Borrowed Time

Chapter 169

Valentine's day had never had an actual meaning to Juliette. That wasn't just something that meant that Shelby or Ingrid or Micheal probably couldn't hang out that night - it was normally just a time for her to go to bed early or watch a bad romcom with whoever might be available that night... Not anymore.

Now she understood the excitement that surrounded the date now that she was actually in love with someone, someone who deserved the world in addition to deserving the best possible Valentine's Day that she could give them.

She'd managed to keep what she'd planned mostly a secret with the help of Tegan, who'd successfully kept Esme out of the house for a little longer so that she could finish cooking dinner, set up rose petals, music, finish getting flowers... It was nice that he'd been willing to do that - and it was also a reminder to add even more to the birthday gift that she had for him for the following day - of course Tegan Seech, the boy who exudes love, was born the day after Valentine's Day... It just made sense.

Juliette looked in the mirror, smoothing her hands down the dress that Shelby had dropped off for her - black and form fitting, hitting her upper-mid thigh with a low neckline... She hoped Esme would like it, personally she felt that it clung a bit to her stomach, showing the way that her lower stomach stuck out a bit more, and the way that her hips had widened over the last year... But she knew Esme liked those things about her, so she wanted to accentuate them as best she could.

Even if this didn't end in Esme taking it off of her, she wanted to ensure that they liked the vision that they saw, nonetheless. She let out a shaky breath, pulling her hair forward from where it had fallen behind her shoulders, styling the framing pieces out of her face a bit more... She wasn't sure that she looked good - she was never sure of that - but she knew she didn't look bad...

Esme also never thought that she looked bad, or if they did they had the courtesy to simply keep it to themself so that Juliette didn't think too hard about it. Granted, if there was ever anything that they didn't like, she'd prefer that they tell her over not...

They would. Don't dwell on that, because they totally would.

Juliette was shaken from her thoughts by hearing the front door open and close, a heavy sigh accompanying it. Her heart raced even more in her chest.

Esme was home... Hopefully this would be enough to impress them, she wouldn't really know until she went out there.

"Baby?" They called, making Juliette clear her throat so that there was no nervous rasp accompanying the words that would be coming out of her mouth - that would be embarrassing, she didn't want to be embarrassing, she wanted to be cool. She had to be cool.

"I'll be out in a moment, love." She called back, giving herself one last look in the mirror, one last nod.

You've got this. She walked out to the dining room, seeing that Esme was still locking the door as she leaned in the doorway of the hallway, taking a deep breath before she cleared her throat, watching Esme turn around as they took in the dining room, the candles - their perfect fucking smile spread across their face, hitching up more on one side than it did the other like it always did, tugging her heartstrings even more than she thought was humanly possible.

God... They were perfect down to the last detail.

"What's all this?" They asked, and Juliette shrugged, splaying out her arms to the room, wanting to say more words than she was going to speak.

"Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart." Esme shrugged their jacket off, hanging it up before they made their way across the room in three long strides, pulling her into their arms, pressing a deep, lingering kiss to her lips, one that made her practically dizzy when they pulled away, pressing their forehead against hers.