Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 36478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 182(@200wpm)___ 146(@250wpm)___ 122(@300wpm)
I could tell how excited he was, and how much this meant to him by the way his words sped up. “It wouldn’t have to be confined to art or museums, either; it could help people see the beauty of the whole world. I could staff trained tour guides to act as travel buddies; they could provide assistance and safety to people who need a little help while traveling all across the globe.” He stopped to catch his breath before asking me, “What do you think?”
I leaned in closer to him so that our foreheads touched, so that he could feel the honesty of what I was about to say. “I told you that I knew you’d do great things in this world, and you prove me right time and time again. I am in awe of you, Sterling. I think it is the most amazing idea I’ve ever heard.”
He dropped my hands to wrap me in a bone-crushing hug. “Really? Because Cheryl told me that Evanston offers a tourism degree, and that she could set up a meeting with an admissions officer for me. I could use a voice recorder to take notes, and she said that the teachers would provide oral testing for me. But I didn’t want to move forward with it until I talked to you.”
It was sweet that he valued my opinion so much, but I just wanted whatever made him happy. “I think you should go for it, and I’ll be right beside you to support you in any way I can.”
“Thank you.” Sterling gave me a quick but firm kiss. “And thank you for helping me believe in myself, and to shoot for what I once thought was impossible. I love you so much.”
“I love you too.”
He smiled before it quickly faded away. “There’s one more thing I wanted to talk to you about.” His fingers started tapping his thighs, his tell-tale sign that this part of the conversation made him more nervous than the first. “I’ve not only been thinking about my future career, but my future with you, too.” This is a good talk, this is a good talk, I reminded myself again.
“You said you’ll be right beside me, and that’s what I want; not just in this, but all of the time. I want to lay down beside you at night and wake up beside you in the morning. I want you close so that we can talk about and share everything. I was wondering…would you be interested in…moving in with me?”
“Yes,” I answered without even having to think about it.
“Really?” He asked again, as a wide grin lit up his face. “Because I understand if you need more time. And I also know that it will be hard to leave your apartment that you’ve had for so long. I would move into your place, but I know my house so well, and Cooper knows the walk to the school, which will help when I start classes, and-”
I quieted him with a soft kiss to his lips. “Sterling, my apartment is nothing more than four walls and a roof. You are where my home is.” Besides, I knew that the location and layout were important to him, and I was pleased that he shared his needs with me. “I want to be wherever you are.”
He squealed as he took me in another tight hug. “This is the best day of my life.”
I chuckled but answered seriously, “Mine too.” I was head over heels with love and happiness for Sterling, and so grateful to my friend Cheryl for helping him. I’d have to send her flowers or something as a thank you. Oh, flowers!
“Speaking of Cheryl reminds me of something.” I rose from my chair and grabbed an item from my desktop. “She fired our vase again; it’s all finished.” Sterling and I had returned to the pottery lab after our clay was dry to paint on a ceramic glaze. “It’s a deep red color, and I may have picked some tulips from the quad for you.”
Sterling beamed as he held out his hands, and I placed the vase in them. He traced his fingers along the sides and remarked, “It’s so much smoother now.” They continued up to feel the petals of the flowers, which he took a big whiff of. “I love them. Thank you.”
“You’re so welcome. Now…” I opened a drawer of my desk and pulled out the lunch I packed for us. “Let’s eat and we can talk all about these big plans of yours.”
Sterling nodded enthusiastically, and we dug into lunch as we discussed a future full of adventure, service, and love.
Chapter Nine
“Before we continue on with our analysis of The Lord of the Rings, I want to tell you a little bit about its author, J.R.R. Tolkien,” I announced to my class. This lecture was the last thing I wanted to be doing; I’d rather still be in my office with Sterling, but I had to finish my work for the day, and he headed home a while ago. I missed him already, but it was comforting to know that from that day forward, I got to go home to him every evening.