Midnight Rain: a Those Who Wait story, page 51
After all, this time last year, Charlotte hadn’t even been a fixture in her day-to-day life. She’d been nothing more than an incredibly successful politician with whom Sutton had once been in love. They’d only established a true romantic relationship a couple of months ago.
Granted, they’d been sleeping together for a couple of months before that, but Sutton wasn’t sure where to slot that detail into this situation.
As it was, she thought giving Charlotte a key was the best compromise between logic and emotion. No, Charlotte wasn’t moving in; she still had her own home, where most of her belongings stayed.
She just also had the option of coming over to be with Sutton whenever the timing was right.
Was it Sutton’s fault if she very much hoped that the timing was right as often as possible?
Charlotte had left early on Friday morning, unfortunately.
She’d kissed Sutton, long and slow, as they’d woken up. Then she’d slid her hand between Sutton’s legs, working her to a breathtaking orgasm that had rolled over her in slow, intense waves.
“A pre-birthday orgasm,” Charlotte had murmured into her ear, her breathing ragged. “Since I’ll be busy tonight.”
And, true to her word, Charlotte had been wrapped up for most of the day yesterday. She’d first gone to a meeting at the Thompson Foundation before heading into a legislative session for the rest of the day.
“Mom, Charlotte is a senator; you of all people know how this kind of schedule works and that certain things can’t be easily moved around.”
Charlotte had apologized to Sutton several times about the fact that she wouldn’t be able to join in on Sutton’s family time for the majority of her parents’ visit.
Which, as Sutton had assured her, she didn’t need to do.
But even when Sutton had insisted, “You don’t have anything to prove to my parents, love,” Charlotte had gotten that determined glint in her eye as she’d murmured, “Oh, but I do.”
Sutton truly loved when Charlotte got that look.
Her mom cleared her throat, bringing Sutton out of her thoughts. “I am well aware of Charlotte’s occupation, hon. I just hope that she really will be making it to dinner tonight so that I can get to know her a bit more.”
Before Sutton could respond, they turned the corner to the block the restaurant was on, and immediately, a smile broke out over her face.
Waiting just outside the restaurant—early for their reservation—was Charlotte.
Charlotte rolled her shoulders back as if preparing herself for something more than dinner with Sutton’s parents, even as an easy grin tugged at her lips.
“Charlotte! I was just telling my grandpa about you!” Lucy exclaimed, dropping Jack’s hand to rush forward and throw her arms around Charlotte’s hips to hug her hello.
Charlotte dropped a hand to the back of Lucy’s head, stroking over her hair as she beamed down at her. “Were you? What kinds of things?”
Lucy shrugged as she pulled back. “All kinds!”
Sutton’s father offered her his hand, a small, reserved smile on his mouth. “Nice to see you.”
Charlotte returned his handshake quickly and firmly. “You as well.”
Sutton pushed forward next, shaking her head in joking exasperation as she managed to get close enough to Charlotte to press a kiss to her lips. “I get the third greeting, and it’s my birthday,” she murmured as she pulled back.
“You, my darling, are always my first thought, no matter who I verbally greet first,” Charlotte returned so easily.
And, yes, that was a weak feeling in her knees.
Reluctantly, Sutton moved to Charlotte’s side, conscientious that they were both in public and with her family.
She held her breath as her mom took a step closer, leaning in to give Charlotte a hug.
It wasn’t the kind of deep hug that Katherine gave to Sutton or Lucy or, really, anyone she deeply cared for. But a hug from her mother meant that she really was trying or she’d have offered Charlotte only a smile in greeting.
It made the nervous knots that were tied up in Sutton’s stomach relax just a bit.
“Charlotte, very good to see you. I’ve heard you’ve had a busy couple of days,” Katherine commented, lifting her eyebrows.
“I have, unfortunately, but I made it clear on my calendar that under no circumstances was I to be interrupted this evening or tomorrow,” Charlotte stated, angling her jaw up so she could hold steady eye contact with Katherine.
