"Everything is determined, the beginning as well as the end, by forces over which we have no The audacity to kick me out of the room! How in the world am I supposed to regulate the conversation if I'm not there? Poor Hunter. It's been fifteen minutes, what could my mother possibly be talking to him about? Oh, for Pete's sake. I have my ear pressed against the door as a nurse passes by and stares at me, puzzled. Awkward. I sheepishly smile at her as I try to pull away nonchalantly.

The nurse opens her mouth slightly to say something but then decides to leave it alone. Oh, thank God. I sit back down on the bench outside the door and tap my feet nervously against the floor. The creaking of the door opening grabs my attention and Hunter pokes his head out.

I narrow my eyes, trying to decipher his mood. He's not running out of the room, that's a good sign.

"How did it go?" I ask, slowly. I should have left my phone in there with the voice recording app on. Dang it!

"We had a great conversation," Hunter smiles, and there's a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

I jerk up and storm into the room. My mom is sitting on the couch by a small coffee table. She switched rooms after she finished her acute rehab. This new space is a bit more homey, with an actual bed rather than a hospital one.

"Mother," I say through my teeth. "What did you tell him?"

"Oh, please relax, Delilah." My mom laughs. "I just got to know your boyfriend a little bit better."

I look up at Hunter who's standing behind me, his palm is on the small of my back. "What did she ask you?" I whisper to him.

My mother clears her throat. "I just asked him what his intentions were."

The color drains from my face. His intentions? What is this? The 50's? "Uh-" I begin but my mother cuts me off.

"I approve," she states, as she takes a sip of her tea. I'm about to go flip the coffee table over. How am I not privy to his intentions but my mother is?!

Hunter rubs my back. "Your mother is lovely, Lilah."

Am I in an alternate dimension?. "Well, I'm glad you're both on the same page. I expect you'll give him a hefty dowry," I huff.

My mother rolls her eyes. "Don't be such a sass, Delilah," she scolds.

Hunter lowers his mouth to my ear. "Yeah Delilah, don't be such a sass," he whispers.

I subtly nudge my elbow into his abdomen, and he chuckles. Laughter was not the reaction I was going for! "Now that you're acquainted, I think it's time for us to leave." I walk over to my mom and give her a hug. "Goodbye, mother."

My mom hugs me back tightly. It's wonderful to see her getting her strength back. "Have a good weekend, honey." She pulls away. "Oh, by the way. I might get to go home earlier than we thought. Maybe in the next couple of weeks!"

"Really?" It'll be nice to spend Thanksgiving together. "That's great. Just tell me when, ok?"

My mom nods and looks at Hunter. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Hunter."

"You too, Anita," he replies. First name basis?! What the heck did they talk about?

"Anita?" I ask Hunter as we climb into the car. "Are you BFF's now?"

"Something like that." Hunter winks and starts the car. What in the bananas!?

The drive to Connecticut is beautiful, there's a light blanket of snow covering the streets. New Haven looks like a little town out of a Hallmark movie. It's like an amalgamation of modern and dated. I've always loved brick buildings, and this stretch of New Haven is a dream.

    We pull into a waterfront property and park by a fountain. Hunter grabs our bags from the trunk and we head to the front door.

    I straighten out my dress and take a deep breath. Hunter reaches for the door handle and my eyes widen. ""Shouldn't we knock?" I ask.

    "It's fine, baby." Hunter twists the door knob and I feel a rush of jitters. "They know we're coming."

The foyer is breathtaking. A double sided staircase greets us as we walk through the front door. Holy freaking moly. This is something out of The Princess Diaries. I'm kicking myself for not wearing high heels. At least I'm wearing my expensive graduation flats.

We walk along the marble and gold tinted tiles into the living room. I have to consciously keep my jaw from dropping. Rococo style furniture is scattered throughout the room. Who is their decorator? The dude who designed Versaille? How does one even relax in this house? It looks like a museum.

A loud shriek causes us to turn our heads. An older woman with curly blonde hair, and a floor length ivory dress comes running towards us. She's not wearing shoes and has ankle bracelets on each foot.

"Darlin'!" The woman wraps her arms around Hunter, the contents of her drink slightly spilling out of the glass and onto the carpet. Holy crap, these people are nuts. "I'm so very glad you could make it!"

"Hi mom," Hunter hugs her back, and gestures towards me. "This is Lilah Sterling, my girlfriend. Lilah, this is my mother, Margot Reynolds." Wow, this is his mother? She looks so young.

"It's nice to meet you Ms. Reynolds." I hold out my hand.

