The Forever of Ella and Micha

of her, turn off the water, and we climb out. She wraps a towel around herself and I tie one around my waist. I feel so alive right now there are no words.
    She chews on her lip as she slants back against the wall. “What are you smiling about?”
    I shrug, rolling my tongue to retain the smile from getting bigger. “I didn’t know I was.”
    She kisses me on the cheek. “You have this big grin on your face, so just tell me what you’re thinking about.”
    “You really want the truth?” I question. “Because it’s intense.”
    She nods her head and her wet hair drips water down her shoulders. “I want the truth.”
    I kiss her lips lightly and whisper in her ear, “I was thinking how we could do this every day when we have our own place.”
    Her faltering breath hits my cheek and I worry she’s going to freak out. “I think we should start trying some different places beside the shower.”
    My grin enlarges as I lean back and search her eyes. “I could throw you down on our table. Or better yet, I could bend you over the banister.”
    “I don’t picture us having a banister,” she replies thoughtfully. “I think I just want a small apartment. It’s easier to keep clean.”
    “You’re getting me excited, Ella May,” I proclaim.
    “I’m glad. I want you to be excited.” She bites down on her lip. “I’m scared though. I mean this is huge, you know.”
    I’m glad she admits it to me. “Me too, but then I think about how we’re going to have the ‘no clothes on inside the house’ rule and I just get happy again.”
    She rolls her eyes and combs her fingers through her hair. “If you don’t end up moving to California, then what are you going to do?”
    “
We
are going to get are own place eventually no matter where we live,” I say and kiss her forehead. “You may think it’s fast, but you got to remember that technically you and I have been living together since we were kids. I mean, we barely left each other’s side since we were six.” I pause as tears abruptly fill her eyes. “Baby, what’s wrong?”
    She wipes the tears away with the back of her hand. “It’s nothing. I just really want it to work out.”
    Hugging her against me, I rest my chin on top of her head and gently rub her back. “It will, and you want to know why?” I ask and she nods. “Because most people go into this blind. They don’t know the bad side of the person they’re with. But we know each other’s flaws and cracks—we know what we’re getting into and that makes us stronger.”
    “I really do love you.” She tightens her arms around me.
    “I love you too,” I reply, trailing kisses down her neck. “More than anything.”

Chapter 19
Ella
    I’m proud of myself for telling the truth to Micha and for not worrying too much during the trip, at least so far. By the time I’m dressed and walking out of my room, I’m feeling kind of happy. When I enter the kitchen, however, my good feeling deflates.
    Caroline is by the stove, with her black hair wound up out of her face, stirring a pan with an apron tied around her waist. Micha is over by the microwave waiting for the butter to heat up, wearing a pair of jeans that hang loosely at his hips and his blond hair is a little damp still from the shower. Dean is at the table, in slacks and a button-down shirt, and he’s peeling off the husk of the corn on the cob.
    “We brought them with us,” he explains when he notices me staring at the corn. “Caroline wanted them.”
    “Oh. Okay.” I turn to Caroline. “What still needs to be cooked?”
    She shoos me away with her free hand. “You are not cooking anything.”
    I pick up a spoon off the counter. “I always cook Christmas dinner.”
    “Which is why it always sucked,” Dean remarks under his breath as he tosses a husk into the garbage.
    “I did my best,” I say. “And it’s not like I wanted to. No one else would. And half the time no one would eat it.”
    Caroline turns the stove’s temperature down. “You are not cooking this year. It’s not right that you’ve spent your whole life taking care of everyone else.”
    I glance over my shoulder at Micha. “What have you been telling her?”
    The microwave beeps and he opens the door. “I didn’t tell her anything.”
    Perplexed, I look at my brother. “Did you…”
    Rolling his eyes, he tosses a cob into a large crockpot on the table. “Look, all I did was mention that you cooked for us almost everyday while I was growing