Sutton slid her gaze back and forth between the two, squeezing Charlotte’s hand in her own. “Thank you, love.”
“Yes, that is very much appreciated,” her mother agreed, leveling an appraising look at Charlotte. “I would love to be able to use this time to get to know you a bit more.”
“Good; I’m looking forward to it.” Charlotte drew herself up to her full height, something that managed to look impressive, even though she was shorter than both Sutton and Katherine. “But I’m not here to play any games, Katherine. I understand why you’d been wary of me all of those years ago. Because you were right back then; I wasn’t ready. While I had been in love with Sutton, I didn’t know what to do with it, and I broke her heart.”
Sutton turned sharply to face Charlotte as she spoke. As much as she loved and adored the fact that Charlotte was willing to face her mother and say these things, she didn’t have to.
Katherine opened her mouth, but Charlotte barreled on. “I don’t think that’s the most important thing to focus on, though. I know why you do, but I think the most important thing for you to know is that I’ve never stopped being in love with Sutton. Out of all of the regrets I might have in my life, missing all of that time with Sutton because I didn’t know how to get out of my own way will be the worst moment I have to live with. But I learn from my mistakes, and I’m not going to make the same ones again.”
God. Sutton stared at Charlotte, and she wondered if there were hearts in her eyes. She wondered if Charlotte knew that these words healed something inside of her, something she couldn’t put into words.
“Charlotte—” Katherine began but was swiftly cut off.
“Apologies, Katherine, but please let me finish. You may not trust me or my intentions with Sutton and Lucy just yet, and the reality is, if I had to come face to face with someone else who hurt Sutton, I wouldn’t like them or trust them either. So I understand where you’re coming from.” She flexed her hand around Sutton’s, squeezing tightly, as if drawing strength from their grasp. “But I’m not going anywhere. I intend to be here, with Sutton, for as long as she’ll have me. Which is why I really mean that I’d like for us to truly spend some time together, as I imagine that we will have a lot of shared holidays in our future.”
Sutton didn’t care that she was standing on a very public sidewalk with her parents and her daughter.
She couldn’t stop herself from swiftly turning Charlotte to face her, cupping her jaw and angling her face up as Sutton pressed her lips to Charlotte’s.
She was mindful—just enough—to keep the kiss appropriate, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t passionate. Dear lord, how could she not be?
Sutton had been married before, and yet Charlotte’s words just now were still the most romantic of vows anyone had ever pledged in front of her. To her.
She felt Charlotte’s hand curl into her hair, tugging gently, before her mother cleared her throat.
She pulled back, unable to summon even an ounce of embarrassment. How could she? Charlotte Thompson had just proclaimed her love for Sutton in front of her mother and was determined to win her respect.
Charlotte, on the other hand, had a slight blush creeping over her cheeks as she blinked widely, clearly trying to regain her bearings as she looked up at Katherine, who was watching them both, a small smile on her lips.
“My daughter is a grown woman,” she said, “with a very intelligent and responsible head on her shoulders.” Katherine slid her approving gaze from Sutton to Charlotte. “That being said, I truly do look forward to getting to know you better, Charlotte. I think you may just surprise me.”
Sutton could feel the smile on her own lips, how wide it was.
Charlotte’s looked fairly similar as she nodded.
“Ah, I’m sorry to interrupt, but our reservation is ready.” Jack turned to face them, holding out his phone where the alert from the restaurant had popped up. He glanced between them, his confusion palpable. Clearly, his attention had been very focused on the clapping game Lucy had been trying to teach him several feet away. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything is great,” Katherine informed him before she held out her hand for Lucy to take. “Shall we?”
“Yes!” Lucy cheered, latching onto her grandma’s hand.
Sutton waited for a moment of privacy with Charlotte so she could turn and face her properly.
Charlotte’s gaze was already on her, excitedly waiting. “I think I may have started to win her over just now.”
