Turning the Page

Jessica felt wonderful. Not merely happy. Not merely content.

Wonderful.

She'd thought she understood what love felt like before Roy entered her life. She'd been married once. She'd built a family. She'd shared a home, a future, a child with another person. That had been love, if ever so brief...

Hadn't it?

Now she wasn't entirely sure. Because whatever she felt for Roy seemed to deepen every time she saw him.

Breakfast should not have changed anything. It had just been eggs and coffee and conversation. And yet somehow she had returned home feeling even more in love than she had been when she'd left.

Roy had that effect on her. It was like some sort of magic power he had that improved everything. Food tasted better. Sunshine seemed warmer. Problems felt smaller. The future felt brighter.

Jessica laughed softly to herself as she stopped at a red light. Magic powers. What a ridiculous thought. Roy didn't need magic. Roy was simply Roy. Kind. Patient. Funny. Affectionate. Attentive. A man who listened when she spoke. A man who made her feel interesting. A man who looked at her as though she was still worth seeing. As though she had always been worth seeing.

Traffic rolled forward. Jessica followed it automatically, fingers tapping lightly against the steering wheel of her SUV.

She wished he'd come home with her. Not because she needed constant attention. Not because she was insecure. Simply because she liked being around him. Liked hearing him laugh. Liked feeling his hand in hers. Liked seeing the shy smile that appeared whenever she complimented him. She would've loved another few hours together. Maybe a walk. Maybe a movie. Maybe simply sitting on the couch talking.

And yes, perhaps something more intimate eventually. There was no point pretending otherwise. Jessica desired Roy. Desired him deeply. Not because he looked like the men she'd been attracted to in her twenties. Quite the opposite. Roy wasn't polished. He wasn't flashy. He wasn't sculpted. He wasn't trying to impress anyone.

And somehow that made him infinitely more attractive.

Still, he'd said he had plans. When he'd told her, he'd seemed genuinely conflicted, wanting to stay with her, wanting to extend their precious time together.

But Jessica understood. The world, even Roy's world, didn't revolve around her. A man like him would have errands. Responsibilities. Other girlfriends.

Jessica respected that. She genuinely did. Roy's capacity to care for so many people remained one of the qualities she admired most about him. He never seemed overwhelmed. Never seemed resentful. Never treated affection like a finite resource.

He simply loved.

Openly.

Generously.

Freely.

That sort of man was rare. Rare enough that Jessica still occasionally worried she'd imagined him.

Pulling into her driveway, she considered her upcoming week. Monday morning was going to be chaotic. Stacked high with meetings, clients, paperwork, and deadlines. But the afternoon...

The afternoon was going to be surprisingly light.

A smile crept across her face. Maybe she could surprise him. Drop by his office. Bring coffee. Maybe lunch. Maybe some racy lingerie.

She'd never done anything like that before. Not even with Charles. Certainly not after Charles. But Roy was different. He deserved pleasant surprises. The idea made her grin as she climbed out of the vehicle.

By the time she stepped inside the house, it was nearly noon. Breakfast had lasted far longer than she'd expected. Not that she cared. Every minute had been lovely. If only she'd been able to slow down the clock, stretch her time with her boyfriend longer.

God.

She missed him already.

"Hey, Mom."

Jessica looked up.

Ava sat curled into one corner of the couch, scrolling through her phone. Pride swelled instantly. She was still amazed that she had become the mother of an adult, an eighteen-year-old beauty who had the entire world ahead of her to conquer. Her beautiful daughter. Her favourite person.

For years, the thought of Ava moving out had felt devastating. A terrifying ending, a loss. But now it felt different. Not easier, but softer. Less like closing a book, but more like turning a page to a new chapter.

And all of this because Roy had changed something fundamental inside her. She wasn't alone anymore. She didn't have to fear being alone anymore.

"Hey, sweetheart," Jessica said, setting down her purse.

"How was breakfast?"

Jessica laughed.

"Oh, dangerous question."

Ava lowered her phone.

"That good?"

"That good."

"So..." Ava tilted her head. "How'd it go?"

Jessica sat down beside her.

"Amazing."

"Mom."

"It was."

"Like... genuinely amazing?"

