My Saving Grace

Chapter 45

"I totally see how Antonio gets jealous now," Alexa remarked once she put her seatbelt on.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.

"Can we drop the subject? Please?"

"Are you gonna admit you have feelings for Chase or no?", she rebuked.

My gaze whipped to her face, and I fought to keep my tone calm.

"I love my husband, Alexa. I'd give my life for him. Until he does something that warrants separation, I don't ever plan on leaving him."

She raised her hands in defense.

"I'm not asking you to leave Antonio. I'm just asking if you have feelings for Chase."

"My feelings for him are purely platonic. He's a good friend, and I'm very fond of him is all."

"Okay okay, I get it. Don't get mad or anything."

"I'm not mad."

"Good. When is Antonio coming home?"

"Sunday afternoon," I replied.

"That's too bad. I won't get to see him."

I gave a slight shrug then began the short drive home.

As soon as we arrived, Alexa passed out on my bed, and I shot a quick text to Chase informing him we'd made it back safely before joining her, falling into a deep sleep.

We spent the following day visiting the Walk of Fame and Wax Museum then hiked to the famous Hollywood sign before shopping to our heart's content in Beverly Hills. At Alexa's insistence, we went out again at nighttime and danced until the early morning hours at a club in downtown LA. We Ubered to and from, of course, since we knew we'd be drinking heaps.

Saying good-bye to Alexa never got any easier, and when I dropped her off at the airport the next day after we'd eaten breakfast, tears flooded my eyes as we hugged in my car.

"Thanks for making this the best birthday I could ever ask for. I'm so glad we got to spend time together, just us two," I said.

She wiped the tears from her own eyes.

"I'd fly across the country to see you any day. Take care, alright? And remember, I'm awaiting my godmother title."

I laughed.

"I haven't even been married a full year yet. Give us time, will you?"

"You know I'm teasing. You should have kids when you both are truly ready and at a stable point in your marriage. Now's the time to fully immerse yourselves in each other and figure out what works and what doesn't. You know, smooth out any rough patches and stuff so that a couple years down the road when that baby does come, you'll be set."

My eyes slightly widened in awe.

"Whoa, look at you go. Spoken like a true marriage counselor."

She smirked.

"It's my side hustle. Send Antonio my love, okay?"

"I will. Keep me updated on David and his proposal."

"For sure." She opened the car door and glanced back at me. "I love you, bestie. See you again soon."

"Love you, too. Have a safe flight."

During my drive home, I reflected on Alexa's words of wisdom. She was right—having a baby was a giant step in any marriage. Financially, Antonio and I were more than capable of raising a baby, so we were stable in that regard. However, we still had "rough patches" to smooth out...namely, his jealousy and short temper. In time, though, the former would go away, but the latter was a part of his character. I'd just have to learn to deal with it.