The pride in Charlotte’s tone was undeniable, and Sutton? Well, she just loved this woman. “Yes. I think you have.”
Sutton would let Charlotte have this moment because she deserved it. But Sutton wasn’t shocked; she couldn’t imagine any reality in which Charlotte wouldn’t be able to win someone over.
It was hours later that they found themselves alone, at long last. While Sutton loved when her parents visited because she loved spending time with them, in this moment, she also loved that they’d taken Lucy for a sleepover.
Charlotte had completely melted Sutton emotionally before dinner, and she needed time alone with her tonight. It was the best birthday gift she could have received.
“Happy birthday, darling,” Charlotte breathed into her mouth, barely pausing their deep, sensually slow kiss to do so.
She’d initiated it the moment they’d sat on Sutton’s living room couch, god only knew how long ago. She’d climbed into Sutton’s lap, straddling her as she’d started kissing up Sutton’s neck, making her shudder.
Sutton hummed against Charlotte’s lips, feeling so much inside herself. There were so many feelings inside of her, tangling together—desire and love and reverence and wonder—and she slid her hands up to rest on Charlotte’s curvy hips.
The memories hit her, at the reminder of it being her birthday.
The flashes of this day, years ago. She hadn’t thought about that night in so long; in fact, she’d actively done her best to shield her mind from it for years, and eventually, slowly, it had faded.
But now, as she felt Charlotte’s body all warm and soft and utterly perfect pushing against her, Sutton remembered.
She broke their kiss gently, leaning her head back as she tried to catch her breath.
“Everything all right?” Charlotte asked, stroking her thumbs softly over Sutton’s cheeks.
“Thirteen years ago, to the day, I was crying my eyes out over you,” she whispered, staring into Charlotte’s eyes. They were so luminous in the soft lamplight that washed over them.
God, she could see it so vividly in her mind.
How she’d tried to enjoy her birthday with her friends, how Regan and Emma had both tried their hardest to take her mind off of her Charlotte-induced heartbreak. How it had felt like a Band-Aid over a bullet hole.
Charlotte’s playful, gorgeous grin fell away into a much more remorseful expression. She leaned back, putting inches between them, clearly surprised by what Sutton had said. Sutton couldn’t blame her.
“Sutton, I—”
Sutton hurriedly shook her head as a stab of guilt edged in, and she tightened her hands on Charlotte’s hips. She didn’t want Charlotte to move away from her. If anything, these memories just made her want to pull Charlotte closer.
“No, no, I didn’t mean to make you feel badly.” She searched Charlotte’s eyes with her own, hoping she could see that Sutton meant what she said. She needed Charlotte to know how she felt. “Even before what you’d said tonight, I didn’t have any negative feelings about the past, Charlotte. I couldn’t be doing this with you—wanting to build a life with you—if I did. I was just…”
She rolled her lips, searching for the right words to describe the fullness of the feelings inside of her. “I’m marveling, to be honest.”
“Marveling?” Charlotte echoed, tentative amusement etched into her expression. She stopped angling herself away from Sutton, though, and resumed the soft stroking of her thumbs against Sutton’s face from where her hands cupped her jaw. “You were marveling over the fact that on your twenty-sixth birthday, you were unable to celebrate because I’d broken your heart?”
Sutton slowly nodded. Yes, and hearing Charlotte repeat it back to her, even in that tone, didn’t change anything.
She slid her hands down Charlotte’s arms, tugging her hold away from her face, and she laced her fingers through Charlotte’s. She wanted to feel that connection that existed between them like a living, breathing thing.
“Yes. I mean, at twenty-six, I loved you with everything I had. And, had things gone differently, our lives might look very different now. Maybe they wouldn’t.” She shrugged, shaking her head because the what-ifs just didn’t matter.
“But I’m marveling because, even now, thirteen years later, here we are. No matter what it took to get here—the lost time, the politics, the other relationships in between—we’re here. Together.”
They were in a different state, with different job titles, in different places in their lives, and they’d still found one another.
