Wherever the Dandelion Falls (72 page)

Luckily she seemed to realize the issue needed to be addressed as well. “We’ll figure out how to work with your job. As long as you’re happy, I’ll keep trying to understand.”

I nodded and wiped under my eye, certain my makeup was doing all kinds of crazy things. Acknowledging that we had to work on how my job fit into our relationship better was a relief.

Faye continued. “Maybe you can try living with me in my studio for a week or two before we think about getting our own place. It’s totally up to you, and you can take all the time you need to decide. But I’m ready to work on this with you every day for the next... long time,” she said with a gentle shrug.

I thought about Faye’s apartment with her sweet little cat and how she wanted me to become part of her furniture. She really did love me as much as I loved her. That made my tears start up again with happiness. She had just told me that I was her most special person. I already knew she was mine.

“Yeah,” I said, throat still sticky from crying.

“You’ll think about it?”

I shook my head before burying it back in her neck. I sniffled for a moment before sitting up again. “I’m ready to work on this for the next long time too,” I said.

At that her face split into a smile and she took my face in her hands.

“This is the best day of my life,” she said, staring into me.

I sniffled and rolled my eyes, unwilling to believe I could make someone as beautiful and perfect as Faye have the best day of her life when I was such a mess and had just talked about my ex for half an hour.

“You are so beautiful,” she cooed.

I let out a shaky laugh. I knew my face was puffy and blotchy and my eyes were red from crying. “I’m a hot mess,” I muttered.

She shrugged and scrunched up her nose in that cute little Faye way. “You’re
my
hot mess.”

I let out a gasping breath and saw her blink as it landed on her face. “Yeah,” I said quietly, leaning forward to give her a gentle kiss. “I’m your hot mess.”

At that she drew me into her side, tilting my head against her shoulder again. “Love you, Riley,” she murmured. “Especially your Whys.”

“So now what?” I asked, placing the last box in the kitchen on the counter. Justine had moved out the week before, and everything was barren except for a few things I hadn’t taken down yet.

“I guess we ride off into the sunset or something,” Faye said, winking at me.

I rolled my eyes. “That’s just irresponsible.”

“Says the girl who did nothing with her Master's in neuroscience.”

If it were anyone else, I would have bristled at the jab. But it was Faye, and she was kidding. She loved that I'd taken my own path.

Standing there, breathing heavily from dozens of trips up and down my stairs, she had a light sheen of sweat and smudge of something on the side of her nose. Her ponytail had a shark fin on the right side and her necklace was stuck lopsided to the sweat on her chest.

She was a mess, and I loved her for it.

“Ride off into the sunset, huh?” I said, stepping towards her.

She grinned her sunshine grin with sarcastic enthusiasm.

I threaded my arms around her waist and kissed her cheek and then the dust smudge on her nose.

“Okay,” I said.

I felt her melt a little. But rather than swooning myself, that sway in her foundation, however lovely, made me nervous. It reminded me how temporary everything is.

“Just… promise me you’ll still be here after the sun has gone down and we’re wondering why we thought it was a good idea to get on a horse at this hour and ride far away without food or lodging planned out.”

Faye giggled, then calmed, resting her head on my shoulder. “I’ll still be here.”

I held her closer and hushed circles against her back with my hands. “Good.” I held her until we were both soothed and breathing steadily.

I closed my eyes again, relishing Faye’s warm body against mine, soaking it up in this moment of closeness. Every moment with her like this is to be treasured, because sometimes good things are fleeting.

But then again, sometimes they're not.

I opened my eyes, readying to begin the long process of unpacking our belongings and figuring out how they fit together in our new apartment across town. My gaze landed on the refrigerator, which was bare, save for my acceptance letter to the UCSF Master’s in Public Health program. Holding it to the fridge was a magnet Justine had left. I’d seen it hundreds of times before, but I took it in as though for the first time.

When you have come to the edge of all that you know

And are about to step off into the darkness of the unknown

Faith is knowing one of two things will happen:

There will be something solid to stand on,

Or you will be taught to fly