I snuggle against him happily, feeling safe in his embrace. We stay in silence for a while, lost in our own thoughts.

Finally I turn to look at him, a smile tugging at the corners of my lips. "That was amazing."

He grins at me and pulls me closer. "You were amazing," he corrects gently. "Thank you for trusting me."

I blush at his words. He knows what a big step for me this was and what this means for us.

He kisses the top of my head before resting his chin on it.

"I love you, Amelia," he says quietly.

“You are the love of my life, Ben. Thank you for never giving up on me.”

30

Perfect

Epilogue

Ben

Oh, that is disgusting.

“Furball!” I shout as I toe off my football boots. A grey slimy mass is stuck to the bottom of my sock. Lately Smutty’s favourite place to vomit is my shoes.

A tiny black head peeks around the corner. He knows what he’s done and he will avoid me and repay me with extra snuggles this evening. I know his routine by now. I take my sock off carefully to avoid dropping any of the slime on the floor and take it to the laundry room together with my soiled boots.

Me

Furball left me a present in my boots. I’ll have to wash them so unless one of you has a spare pair for me I’ll have to give football a miss today.

Coop and I have joined my brother-in-law in the village football team. Robbie was annoyed because it meant we had to move our weekly lunch, but now that I have more time I usually take Fridays off and we have our lunch date then.

Hiring a general manager was the best idea Coop ever had. She’s amazing and we both feel that soon we’ll only have to go into the office a couple of times a week. The only thing that would complete our happiness is if Amelia and Lizzie had a bit more free time. But these are two stubborn women.

Coop

Don’t worry! We just got here and the rain from yesterday has turned the pitch into a lake. I’m heading home to Lizzie.

Me

Great!

“You are one lucky cat,” I tell Furball, who’s sitting at a safe distance in the kitchen watching me scrape his vomit from my boot. When he hears the front door Smutty shoots into the corridor probably with the aim of begging for some belly rubs.

“Hey Mister, see this? Now you won’t be able to vomit in Ben’s shoes anymore,” Amelia giggles.

“Too late darling,” I hold up exhibit A.

“Ben, what are you―” Her eyes drift to Smutty. “Not again. I’m so sorry. But I bought you a rack with doors so he can’t get to your shoes anymore.” She points at the box next to her.

“You bought us a shoe rack,” I correct her before dropping my boot on the floor.

“I don’t live here,” she protests but willingly snuggles up in my arms when I hold them out to her.

“You would if I had my way.” I mean, she basically is. She stays here every night. Every so often she makes a weak attempt at suggesting to sleep at her flat but me and Furball gang up on her. He hides from her and I refuse to help her look for him. In the end, we win and everyone is happy.

“Ben!”

“Let’s be practical here; you pay a lot of rent each month and for what?”

“Well, maybe Smutty and I should sleep at home more often,” she suggests and places a soft kiss on my chin.

“Wrong! Give up your flat.”

“And then what?”

“Move in here,” I grin.

“What’s the rent?” Shit, this is different, is she going to give in? She better not be toying with me.

“No rent.”

“I have to pay rent,” she protests.

“Why?”

“Because―”

“Excellent argument,” I chuckle. “This house is paid off. I don’t pay rent. This house is mine, there’s no mortgage on it, nothing. Come on. Just move in.”

I see the conflict in her eyes.

“Please,” I beg. Yes, I’m not ashamed to do that. “I can guarantee you daily orgasms,” I whisper.

“Ben!” she laughs but then relaxes in my arms. “Fine, I’ll call my landlady on Monday.”

“You’re making me very happy.”

“Yeah, yeah, you just want someone to bake you cakes,” she jokes but there’s joy in her face.

I pick up my boot from the floor and head back to the utility room.

“How was therapy?” I call out. Amelia is emptying groceries from her shopping bag into the fridge.

“Good, she encouraged me to talk with you about something I’ve been meaning to bring up,” she says casually, but her body is tense.

“What is it?” I drop on one of the stools next to the breakfast bar.