More to You ✔

Chapter 63 - Hold On (Maria)

Emma raised her glass. "Cheers to the lovebirds."

Prae's cheeks reddened, and she whispered something to Tom. Soon, everyone raised their glasses and indulged in the icy margarita shots, except Mitch, who was drinking a Coke. Tom leaned in to kiss Prae on the lips, eliciting a catcall from Emma. Prae pulled away with a red face but tucked her head on Tom's shoulder.

"You have to see Tom's photos of the hotel. They're amazing," Becca gushed to Priya and Shawn.

Tom pulled out his phone and scrolled through the photos. Prae graced nearly every single one, from her smiles to her storybook gown and hair Maria had helped do to the couple's pose with Tom in a suit. While Maria was happy Tom had moved on, her heart ached with her and Mitch keeping their distance. She had a man who wanted to be with her, but they weren't free to celebrate it yet, and it had been almost a month. He had said close, but that could mean anything from weeks to months.

As if he read her mind, he squeezed her knee under the table. "Want to go for a walk?"

Did he have news, or was he helping her save face? Maria nodded as she welcomed either option.

He studied her with a neutral expression as the street grew quieter and more residential. Cicadas replaced the hum of traffic. "It's hard to watch them be happy when we have to wait. You're not having second thoughts about this or me, are you? It's okay if you are."

"No, it's the right choice, and you're the only person I'd want to share that with."

Mitch smiled and fished into his pocket. "I was going to save this surprise for later, but you may need this pick-me-up. You might be a little mad, and I should have asked, but I can always change it if you're against it." He drew out his phone and swiped into his e-mail. An airline carrier's name appeared, and soon he'd opened a PDF of a ticket from Bangkok to...

"Edmonton?" Maria exclaimed in a high-pitched tone. It listed her first name and her slew of Biblical middle names as the passenger.

"For Sun and Dan's baby shower. I know you're dying to go, and nothing we do here would compare. So we can visit them, you'll see your family again, and maybe we explore the Rockies, or the coast, or whatever you decide. You can say no, or yes, or anything." He stared at her with wide eyes.

"I... I..." Was this real? Would she see her family in a few weeks, attend the shower, and have Mitch at her side? The man who had advocated for hookups and broken up with Becca over a family dinner a few months ago? He had changed so much.

Maria wrapped her arms around him instead to show her appreciation. "I won't be able to pay you back for a while."

"It's a gift, Maria."

"That's far too much."

"The school paid for one, so it's like I only paid for mine. Plus, I got a generous signing bonus for staying on another year and accepting the keystage position. It would be wrong to show up without you, and I miss Dan and Sun too much to stay here. If anything, you're doing me the favour by accompanying me."

Maria stared up into his blue eyes then at his full lips. "I know I'm not supposed to say it, but I want to kiss you so badly right now."

Mitch's smile didn't quite match his sad gaze. "About that, my therapist said... hey, don't make that face. You haven't heard her advice."

She crossed her arms. "None of your therapist's advice has advanced our not-yet relationship." It wasn't bad advice. She was just growing restless.

The smile remained on his lips and grew. "You might like this more."