Love Takes a Village

Her home office hadn’t changed since she was fired—although she had significantly less to do there at the moment—but she supposed she could box up her stapler and some old file folders and carry them down to her apartment’s garage and back, at least for dramatic effect.

Lena found herself missing her, even after such a short time of knowing her.

The rest of it was beautifully smooth, after having been blended by a fully immersed immersion blender.

For a brief moment, Devin’s expression was unguarded. In that small bridge of time, Devin looked genuinely happy to see her, in a way Lena didn’t think she had ever been regarded by anyone before. It was something beyond friendship in the same way Lena’s earlier thoughts had crossed that boundary, and she knew she wasn’t alone in feeling a connection growing between them. If her reaction to seeing a mere inch of Devin’s skin wasn’t enough to make her run back through the swinging doors, out of the shop, and back home to Portland, then the way Devin had looked at her just now should have set her in motion, the equivalent of a starting gun.

“The bridesmaids will probably all look nauseated in the reflection of their green satin.”

all that existed were Devin’s lips pressed against hers. And when Devin teasingly bit her lower lip before sliding her tongue against Lena’s, she forgot her name and birthdate, too.

Besides, by the end of the day, she and her dad would both be so exhausted that they wouldn’t want to do more than poke holes in a plastic cover and microwave a frozen meal. A good, home-cooked…well, they would be there to support Lena, no matter how the food tasted.

“Just don’t try juggling the bottles,”

He came over to her and gave her one of his awkward half hug, half pat on the back kind of greetings usually reserved for special occasions.

during their phone call, they had ended each night together. Just on the phone, and one or the other usually fell asleep sometime during the conversation since their days were full and neither seemed to want to end their calls.

Devin watched Lena’s hands as she worked, admiring the dexterous way in which she always seemed to pick up new skills. And she watched Lena’s hair, her skin, the curves of her body. Their relationship was growing in the midst of daily life, but the physical side of it—although not fully explored—was always present between them. Devin loved the little touches, and how they each went out of their way to be close to, and to reach out for, each other.

“I think I’ll have my entire life figured out and on the right track by the twelfth of December,” she said. “About fifty years from now.”

“What a great name,” Jacquie said, picking him up. “I was a Jack once, too,” she said to Layla. “Not anymore, but I still love the name.”