Destiny Rules: The Sequel

Chapter 37

~Four Months Later~

December 21, 2010

Stevie sat at a hightop chair in her kitchen, leaning across her countertop with a hot cup of coffee in hand. In the background, the sound of the news came from the TV in the next room, while the sound of the washing machine rattled down the hall. It was a normal morning at home spent in mundane quiet as she'd just sent her daughter Lily off to school. Taking another spoonful of yogurt, she froze at an unfamiliar sound entering the mix. Before she had time to process or react, she could hear the door open and footsteps coming through the house.

"Steph?" His voice called, sending a calm throughout her body just as she'd begun to panic.

She swiveled her chair around to face him as he entered the room. He wore the same old v-neck t-shirt he'd been wearing for years, with the same skinny jeans she couldn't get him to part ways with. His graying curls sat perfectly atop his head the same way they always did, looking like home.

"Someone's making use of their new key right away, huh?" She teased as he approached her.

"Why wait? Plus, I come bearing some news I think you may be interested in hearing."

"Oh, yeah? Come here, I've missed you," she whined, pulling him by the shirt as she stood up and backed against the kitchen island.

"Mmm," he growled as her lips found their way down his neck, "Maybe you wouldn't miss me so much if you let me sleep over here on school nights."

"Linds, you know the rules."

"You smell like cinnamon," he ignored her, kissing at her lips now.

Smiling against his mouth, she let him envelope her body in his, his arms wrapping around her and tugging at the belt of her robe playfully. Nipping at his lower lip, she pulled back with a smirk.

"What's this news?" She asked, all too impatient.

"Guess what?"

"What?"

"I have an early Christmas present for us," he teased, pulling a folded up paper out of his back pocket.

Curiously, she eyed him. "What's that?"

"Look at it," he handed the paper to her and she slowly unfolded it, her eyes on his the entire time before she looked back down. Lindsey watched as she stared at the words on the page, eagerly awaiting the first expression that would show on her face. Her nose crinkled and she looked back up him with a glare, sending a wave of panic through his body—that was not the reaction he was looking for.

"Lindsey, I don't have my glasses on, if you think I can read a word of what this says...."

"Jesus Christ," he took the paper back from her with with a playful huff, causing them both to smile.

"What's it say?"

He leaned in further to her, his lips teasing up her jawline towards her ear. "It says....my divorce is officially finalized."

She pulled back with a look of surprise, the light in her eyes unmistakable, "Really?!"

"Mhm, it seems I am officially a single man."

"But I thought your lawyer said it looked like it wasn't going to go through until next year?"

"A holiday miracle," he grinned, "And I may have had him add in another something for her to speed up the process."

Wrapping her arms around his neck affectionately, she leaned in slowly to place a kiss directly on his lips again, pulling back to look him in the eye. They stood like that, forehead to forehead up against the kitchen counter, for a few seconds to bask in the moment they'd been waiting for for three months now.