That fact settled inside of Sutton, filling every heartbreak she’d ever experienced.
She took a deep breath, the feelings nearly overwhelming her. “I guess it really is true, then.”
Charlotte tilted her head in silent, beseeching question, so Sutton explained.
“Good things really do come to those who wait.”
EPILOGUE
Sutton Spencer-Thompson was on a mission.
The first step of that mission was to find her wife, upon returning home from dropping Lucy off to be a counselor at her summer camp.
This mission was something that had been on her mind for months now, and she was finally ready to talk about it with Charlotte. Finally ready to share it. The excitement and anticipation that buzzed through her pushed her to walk a little more quickly through the first floor of their home.
Charlotte had moved in to live with Sutton and Lucy six months after Sutton had given her that key, all those years ago. At the time, Lucy had been thrilled, and Charlotte’s big move-in had seemed like more of a formality than anything.
After all, by the time Charlotte officially “moved in,” she’d been spending at least four or five nights with Sutton and Lucy every week already. Sutton had painstakingly cleared out half of her closet for Charlotte to hang her belongings and had purchased another dresser.
It had become abundantly clear within a few months, though, that Sutton, Charlotte, and Lucy all living together in Sutton’s townhouse wasn’t going to be an ideal fit. Though Charlotte had maintained ownership of her own larger home, moving into it hadn’t felt quite right either.
So they’d decided the best decision was to sell their houses and buy this one together, one that had enough space for both of them to have a home office as well as a guest suite for Dean and Caleb and for Sutton’s family to stay in when they visited.
And while Sutton loved this house they’d lived in for about eight years now, it was still large enough that she didn’t always know exactly where to find Charlotte. Or Lucy, if she was looking for Lucy. There was a lot of guesswork involved.
Honestly, it reminded Sutton a lot of the house she’d grown up in, and she loved that. Granted, her family had been so large that when you went searching for someone you would probably stumble upon another person who could point you in the right direction.
She paused, hearing a murmur that was distinctively Charlotte’s voice, and her heart skipped a beat as she headed in the direction of the kitchen.
And… there she was.
Despite her mission, Sutton paused. Crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe, she watched as Charlotte continued to mutter to herself as she stood at the counter. Her back was to Sutton, so she couldn’t quite see what Charlotte was working on, but it didn’t really matter.
She didn’t have to see what Charlotte was doing for the sight of Charlotte working determinedly on something to make her heart flutter in her chest.
The set of Charlotte’s shoulders was the same right now as it would be in a boardroom or behind her desk, firm and strong, under the long-sleeved shirt she wore, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
It was the same shirt she’d put on this morning when she’d gone to work at the foundation. Only, when she’d kissed Sutton goodbye, this outfit had been perfectly maintained. Not a wrinkle in sight, of course.
Now, after having worn it through several meetings that she’d unfortunately had to go to on a Saturday morning, there were signs of wear. And the blazer she’d put on was missing as well. If Sutton were a betting woman, she’d wager that she’d find that blazer neatly folded over the wooden footboard of their bed.
Somehow it was still so crazy to her, at times, the fact that she was living this life with Charlotte. That she and Charlotte had bought a house together, that they’d gotten married, that they were raising her daughter together. That Sutton knew all of the little intricacies in Charlotte’s daily routine, down to a science.
She’d cited that in her wedding vows to Charlotte, seven years ago:
You were the first person I ever fell for. Truly, deeply fell for. And as much as I’d thought all of me had moved on from you, I was so, so wrong. Every day that we’re together feels like a dream. Loving you and being loved by you is everything I wanted but never thought I’d have. Being with you feels like something I’d imagined so long ago. I’d written this dream off as the naïve fantasy of a young woman who didn’t know any better, but it’s not. It’s real. You, Charlotte Thompson, really are the person I’d always dreamed you were. You really are the dream come true. And now I get to live the rest of my life with you, and I’ll never take that for granted. The reality is that I can’t imagine being happier than I am with you. We both went down other avenues in life without each other, and they didn’t work. We could exist in those other realities, but I would never be as happy as I am here, with you.
