“Isn’t she the boss?” Hailey asked. “Charlie, can you get Sabrina? She’s crying about something again.”
“So glad Keira and I aren’t having kids,” Emma said under her breath.
“I heard that.” Hailey laughed. “And now that my wife is seeing to our crying child, we can return our attention to you.”
“Keira is the boss, but she has people that need to approve things like this. It’s not just her decision.”
“And you don’t care either way?” Hailey asked.
Emma moved her phone from her left ear to her right as she stared out through the glass wall of her office to two people on her team who appeared to be more concerned with getting the coffee maker to work than actually doing work.
“Actually, I think I could use another of my patented fresh starts, too,” she said.
“Yeah?”
“You know how I used to be a major fixer?”
“Yes.” Hailey laughed.
“Well, I’ve been working on that for a long time, but I’m not fixing this for her this time. I honestly think this is something we both need. The things that tied us here aren’t here anymore. I think we’d be happy there. But you’d be proud of me, Hails: I’m not looking up houses or trying to figure out where I can work yet. I’m letting Keira run the show here.”
“I think that’s good, Em. Keira and I both know how you like to just jump in and take on anything to fix a problem.”
“I told you; I’m working on it.” She laughed.
“Your whole life,” Hailey replied and laughed back.
◆◆◆
“Cards on the table?” Emma asked.
“Dinner’s on the table. You want to play cards now?” Keira joked.
She was nervous. It had been over a week since their initial conversation about moving to LA. She’d talked to everyone at work to find out if it was a sound business decision and had gotten her answer. She’d been so excited at the thought of opening this new office and of learning a new city, but she’d been trying to keep that excitement at bay a bit in case Emma changed her mind.
“I married a comedian,” Emma teased back.
“Emma, I want this,” she blurted out as she sat down at the table. Her eyes got big, and she added, “I didn’t mean to just say it like that.”
“No, say it, babe.” Emma’s expression was so soft and genuine, Keira knew Emma just wanted her to tell her how she felt.
“It’s approved; the office and that location. I mean, there’s still a lot of work to be done – inspections and everything that goes with leasing a property… But even if it’s not that building, everyone loved the idea of opening an office in LA and making a focus of that office booking the talent for some of our corporate events.”
“That’s amazing, Key.” Emma smiled at her.
“I can stay here though, Em. I can ask someone else on the leadership team to go down there and run it, or I can hire someone. Either way, I can still open that office, and we can stay here.”
“But that’s not what you want, is it?” Emma asked.
“I’ve been so worried about having to start over, but I think I forgot how much fun it can be; how exciting it is to do something new and to get to know new people. Sure, Carey and Drea don’t know us the same way Hillary and Greene do, but that shouldn’t stop us from seeing if they can be real friends to us and us to them.”
“I agree,” Emma said with that smile Keira had always loved on her.
“You do?” Keira took a drink of her water.
“I do. I don’t really like living in the city the way I used to. It gets more crowded every week. And even if we moved outside of the city, we’d still be far away from Hillary and Amara with the traffic.”
“Yeah, I don’t particularly want to live where they live, either. I mean, Hill can make that drive because her classes aren’t starting at eight in the morning. She misses most of the traffic. We wouldn’t.”
“Exactly. And I don’t think adding more time on the road is going to solve anything for us."
“I don’t either,” Keira agreed.
“I’m trying really hard not to fix our problem, Key, but I want to move to LA.”
Keira laughed and said, “What? You think I’m worried you’re fixing things?”
“Well, I brought it up, and it’s pretty big.”
“Em, you’re allowed to bring big things up without being called a fixer.”
“I don’t feel like I’m fixing anything,” she said. “I just wanted you to know that I didn’t mean to be the–”
“Emma, you gave me the idea. And I’m grateful because I do want this. If you’re saying you want this, too, then I think we just made the decision together. It’s not you fixing something. It’s us being a normal married couple making a big decision together.”
“All this time married to you, and I’m still learning.” Emma took a drink of her own water.
“So, am I. I was almost late to dinner tonight.” Keira smiled over at her. “Are we doing this?”
“I think so.”
“What about your job?”
“Let’s pull up our bank accounts after dinner and see if we can afford to move and for me not to work while I look for something down there. If not, I’ll stay up here and job-hunt. I’ll put my notice in when I get something new.”
