Thirty Nine

Early the next morning, Emily awoke in Trent’s arms. She fit there as if they had been made for each other, and slept more solidly than she had in a very long time. She jumped up guiltily when she saw it was six in the morning.

“What is it?” Trent asked sleepily, startled by her sudden movement.

“I need to go back to my room,” Emily said. “They’ll be waking up soon. I should be there.”

Trent looked genuinely disappointed, but nodded. “Okay,” he agreed. “I can wait for you.”

She smiled and kissed him again, quickly, knowing that she was running a significant risk of not leaving.

“You won’t have to,” she said. “What are you doing this afternoon?”

“Relaxing. We never plan anything for the week or two after the tour. We’re always so burnt by the end that we just need to get away from each other. Why, what’s up?”

Emily sat back a bit and looked at him challengingly. “Well, I’m taking seven-year-old twins to the Science Centre. Would you like to join us?” Are you up for it? she asked silently. Or is this where the too-good-to-be-true part comes in and you bolt. To her surprise, he looked thrilled, and a little relieved.

“I’ve always wanted to go to the Science Centre!” he exclaimed, then got a touch serious for a second. “But I was kind of afraid you’d…” He broke off.

Emily looked at him with interest. He was so transparent, now that she knew what to look for; she realized he was as insecure about her as she had been about him.

“Oh, honey, if you had any idea what’s been going through my head since I heard you sing that song,” she said, taking his face in her hands, looking into those eyes, wanting to erase his doubt with kisses.

“So you liked it then?” he asked, sounding like a lost little boy.

“Yes,” she laughed, seeing the expression on his face. “I liked it a lot.”

She kissed him and extracted herself from their tangle of bedclothes. “We’ll meet you out front at noon,” she said. “Wear your roller skates.”

He looked at her quizzically. “Roller skates?” he asked.

“Have you ever been to the Science Centre with two seven-year-olds?” she asked. “You’ll need them, trust me.”

He chuckled. “Oh, I get it. You’re telling me that your kids are a handful. It’s okay, I can handle it.”

“Don’t be so sure. We’ll see you at noon.” Emily kissed him one last time and got up.


It was with contentedness and relief that Emily watched Trent interact with her children that afternoon. He had met them in the lobby of the hotel and she introduced him to Ellen and the twins. It was obvious to Emily that Ellen liked him instantly, as she winked subtly at Emily and said, “Have fun, all of you,” before she headed off for her workshop. Emily knew things were fine with Ellen, and it felt like a huge weight was lifted.

At the Science Centre, Emily bought tickets for all of them, and then sat back and observed. Trent was a natural with children, and when she commented out of their earshot, he admitted that he’d grown up with younger siblings. “It’s why I like to perform,” he said. “I never got any attention, as the oldest of seven, unless I was acting out.” It was a telling comment, and explained a lot, Emily acknowledged.

Trent was as enthralled with the various exhibits as Ava and Aidan were. He was right in there, to the point that Emily had to ask, “Have you really never been here before?”

“No, never,” Trent admitted, and Emily gaped incredulously.

“I can’t believe a native Torontonian has never been here,” she mocked.

“Ah, but I’m not from Toronto,” he smiled mysteriously, and refused to admit more that afternoon. The odd non sequitur made her realize how much she didn’t know about Trent Buchanan, and a new glimmer of excited anticipation ran down her spine at the prospect of finding out everything that there was to know.

The afternoon passed in a blur, and Emily grew fonder of Trent with each minute. He was so easy with the kids, and they seemed as if they had known him forever.

As the afternoon ended, and they agreed to hit a kid-friendly restaurant, with no qualms from Trent, when it occurred to Emily that she had not thought of Thomas in hours. She realized it without guilt or concern, but with relief. In that moment, she knew that while Thomas may have been her first love, he was not her only. She sensed, as soon as the thought occurred that he was somewhere watching, and he was happy for her. She felt at peace. Suddenly, it was clear to her that Ellen’s words were correct; Thomas wanted her to be happy, and Emily knew now that Trent was the key to her future happiness. It was as if Thomas was there and telling her to go for it. The realization hit Emily with physical force, and she reached up to kiss Trent, in the middle of a crowd, in front of her children, so sure was she that it was the right thing to do. It was no surprise that he kissed her back, with an urgency that told her that he understood her epiphany and celebrated it with her. As if to reinforce the rightness of it, Ava looked over at them at that moment, and Emily caught a look of such relief on her face, that tears welled in Emily’s eyes.

“What, honey,” Emily asked her.

“I’m glad you’re not sad, Mommy,” Ava said, oddly perceptive for her young age, and Emily dropped Trent’s hand to walk around the table to her. She knelt down and gripped her daughter in a fierce hug.

“No, honey, I’m not sad,” Emily said though her tears. "Not anymore."

“Good, Mommy,” Ava said simply, and went back to her chicken fingers and fries. With her daughter’s intuitive comment, Emily knew all possible barriers had been removed, and she was free to explore the possibility and promise of this new love, with the blessing of all her most important people. Emily wiped away her tears of joy and looked at Trent, who sat across from her, beside Aidan, and everything was right.

Thomas was there, in the look and spirit of her children, and Emily knew that it was okay to let him go. She would be thankful of her brief time with Thomas every time she looked at her children, and while she knew she would miss his friendship and his presence forever, she need not miss his love, because it was there with her always.

Emily saw Trent help Aidan wipe ketchup from his face as easily as if he’d known the boy all his life. It was deeply satisfying to Emily and she knew, with that simple gesture that she was in love with Trent, simply and completely, and as much to the point, that Thomas knew, and approved, and it was okay.

She told him then, unable to keep her realization to herself for a second. Looking at him, she reached across the table to take his hand, and said, “I love you.”

“I know,” he replied instantly, holding her hand in both of his and looking deep into her eyes. She was grateful for the chair under her, since her legs went weak with the gaze from his sea-green eyes. “I have loved you from the second I saw you.”

She knew without a doubt that it was true, and that this love was worth any risk she may need to take. She had survived the worst that fate had to offer; the man before her was offering solace from her pain, willing to accept her past, her present. Trent Buchanan was her life after Thomas, the life she had been waiting to start, and all she needed to do was tell him so. So she did.

“We can do this,” Emily said, taking his hand firmly in hers.

He looked at her and the unconditional acceptance on his face, the unquestioning understanding of the work he was in for, confirmed what she already knew, and had known from the moment that she met him.

“Let’s go,” she prompted, pulling at his hand.

“I’m right behind you, honey,” Trent said.

THE END