I'm A Twenty-Two Year Old Widow And I'm All Alone...

Moving In... Moving On...

It wouldn't be long, and Larissa would be talking, too.

We pulled in the driveway, and Anastasia got out of the car excitedly. Ryan wasn't working today... Instead, he was finally, officially, moving into my house. I got Larissa out of the car, and she pointed up to the sky.

"What's up there?" I whispered. "The sky! Ooh..."

"Hey, love," Ryan grinned, running up to me. "Hey, Lissy. How was school?"

"Yeah, Larissa loved it," I smiled. "Ana loved the attention... but she has a girl in her class who was just... cruel! She asked if Larissa was really Ana's sister."

"What did she say to the girl?" Ryan asked.

"The truth," I said happily. "Even though I'd lied to the kid first."

"Oh, that's good for teaching Ana a lesson," Ryan chuckled.

"I know what it's like when people are bullying you," I frowned. "Chelsea always stood up for me, because I was shy and people used to pick on me for it. Primary school sucked for me, but I was a cheerleader in high school... because of Chelsea..."

Ryan giggled.

"Ana's gonna snap one day," he sighed. "But it's their fault. They provoke her..."

"Let them learn that lesson for themselves," he chuckled.

We walked inside to find Anastasia digging through a bunch of boxes that all had her name on them. She was throwing things all over my living room, and I frowned.

"Ana!" Ryan shouted. Larissa was startled by the noise, but then she just laughed.

"What, daddy?" Anastasia frowned, shrugging her shoulders.

"You're not leaving your toys scattered all across the living room," Ryan said sternly. "Your bedroom is upstairs, Ana. I'll take your boxes upstairs later on. For now, you have homework, don't you?"

"Yes," she said with a heavy sigh.

"Well, if you do it now, we'll all go out for dinner," he grinned.

"Okay, daddy," she grinned back at him, running into the dining room.

"Nice bribe," I chuckled.

"I offer her something so that she'll do it straight away, even if it's just tv time," he laughed. "It always works..."

"Sneaky," I giggled. "I suppose you'll have to train Larissa to be like that when she's in school in like five or six years."

"Perhaps," he grinned.

>>>>

Later that night, Larissa had finally just gone to sleep and Anastasia had been asleep for hours. Ryan and I quietly laid in what was now our bed. In the silence, he suddenly spoke.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too," I replied.

"I'm really glad that I finally moved in here," he said. "Now we can move on together from our respective old lives."

"This is probably the biggest step I've taken to moving on from Lucas," I sighed. "It's easier than I thought... but still. I couldn't imagine myself doing anything different, you know."

"I love that you're comfortable moving on now, Car," he grinned.

"Progress," I simply replied.

"So... what do you propose is the next big step we take?"

"Living together," I laughed.

"After that?"

"Whatever happens, happens. Life's too unpredictable. But there's one thing I know. I don't for a second regret meeting you. You're one of the bext things to ever happen to me, Ry. I love you so much."

Ryan wrapped his arms around me, and kissed the top of my head.

"You're one of the best things to ever happen to me, too," he whispered. "Thank you for going to the park that day."

"No worries," I chuckled.