Granted, they’d been sleeping together for a couple of months before that, but Sutton wasn’t sure where to slot that detail into this situation.
As it was, she thought giving Charlotte a key was the best compromise between logic and emotion. No, Charlotte wasn’t moving in; she still had her own home, where most of her belongings stayed.
She just also had the option of coming over to be with Sutton whenever the timing was right.
Was it Sutton’s fault if she very much hoped that the timing was right as often as possible?
Charlotte had left early on Friday morning, unfortunately.
She’d kissed Sutton, long and slow, as they’d woken up. Then she’d slid her hand between Sutton’s legs, working her to a breathtaking orgasm that had rolled over her in slow, intense waves.
“A pre-birthday orgasm,” Charlotte had murmured into her ear, her breathing ragged. “Since I’ll be busy tonight.”
And, true to her word, Charlotte had been wrapped up for most of the day yesterday. She’d first gone to a meeting at the Thompson Foundation before heading into a legislative session for the rest of the day.
“Mom, Charlotte is a senator; you of all people know how this kind of schedule works and that certain things can’t be easily moved around.”
Charlotte had apologized to Sutton several times about the fact that she wouldn’t be able to join in on Sutton’s family time for the majority of her parents’ visit.
Which, as Sutton had assured her, she didn’t need to do.
But even when Sutton had insisted, “You don’t have anything to prove to my parents, love,” Charlotte had gotten that determined glint in her eye as she’d murmured, “Oh, but I do.”
Sutton truly loved when Charlotte got that look.
Her mom cleared her throat, bringing Sutton out of her thoughts. “I am well aware of Charlotte’s occupation, hon. I just hope that she really will be making it to dinner tonight so that I can get to know her a bit more.”
Before Sutton could respond, they turned the corner to the block the restaurant was on, and immediately, a smile broke out over her face.
Waiting just outside the restaurant—early for their reservation—was Charlotte.
Charlotte rolled her shoulders back as if preparing herself for something more than dinner with Sutton’s parents, even as an easy grin tugged at her lips.
“Charlotte! I was just telling my grandpa about you!” Lucy exclaimed, dropping Jack’s hand to rush forward and throw her arms around Charlotte’s hips to hug her hello.
Charlotte dropped a hand to the back of Lucy’s head, stroking over her hair as she beamed down at her. “Were you? What kinds of things?”
Lucy shrugged as she pulled back. “All kinds!”
Sutton’s father offered her his hand, a small, reserved smile on his mouth. “Nice to see you.”
Charlotte returned his handshake quickly and firmly. “You as well.”
Sutton pushed forward next, shaking her head in joking exasperation as she managed to get close enough to Charlotte to press a kiss to her lips. “I get the third greeting, and it’s my birthday,” she murmured as she pulled back.
“You, my darling, are always my first thought, no matter who I verbally greet first,” Charlotte returned so easily.
And, yes, that was a weak feeling in her knees.
Reluctantly, Sutton moved to Charlotte’s side, conscientious that they were both in public and with her family.
She held her breath as her mom took a step closer, leaning in to give Charlotte a hug.
It wasn’t the kind of deep hug that Katherine gave to Sutton or Lucy or, really, anyone she deeply cared for. But a hug from her mother meant that she really was trying or she’d have offered Charlotte only a smile in greeting.
It made the nervous knots that were tied up in Sutton’s stomach relax just a bit.
“Charlotte, very good to see you. I’ve heard you’ve had a busy couple of days,” Katherine commented, lifting her eyebrows.
“I have, unfortunately, but I made it clear on my calendar that under no circumstances was I to be interrupted this evening or tomorrow,” Charlotte stated, angling her jaw up so she could hold steady eye contact with Katherine.
Sutton slid her gaze back and forth between the two, squeezing Charlotte’s hand in her own. “Thank you, love.”
