can you love me? If I’m just Lara and nothing else?”
He let’s go of the flower and it floats freestanding in mid-air, sparkling and gorgeous. Donovan presses up against me. “Pretty sure time travel or not, life with you will always be an adventure.”
My nose crinkles and I press the palms of my hands into his. Our fingers tangle together as if we are one. We watch as the sun sets on DC and there’s only room for hope in my heart. This is a world I can be happy in. A world I can live in.
“Then I can’t wait to get started.”
Donovan kisses my hand. “And where should our next adventure take us? I think you deserve a long vacation. Fun in the sun?”
It’s hard to resist such an offer. “My mom will never let us take a vacation together. Alone.”
“Oh, c’mon, rock star. You know how much your mom adores me.” He flashes the James grin. It’s practically award winning.
I giggle. “My dad?”
“Okay, you got me there. I can work on him.” Donovan pulls me in real tight. “Promise.” He whispers.
I bit my lip and playfully go up on my tip toes. “Then once you have my dad under the spell of your charm, where are you going to take me?”
“Maui? Japan? Ohh, Tahiti?”
I shrug. “How about all three?”
“You think I’m made of money, Montgomery?” Donovan’s forehead crinkles. “We lost almost everything.”
“You’ll get it back.” I kiss him.
“Yeah and how do you know?”
I smirk. “I can see the future.”
Donovan chuckles and swings his arm around me. He leads me back into the function hall. “And what do you see for us? Anything special?”
“Nah.” I wave him off like it’s no big deal, even though it is very much so. A very big deal. “Just happily ever after.”