Jessica smiled.

"Genuinely amazing."

Ava snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Amazing? With that guy? Okay, now I need details."

Jessica folded one leg beneath herself.

"We talked for almost two hours."

"About?"

"Everything. Books. Work. Architecture. The future. Family. You..."

"Ugh, please leave me out of whatever this is," Ava groaned.

"Oh honey, I talked about you extensively," Jessica said, truthfully.

"Mom."

"What? I'm proud of you! What else am I supposed to brag about?"

Colour touched Ava's cheeks. Jessica continued anyway.

"And Roy listened. Really listened. He asks thoughtful questions. And he has this way of making you feel like what you're saying matters," she paused, and smiled softly. "He's a good man, Ava."

Ava was quiet.

"I know you don't quite understand," Jessica continued. "He's different than what you expected, but he really is the best possible boyfriend for me."

"I mean..." Ava hesitated. "He seems nice. But..."

"But?" Jessica prompted.

"But you're..." Ava gestured vaguely. "You're you."

"And?"

"Mom, I hate to break it to you," Ava rolled her eyes again, "but you're gorgeous. And he's..."

"A perfectly handsome man?" Jessica cut in with laughter in her voice.

"Mom," Ava's eyebrows went up the way Jessica had seen whenever she wanted to be heard. "Seriously. He's older than you. Shorter. Fatter. It's not that you're out of his league, it's like he's playing a different sport."

Jessica barked out a laugh.

"And dad was objectively prettier," Ava continued, ignoring her mother's outburst.

"Objectively prettier?" Jessica tried to quell her laughter. "Is that what this is? You want me to find some arm candy?"

"You know what I mean."

"I think I do, my girl," she reached over and squeezed Ava's knee. "Sweetheart, you're eighteen. I get that you want different things than I want. At your age, excitement matters. Social status, looks, fashion sense, all those things that are fun when you're young and setting out. And they're not bad things, but eventually..." Jessica paused, "...eventually you start realizing that attraction isn't always what you expected."

"Yeah, I get that," Ava said, folding her arms in front of her, "but why did it have to be that guy?"

"The things that I appreciate about Roy are big and deep. He's so kind, so reliable, so dedicated. But more than what he is, it's how he makes me feel. When I'm with him my life feels lighter. My world feels bigger. I feel free to be who I'm meant to be."

Her expression softened.

"Roy does that for me. He woke something up inside me that I genuinely thought I'd lost. The ability to trust. The ability to feel excited about someone. The ability to imagine a future with another person." Jessica smiled. "I thought I was happy before Roy. And I was. I had you. I had my career. But happiness isn't the same thing as feeling loved."

Ava looked up. Jessica could see something shifting behind her eyes. Careful consideration. Curiosity. Empathy.

"I want that for you someday," Jessica said. "I want you to find your own Roy. It doesn't have to be exactly like him, but someone who makes you feel safe, cherished, and loved deeply. I want you to feel seen. I want you to be seen. Once you find your Roy, you'll understand."

Ava was quiet for several seconds. Then she sighed.

"Okay."

Jessica raised an eyebrow.

"Okay?"

"I'll give him a chance."

A smile tugged at Ava's mouth.

"I still think you're way out of his league."

Jessica laughed.

"That opinion is noted."

"But I'll try," Ava uncrossed her arms. "I promise."

Jessica leaned over and kissed her daughter's forehead.

"That's all I ask."

Ava smiled.

"And if he makes you happy..." She shrugged. "...he can't be that bad."

"Quoting song lyrics?" Jessica stood, grinning. "I'll take that as approval."

"Conditional approval. And I have no idea what old person song you're talking about."

"Fair enough."

Chuckling to herself, Jessica headed upstairs toward her bedroom. It was going to be great weather that afternoon, and gardening sounded nice. Something grounding. Something peaceful.

She slipped off her heels. Unfastened her skirt. Set it neatly across the chair. Her top followed moments later.

Standing in front of the mirror, she caught herself smiling again.

Roy was on her mind. Already. Again. Always.

What was he doing right now? Was he thinking about her? Did he miss her already?

She hoped so. Because she certainly missed him.

And she had a feeling that wasn't going to change anytime soon.