This Was Meant To Be

“You look better,” said Harrison.

“Was starving,” she mumbled through a stuffed mouth. At least, she meant to, but what came out were a few incoherent gargling sounds.

But Harrison got it.

“No, I meant you look better than you have in a long while. You’re well rid of him, Leigh. I know you’re still grieving, I know you had many hopes and dreams, but I think you’re beginning to realize that a lot of them were never going to come true. A lot of them were just in your head. Not that you didn’t deserve to have every single one of them come true. You did, and you do. But I don’t think the Carl in your head was the same as the Carl you were actually living with.”

Leigh had been slowly coming to the realization herself. It still hurt, though, to have it pointed out.

But she could be honest with Harrison, couldn’t she? It didn’t matter if she told him the truth.

“I’ve been feeling guilty because the last few days, I’ve been relieved that it’s over. I hadn’t realized how stressful it had gotten. I’m doing better at work, too. I can handle Slimy Willie’s tricks much better now.”

Harrison chuckled at her name for the man. It was perfect for him.

Harrison had met him, socially, and disliked him immediately.

“Want me to rough him up for you?”

Leigh laughed.

“I don’t think so. If it’s to be an even fight, anyway, I’d need to do it myself. He’s a bit of a wuss.”

Harrison knew that that was true, too.

He had always been surprised that Leigh’s usually on point and shrewd judgment of men had gone so completely haywire around Carl.

But she was rid of him, he reminded himself.

So was he.

Spending the last few weeks with Leigh had been wonderful – and torture. He had had to hold her while she cried, and he had needed to make her smile again. But he could only comfort her as a friend.

With every minute he spent with Leigh, the feelings he’d always had for her, the feelings he had for so long tried to suppress and deny in every way he could, rose higher and higher, became more and more potent, and insistent.

He knew she needed time, but he wanted her to know how he felt, and know that she could have all of her dreams, but for real, this time.

But he had to be patient. A proclamation of romantic interest wasn’t what she needed now. She needed a friend, and he would give her what she needed.

If, in the end, she didn’t feel for him what he felt for her; if she couldn’t see herself feeling that way, ever, then they would be friends.

He would not give up the closeness they had rebuilt, not for anything.

But he hoped that one day not too far away, they would have more than that between them.

A man could hope, couldn’t he?

So he listened as Leigh talked about work, and he talked to her about everything and anything he could think of, too, and treasured every moment he spent with her. He reined in the impatience and that need ruthlessly.

He would give her what she needed, no matter how difficult it was, and he would treasure her trust and friendship even if they turned into nothing more. Because her friendship was precious, in and of itself, and he would always value it.

He would never give it up.

*****

Three more weeks found Leigh bouncing back, well and good, and happier than she had felt in a while.

Of course, there was an excellent reason for that, apart from Harrison – Emily was finally coming back.

Emily had told Leigh, very firmly, that she did not need to be picked up, but she was going to stay with Leigh for a couple of days before she went home.

That had always been the plan, since Emily had sublet her apartment before leaving, and the lease had been extended when her plans changed. The students who were living there had three more days.

Leigh was glad, and she was cooking.

Emily had always had a weakness for pot rice and wonton soup, and she was making both – from scratch.

She had a feeling she might regret it. Emily would probably regret it, too.

But hell, she felt like celebrating, and she wanted to feel like she had earned it.

Work was going well, far better than she’d hoped, because Slimy Willie had the flu. There was a part of her that hoped that it would be debilitating and might require him to retire and live off the considerable wealth of his family.

That part of her got bigger and bigger with every productive day at work, especially when Coleman noticed her excellent work and commended her for it.

Long may it last, she hoped.

Harrison had been busy, but he had still made time for her. She hadn’t had to ask him to give her some time alone with Emily, either. He had understood, and his happiness for her had been genuine.

Leigh was beginning to wonder if she had gained far more than she had lost, after all.

Maybe she had, and she wouldn’t be foolish enough to let it all go again.

She tried some of the food and decided that it wasn’t too bad. After whatever Emily had been surviving on while she was on her project, it would probably taste pretty good.

Her doorbell rang, and she ran to the door.

Opening it, she squealed when she saw Emily.

They hugged each other, clinging to each other and jumping a little on the spot, both jabbering about how glad they were, until Leigh felt herself dissolve into tears she simply could not stop.

Seeing Emily, tall and lanky, with the spectacles she hated but wore all the time because she hated contacts more, the curly dark hair bundled up on top of her head, dressed in loose clothes that hid a body that most supermodels starved for but had been bestowed by friendly genetics fairies on Emily, was simply more than Leigh could take.

“Oh, Leigh, honey, come on in. Come on in and we’ll talk about it all night. I’ve brought wine and food.”

Emily sniffed as she dragged the two bags that were all she had inside, and closed the door, as at home with Leigh as she would be by herself.

“Except you’ve cooked, so we’ll stuff this in the fridge and eat what you made. That smells amazing. It’s all going to be fine, my Leigh. We’ll sort everything and everybody out. You wait and see.”

Leigh smiled through her tears.

“Oh, I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you, Em. I… God, I missed you!”