“Yes, that is very much appreciated,” her mother agreed, leveling an appraising look at Charlotte. “I would love to be able to use this time to get to know you a bit more.”
“Good; I’m looking forward to it.” Charlotte drew herself up to her full height, something that managed to look impressive, even though she was shorter than both Sutton and Katherine. “But I’m not here to play any games, Katherine. I understand why you’d been wary of me all of those years ago. Because you were right back then; I wasn’t ready. While I had been in love with Sutton, I didn’t know what to do with it, and I broke her heart.”
Sutton turned sharply to face Charlotte as she spoke. As much as she loved and adored the fact that Charlotte was willing to face her mother and say these things, she didn’t have to.
Katherine opened her mouth, but Charlotte barreled on. “I don’t think that’s the most important thing to focus on, though. I know why you do, but I think the most important thing for you to know is that I’ve never stopped being in love with Sutton. Out of all of the regrets I might have in my life, missing all of that time with Sutton because I didn’t know how to get out of my own way will be the worst moment I have to live with. But I learn from my mistakes, and I’m not going to make the same ones again.”
God. Sutton stared at Charlotte, and she wondered if there were hearts in her eyes. She wondered if Charlotte knew that these words healed something inside of her, something she couldn’t put into words.
“Charlotte—” Katherine began but was swiftly cut off.
“Apologies, Katherine, but please let me finish. You may not trust me or my intentions with Sutton and Lucy just yet, and the reality is, if I had to come face to face with someone else who hurt Sutton, I wouldn’t like them or trust them either. So I understand where you’re coming from.” She flexed her hand around Sutton’s, squeezing tightly, as if drawing strength from their grasp. “But I’m not going anywhere. I intend to be here, with Sutton, for as long as she’ll have me. Which is why I really mean that I’d like for us to truly spend some time together, as I imagine that we will have a lot of shared holidays in our future.”
Sutton didn’t care that she was standing on a very public sidewalk with her parents and her daughter.
She couldn’t stop herself from swiftly turning Charlotte to face her, cupping her jaw and angling her face up as Sutton pressed her lips to Charlotte’s.
She was mindful—just enough—to keep the kiss appropriate, but it didn’t mean that she wasn’t passionate. Dear lord, how could she not be?
Sutton had been married before, and yet Charlotte’s words just now were still the most romantic of vows anyone had ever pledged in front of her. To her.
She felt Charlotte’s hand curl into her hair, tugging gently, before her mother cleared her throat.
She pulled back, unable to summon even an ounce of embarrassment. How could she? Charlotte Thompson had just proclaimed her love for Sutton in front of her mother and was determined to win her respect.
Charlotte, on the other hand, had a slight blush creeping over her cheeks as she blinked widely, clearly trying to regain her bearings as she looked up at Katherine, who was watching them both, a small smile on her lips.
“My daughter is a grown woman,” she said, “with a very intelligent and responsible head on her shoulders.” Katherine slid her approving gaze from Sutton to Charlotte. “That being said, I truly do look forward to getting to know you better, Charlotte. I think you may just surprise me.”
Sutton could feel the smile on her own lips, how wide it was.
Charlotte’s looked fairly similar as she nodded.
“Ah, I’m sorry to interrupt, but our reservation is ready.” Jack turned to face them, holding out his phone where the alert from the restaurant had popped up. He glanced between them, his confusion palpable. Clearly, his attention had been very focused on the clapping game Lucy had been trying to teach him several feet away. “Is everything all right?”
“Everything is great,” Katherine informed him before she held out her hand for Lucy to take. “Shall we?”
“Yes!” Lucy cheered, latching onto her grandma’s hand.
Sutton waited for a moment of privacy with Charlotte so she could turn and face her properly.
Charlotte’s gaze was already on her, excitedly waiting. “I think I may have started to win her over just now.”
The pride in Charlotte’s tone was undeniable, and Sutton? Well, she just loved this woman. “Yes. I think you have.”
