Page 59 of Roar for Me
She nodded, unable to speak.
“I love you, Aurora.”
Her response was another searing kiss. She held onto him for dear life, taking one last taste of his mouth. When at last she released him, his eyes drifted open. Emotions swirled around their blue depths, emotions she couldn’t quite read. He pressed her hand to his lips, not breaking eye contact.
“Bye for now.” He released her hand and walked backwards until he was at the door.
Aurora couldn’t speak around the lump in her throat. She waved at him as he glanced back before shutting the hotel room door. Then she let herself cry.
The tears released the emotions she’d been bottling up for so long. He made her feel beautiful and seen for the first time in years. The air breathed cleaner, the sun shone brighter, but would he really return?
Wiping her eyes, Aurora closed that fear into a box of its own. She had a date with her daughter.
Duncan was solemn on the way back to the airport.
“You alright?” Mike asked in the rear-view mirror.
“I’m conflicted.”
“About what?”
“Aurora. I told her how I feel about her, and she hasn’t said it back yet.”
“A surviving spouse often experiences guilt when they find someone new. They may have trouble verbalizing their feelings, because they’re afraid that diminishes their relationship with the deceased.” Emily turned around with a gentle smile. “It’s very common. I see it in a lot of my clients.”
Duncan nodded. “What do you recommend?”
“Give her time. Patience is going to be key to a relationship with her.”
“There’s also the distance to reckon with.” Duncan rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t like the idea of a long-distance relationship without an end date.”
“Could you move operations out here?” Mike asked.
“I can’t lay off that many people, move away from my client base, and still have a successful business.”
“Where is her daughter going to school?” Emily asked.
“Riverton Park. She graduates next year.” Duncan shook his head. “I can’t imagine she’d agree to move before that.”
“Not to mention her job is here,” Mike added. “You could see if any healthcare facilities are hiring for something she can do.”
Duncan watched the trees go by in silence. “Her family is still here. She has other friends, her sister.”
“You’ll figure something out. I think you got taken by surprise at how fast things developed. You don’t have to know all the answers right away.”
They rode in hollow silence for a minute. “All I know is my condo is going to feel empty.”
Katie jumped into the car when Aurora pulled up to Jade’s house. She waved goodbye to her friends.
“Alright, Chewie, set a course for Mountain Rock U!” Aurora said.
Katie giggled and typed it into her mom’s GPS.
“How was your sleepover?”
“It was so fun! The photos turned out amazing! Especially the ones of you and Duncan.” Katie grinned. “I can’t wait to get the prints back.”
Aurora smiled. “What do you think of Duncan?”
