Cilla’s a pain in the ass. But I guess I knew that going in.

Jones is back at his apartment and thriving. He still goes to see Dr. Moore weekly, although it’s down to once a week rather than two now. That’s progress. I also got him a job with someone I know working construction. Figured a guy like Jones needs the physical work. It keeps the mind healthy and it exhausts him so he can’t get himself into trouble.

Cilla is living with me although she refuses to give up her apartment. I don’t know what she’s waiting for but it’s a waste of money to pay rent on a place you don’t use. And, if I’m honest, I don’t like the fact that she has it. That she has a place to go that doesn’t include me. She’s writing again too, but it’s a book she’s working on now. A children’s book.

I park the car at Rockcliffe House and climb out. I see through the sliding glass door that she’s out back by the pool. Stripping off my suit jacket, I head toward the back. She doesn’t see me. She’s floating on her back in the center of the pool, eyes closed, arms and legs stretched so she’s the shape of a star. Her dark hair is fanned out and she looks so peaceful, so relaxed. I smile at the sight of her like this. Mine. All mine.

She opens her eyes a moment later and when she sees me, she smiles, submerges, swims to the edge of the pool.

“You’re going to get tan lines,” I say, grabbing her towel as she climbs out of the pool.

I hold the towel out to her as she approaches, a wicked look in her eyes. “You’d like me to swim naked, wouldn’t you?” she says, ignoring the towel and wrapping her dripping wet body around mine.

“This is an expensive suit,” I say, holding her to me. I close my eyes and kiss her, savoring the cool, wet slickness of her mouth, tasting chlorine and her.

“Then you shouldn’t be wearing it,” she whispers.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I tease with a wink.

I release her, and she picks up the towel, pats herself dry before sitting on the edge of a chair. She’s wearing a tiny little yellow bikini. Her little tits press against it, the nipples hard even though it’s warm out. I sit down beside her and we look out into the woods.

“How’s Jones?” she asks. I went to the construction site to see him today.

“He looks good. Mentioned a date tonight.”

“A date?” she turns to me, eyebrows high. “He didn’t say a word to me.”

“Because you’ll nag him.”

“I wouldn’t.”

“You would.” I wrap my arm around her shoulders and draw her to me. “Your lease is up in another month,” I say.

“You and my lease. It’s my apartment, so what’s it to you?”

“You spend all your time here. What’s the point of keeping it?”

“I don’t know. If you piss me off, I can go there?”

“I’ve pissed you off plenty and you haven’t left yet. What are you waiting for?”

She shrugs a shoulder, her face getting serious. “I like what we have,” she says, shifting her gaze to me. “I don’t want it to change.”

“You’re scared.”

She bites the inside of her cheek and looks back out into the woods.

“If anything changes, it’s going to be for the better,” I say.

Her smile is non-committal. “I don’t want to mess it up. Jinx it. Things are really good right now. I can’t really afford to lose that.”

“You’re not going to. We’re not going to. Cilla?”

She’s still looking away.

“Cilla, look at me.”

She does.

“I’m not going anywhere and you’re not going to lose anything. But I have to tell you one thing…it’s not enough for me anymore.”

I know she doesn’t understand when a flash of anxiety darkens her eyes. I reach into my pocket, retrieve the box, hold it out to her.

She looks at it, looks at me, then at it again. Her eyes are filling with tears.

I smile, lift the lid.

Her mouth falls open and she’s so quiet, quieter than she’s ever been.

She raises a hand tentatively, draws it back, then glances at me once before touching it with the tip of her finger.

“If I’d known all it took to dumbfound you was a ring, I’d have bought you a dozen by now.”

She chuckles, but it’s a nervous one.

I draw the ring out of the box and take her hand, make her look at me.

“I love you Cilla and I want more. I told you once I wanted everything. This is part of that. I want you to take my name and I want to put babies in your belly and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Marry me, Cilla.”

A tear slides down her cheek. “You can’t even ask that, can you?” she says as I slide the ring on her finger. It’s a perfect fit.

“I don’t want to give you a chance to say no.”

She drags her eyes from the ring to me. “I wouldn’t. I love you and can’t imagine my life without you.”

Taking her in my arms, I kiss her, things feeling different already, more complete. I think she feels it too.

“The lengths you’ll go to to get your way,” she teases when we break the kiss. “I’ll call the landlord tomorrow.”

“I’m glad that worked then. Now,” I stand, draw her to her feet. “Let’s go start on those babies.”

“Just how many babies are we talking here?” she asks as I lead her into the house and lift her in my arms to carry her up the stairs.

“Lots and lots and lots.” I kiss her.