“Rent or buy?” Keira asked, wondering if Emma was thinking this would be more temporary or permanent for them.
“Your family is there, Keira. If we move there, I think we’re staying for a long time.”
“So, we’re going to buy a house in Los Angeles?” she checked.
“If we can afford it,” Emma answered.
“I think we’ll be okay,” Keira said.
◆◆◆
“I never thought you’d move away,” Hillary said.
“Neither did I,” Keira replied.
“I know we don’t see each other every day, but it’s going to be weird here without you, guys,” Amara said.
“For us too,” Emma added.
After a few months of trying to find a place to live and Keira flying back up and down as they built out and opened the new LA office of Worthy Bash, they were finally driving down to LA with the rest of their stuff to move into their new home. It had been hard, Emma had to admit that. She’d remained on at her job and had to go home many nights to an empty home because Keira was in LA staying with her parents. They’d done the long-distance thing, which was never something Emma wanted to do again, because there was definitely something said for going to sleep and waking up next to one person every single day.
Their house was a two-bedroom condo in Hollywood. It was a post-war building that had been updated about a decade ago, so it had an old feel with new hardwood floors, which appealed to both of them. It would be less work than a house but allow them to make it their own. It would also be a short drive for Keira to her new office. Emma still hadn’t found a new job. She’d put feelers out initially but hadn’t had any luck. She was hopeful that now that she’d be local, it would be easier for her to find something. She hadn’t been able to deal with her job any longer, though, so they’d made a plan and a budget, and she’d put in her notice. They’d be fine for a while, but she’d keep looking. She wasn’t someone who could be without a job for long without getting bored.
“When will we see you again, guys?” Hillary asked as they all stood next to Keira and Emma’s car which would tow the small moving container they’d rented to carry the remainder of their belongings to Los Angeles.
“I’ll be up here at least once a month,” Keira reminded.
“And I’ll fly up with her until I find a new job. Then, we’ll figure it out,” Emma said, taking Keira’s hand.
“I wish we could have thrown you a going away party,” Amara said.
“We’d be the only ones in attendance,” Keira replied. “Greene and Jo are busy in Sydney, and Kellan can’t get away from work.”
“We’ll do s
omething all together the next time Macon and Joanna come back to the states,” Emma offered. “We can come up here, or you guys can come to LA. They can stay with you if it’s here, or with us if it’s there.”
“Where would we stay if they’re staying with you?” Hillary asked.
“You guys can fight for the spare bedroom.” Emma joked.
“We should hit the road, Em. We don’t want to get in late. We have to carry this crap in.”
“You didn’t hire movers?” Amara asked.
“It’s just small stuff. All the big stuff is there already. We didn’t see the point. We can carry a few boxes.”
“Girl power,” Hillary said with a smile.
“I guess this is it, then?” Keira asked, looking from one woman to the next and then to Emma.
“For now,” Emma said, squeezing her hand.
“Tell your parents I said hi,” Hillary said as she reached for Keira to hug her.
“I will.” Keira hugged her back.
“And text when you get there so that we know you’re home,” Amara requested as she hugged Emma.
“We will,” Emma confirmed.
They said their temporary goodbyes. Then, Emma climbed into the passenger’s seat. Keira got in the driver’s seat and put the key in the ignition.
“Are you ready?” Emma asked her.
“For anything; as long as I’m with you.”
Keira smiled, and Emma knew that what Keira said all those months ago was right. They would be okay.
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NOVELS BY THE AUTHOR
Stand-alone books:
• The Fire
• The Moments
• The Disappeared
Chicago Series:
• Introduction – Fresh Start
• Book #1 – The Best Lines
• Book #2 – Just Tell Her
• Book #3 – Love Walked into The Lantern
• Series Finale – What Happened After
San Francisco Series:
• Book #1 – Checking the Right Box
• Book #2 – Macon’s Heart
(recommended to read after Keep Tahoe Blue )
• Book #3 – This Above All
• Series Finale – What Happened After
Tahoe Series:
• Book #1 – Keep Tahoe Blue
• Book #2 – Time of Day
• Book #3 – The Perfect View
• Book #4 – Begin Again
• Series Finale – What Happened After
Celebrities Series:
• Book #1 – No After You (Release date in 2020)
• Book #2 – All the Love Songs
San Francisco Series- Complete Edition Page 103