Sutton would let Charlotte have this moment because she deserved it. But Sutton wasn’t shocked; she couldn’t imagine any reality in which Charlotte wouldn’t be able to win someone over.
It was hours later that they found themselves alone, at long last. While Sutton loved when her parents visited because she loved spending time with them, in this moment, she also loved that they’d taken Lucy for a sleepover.
Charlotte had completely melted Sutton emotionally before dinner, and she needed time alone with her tonight. It was the best birthday gift she could have received.
“Happy birthday, darling,” Charlotte breathed into her mouth, barely pausing their deep, sensually slow kiss to do so.
She’d initiated it the moment they’d sat on Sutton’s living room couch, god only knew how long ago. She’d climbed into Sutton’s lap, straddling her as she’d started kissing up Sutton’s neck, making her shudder.
Sutton hummed against Charlotte’s lips, feeling so much inside herself. There were so many feelings inside of her, tangling together—desire and love and reverence and wonder—and she slid her hands up to rest on Charlotte’s curvy hips.
The memories hit her, at the reminder of it being her birthday.
The flashes of this day, years ago. She hadn’t thought about that night in so long; in fact, she’d actively done her best to shield her mind from it for years, and eventually, slowly, it had faded.
But now, as she felt Charlotte’s body all warm and soft and utterly perfect pushing against her, Sutton remembered.
She broke their kiss gently, leaning her head back as she tried to catch her breath.
“Everything all right?” Charlotte asked, stroking her thumbs softly over Sutton’s cheeks.
“Thirteen years ago, to the day, I was crying my eyes out over you,” she whispered, staring into Charlotte’s eyes. They were so luminous in the soft lamplight that washed over them.
God, she could see it so vividly in her mind.
How she’d tried to enjoy her birthday with her friends, how Regan and Emma had both tried their hardest to take her mind off of her Charlotte-induced heartbreak. How it had felt like a Band-Aid over a bullet hole.
Charlotte’s playful, gorgeous grin fell away into a much more remorseful expression. She leaned back, putting inches between them, clearly surprised by what Sutton had said. Sutton couldn’t blame her.
“Sutton, I—”
Sutton hurriedly shook her head as a stab of guilt edged in, and she tightened her hands on Charlotte’s hips. She didn’t want Charlotte to move away from her. If anything, these memories just made her want to pull Charlotte closer.
“No, no, I didn’t mean to make you feel badly.” She searched Charlotte’s eyes with her own, hoping she could see that Sutton meant what she said. She needed Charlotte to know how she felt. “Even before what you’d said tonight, I didn’t have any negative feelings about the past, Charlotte. I couldn’t be doing this with you—wanting to build a life with you—if I did. I was just…”
She rolled her lips, searching for the right words to describe the fullness of the feelings inside of her. “I’m marveling, to be honest.”
“Marveling?” Charlotte echoed, tentative amusement etched into her expression. She stopped angling herself away from Sutton, though, and resumed the soft stroking of her thumbs against Sutton’s face from where her hands cupped her jaw. “You were marveling over the fact that on your twenty-sixth birthday, you were unable to celebrate because I’d broken your heart?”
Sutton slowly nodded. Yes, and hearing Charlotte repeat it back to her, even in that tone, didn’t change anything.
She slid her hands down Charlotte’s arms, tugging her hold away from her face, and she laced her fingers through Charlotte’s. She wanted to feel that connection that existed between them like a living, breathing thing.
“Yes. I mean, at twenty-six, I loved you with everything I had. And, had things gone differently, our lives might look very different now. Maybe they wouldn’t.” She shrugged, shaking her head because the what-ifs just didn’t matter.
“But I’m marveling because, even now, thirteen years later, here we are. No matter what it took to get here—the lost time, the politics, the other relationships in between—we’re here. Together.”
They were in a different state, with different job titles, in different places in their lives, and they’d still found one another.
That fact settled inside of Sutton, filling every heartbreak she’d ever experienced.
She took a deep breath, the feelings nearly overwhelming her. “I guess it really is true, then.”
