More Than Forever(128)

"Please draw my vision," she asked me, and so I did.

For two hours we walked around the space while she went through, in detail, what she wanted. I sketched what she described while she looked over my shoulder, telling me what to change and what was perfect. Not much needed changing—seems our visions were similar. Tom walked around with a measuring tape and his own notepad, writing down things that needed to be fixed or built. She wanted to include a little café, one where shoppers could sit down and read for hours and hours. She walked around animated, so lost in her excitement and ideas that I found myself right there with her... just as excited as she was. "I want a reading corner, baby," she whispered when her dad was out of earshot. "One where I can do story time for the kids. I want a huge armchair and they can all sit in front of me while I read to them. Can you design me a sign for above the chair, one that says 'Kathy's Corner'?"

I smiled down at her, watching her eyes fill with tears again. "That sounds like an amazing idea, babe."

When she was done, she stood in the middle of the store and turned a full circle. "I can't believe it," she said. "This is all mine."

Tom rubbed his hand across his beard. "Well, not all of it," he mumbled. "Follow me."

Luce held my hand as we followed him up the creaky stairs in the back office of the store. It led to an empty, open room. In the middle were a table, three chairs, and a lamp.

"Are we being interrogated?" she joked. I'm glad she found it funny, because even though I've known Tom seven years, he still scares the shit out of me.

"What do you think?" he asked, ignoring her question.

"Think of what?" she said.

He nodded his head at the two chairs opposite where he was now seated. "I figure this can be the new office space for Preston and Sons."

"So you'll be working here, too?" she asked.

I pulled out her chair before sitting down next to her.

Tom smiled and waited until I was seated. "I tried to think of some names," he started, ignoring her again. "Preston and Sons and Gordon, or Preston, Gordon and Sons, but that seemed—"

"What?" I finally managed to ask. "Gordon? Me?"

"Us!" Lucy snapped. "I'm a Gordon too!"

"I know, babe." I cleared my thoughts and looked back at Tom. "I don't understand."

He didn't reply. He just pushed over more papers until they were under my nose. It was a partnership agreement to his business. "What?"

"If you want to change the name we can speak—"

I shook my head. "The name's fine, I guess, I'm just confused."

"I'd like to make you partner," he deadpanned. "You take the design part, I'll take the construction. We can work together. Though, this will be your office space, I'll be on site most of the time. Plus, I love you like a son, don't get me wrong, but you and my daughter can't keep your hands off each other; I don't want to be surrounded by that all day."

Lucy laughed.

I couldn't find it in me to do anything but stare at him.

"So?" he asked, waiting for my response.

"No."

"What?" Lucy whined.

I turned to her. "I haven't earned it, Luce."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Tom chuckled. "I'll give you a minute."

Lucy watched him walk down the stairs and when we were alone, she turned to me. "Cameron..." she started. Her shoulders dropped with her sigh. "I hate bringing this up, but this attitude of yours, this pride thing you have going, it almost ruined us once. I know that you feel like you haven't earned it, but you have, and my dad wouldn't be doing this if he didn't trust you. If he didn't believe in you like he has from day one. And this way... it means we get to be together every day, we'll never have to be apart. Isn't that what we've always wanted?"

Tom and I shook hands when I handed him back the signed papers.

The next day, we got to work.

That was a few months ago.

Yesterday, we finally completed it exactly the way she wanted.

*

"Your girlfriend’s here," I tell Logan, who's sitting next to me in the dugout.

He nudges me with his elbow. "Your wife's here."

We watch as they both get out of Lucy's car and sit on the hood, watching our baseball game.

"We suck," I say, picking up my gear bag and walking out. Someone shouts at us about the game not being over, but we don't care.

"We can't all be Jake Andrews," he muses.

"That punk deleted me on Facebook."

"That punk deleted his entire Facebook. He's too famous now. He was getting all these random requests and posts on his wall. Amanda said that Micky made him delete it after the fifth nude selfie he got."