Charlotte tilted her head in silent, beseeching question, so Sutton explained.
“Good things really do come to those who wait.”
EPILOGUE
Sutton Spencer-Thompson was on a mission.
The first step of that mission was to find her wife, upon returning home from dropping Lucy off to be a counselor at her summer camp.
This mission was something that had been on her mind for months now, and she was finally ready to talk about it with Charlotte. Finally ready to share it. The excitement and anticipation that buzzed through her pushed her to walk a little more quickly through the first floor of their home.
Charlotte had moved in to live with Sutton and Lucy six months after Sutton had given her that key, all those years ago. At the time, Lucy had been thrilled, and Charlotte’s big move-in had seemed like more of a formality than anything.
After all, by the time Charlotte officially “moved in,” she’d been spending at least four or five nights with Sutton and Lucy every week already. Sutton had painstakingly cleared out half of her closet for Charlotte to hang her belongings and had purchased another dresser.
It had become abundantly clear within a few months, though, that Sutton, Charlotte, and Lucy all living together in Sutton’s townhouse wasn’t going to be an ideal fit. Though Charlotte had maintained ownership of her own larger home, moving into it hadn’t felt quite right either.
So they’d decided the best decision was to sell their houses and buy this one together, one that had enough space for both of them to have a home office as well as a guest suite for Dean and Caleb and for Sutton’s family to stay in when they visited.
And while Sutton loved this house they’d lived in for about eight years now, it was still large enough that she didn’t always know exactly where to find Charlotte. Or Lucy, if she was looking for Lucy. There was a lot of guesswork involved.
Honestly, it reminded Sutton a lot of the house she’d grown up in, and she loved that. Granted, her family had been so large that when you went searching for someone you would probably stumble upon another person who could point you in the right direction.
She paused, hearing a murmur that was distinctively Charlotte’s voice, and her heart skipped a beat as she headed in the direction of the kitchen.
And… there she was.
Despite her mission, Sutton paused. Crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe, she watched as Charlotte continued to mutter to herself as she stood at the counter. Her back was to Sutton, so she couldn’t quite see what Charlotte was working on, but it didn’t really matter.
She didn’t have to see what Charlotte was doing for the sight of Charlotte working determinedly on something to make her heart flutter in her chest.
The set of Charlotte’s shoulders was the same right now as it would be in a boardroom or behind her desk, firm and strong, under the long-sleeved shirt she wore, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.
It was the same shirt she’d put on this morning when she’d gone to work at the foundation. Only, when she’d kissed Sutton goodbye, this outfit had been perfectly maintained. Not a wrinkle in sight, of course.
Now, after having worn it through several meetings that she’d unfortunately had to go to on a Saturday morning, there were signs of wear. And the blazer she’d put on was missing as well. If Sutton were a betting woman, she’d wager that she’d find that blazer neatly folded over the wooden footboard of their bed.
Somehow it was still so crazy to her, at times, the fact that she was living this life with Charlotte. That she and Charlotte had bought a house together, that they’d gotten married, that they were raising her daughter together. That Sutton knew all of the little intricacies in Charlotte’s daily routine, down to a science.
She’d cited that in her wedding vows to Charlotte, seven years ago:
You were the first person I ever fell for. Truly, deeply fell for. And as much as I’d thought all of me had moved on from you, I was so, so wrong. Every day that we’re together feels like a dream. Loving you and being loved by you is everything I wanted but never thought I’d have. Being with you feels like something I’d imagined so long ago. I’d written this dream off as the naïve fantasy of a young woman who didn’t know any better, but it’s not. It’s real. You, Charlotte Thompson, really are the person I’d always dreamed you were. You really are the dream come true. And now I get to live the rest of my life with you, and I’ll never take that for granted. The reality is that I can’t imagine being happier than I am with you. We both went down other avenues in life without each other, and they didn’t work. We could exist in those other realities, but I would never be as happy as I am here, with you.