Hunter's mom scans me up and down, and then bows. "Namaste, Lilah!" she exclaims. "And please, call me Maggie! Let me take a good look at you." She grabs my hand and forcefully twirls me around. Oh, dizzy. "Aren't you just a peach?!" Her wide smile is infectious.

A peach is a good thing, right? "Where's everyone else?" Hunter asks.

"Oh! Mitsy and Bernard are in the kitchen trying to perfect the gin martini. I should never have gifted them that mixology book." Maggie laughs as she drags Hunter by the hand. I follow closely behind.

"Lilah, these are my very dear friends, this is Mitsy and Bernard Fitzpatrick," Maggie motions to the couple standing behind the enormous granite island. They're both fairly short and have mousy brown hair. I'm assuming they're husband and wife, but they can honestly pass as siblings. I make a mental note not to accidentally mention that.

"Your house is amazing," I comment as I shake their hands.

Mitsy straightens out her chunky pearl necklace and smiles. "Oh, thank you. It's been in my family for three generations." Ah, they're old money.

"Shall we move to the terrace?" Bernard points to the french doors as he grabs the tray of drinks. I look at him confused. It's snowing. "Don't worry it's covered, and there are heaters."

I slowly sip on my martini as Hunter and his mom talk about her recent trip to Egypt. Mitsy and Bernard are flipping through a large book, I'm guessing it's the mixology book. The view from the terrace is magnificent. Most of the boats are docked, and the Marina is covered in twinkling lights. I wonder if my star will be visible tonight.

"So, Lilah Darlin'," Maggie turns towards me. "How do you like working at Global Elite?"

Mitsy and Bernard peer up from their book, and Hunter places his hand on my thigh. I let out a deep breath. And so it begins. "I love it. Everyone is very nice," I reply slowly. They must all know that Camille is my boss.

Mitsy narrows her eyes. "Everyone?" she asks curiously. Yup, they definitely know about Camille.

"Mitsy, please," Maggie pleads. "Let's not make her uncomfortable." Now I'm uncomfortable.

I squirm in my seat. I need another martini. "Don't worry. It's fine," I mutter.

"So, where did you get your degree?" Bernard asks.

"Columbia."

Mitsy's eyes light up. "Oh, perhaps you know our Godson? Professor Payne?"

My heart rate accelerates, and my hands start sweating. What?! How is this even possible? I sense Hunter stiffen in his seat. I meet his dark eyes. Shit. Does Hunter know Miles? I didn't sense any familiarity when they met. "Uh-" I stammer. Do I lie? "Um, I vaguely remember him."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd remember him. He's the youngest department head they've ever had! Plus, he's easy on the eyes," Mitsy winks at me, and I just about die.

I nod, not knowing what to say.

Hunter glares at Mitsy menacingly. "It's a big school," he comments. Mitsy shrugs and rings a small bell on the table.

A young man wearing an apron emerges from the kitchen carrying a tray of h'orderves and four new drinks. I grab the cocktail with lightning speed. Save me.

"Hunter, your father called me," Maggie begins. "He said you and Jack both didn't attend his Gala." That must have been the night Jack and Kimmy were dressed up.

"There was an emergency," Hunter states and then narrows his eyes. "I already apologized." Hunter's lying, he was never planning on going. I try to catch his gaze but he avoids my eyes.

"Just try to be kind to him," Maggie sighs and puts her hand on Hunter's. "After all, he's your father, darlin'."

"Kind?" Hunter scoffs. "Alright, mother. I'll try to be kind to him."

"Don't mother me," Maggie scolds. I feel like I shouldn't be here for this conversation.

I stand up with a head rush. "Uh-I'm going to go find the loo," I announce. Dear God, did I just say loo?

"There's one down the hall, third door on the left," Mitsy responds and I nod.

They have a freaking bidet. Of course. Whoever thought a bidet was a classy bathroom feature was seriously deranged. Let me just squat naked over this tiny water fountain. Ooo, how elegant. Idiots.

Making my way back to the terrace, I notice Hunter in the kitchen fixing himself another drink.

"Whatcha making?" I singsong as I rock from heel to toe. 

"An old fashioned." Hunter tilts his head towards me and grins. "Are you tipsy, baby?"

I shake my head then laugh. "Yeah, a little. But I think I need to be to deal with all of that," I motion outside. "Too many questions, and far too much new information." 

Hunter frowns. "I didn't know Miles was their Godson, in case you were wondering. I hardly see the Fitzpatrick's, maybe once a year."

"Psh, it's fine." I flap my hand. My life has turned into an episode of Dr. Phil. I'll just embrace it. What's life without a side of unfortunate coincidences? "Little do they know their precious Godson is a little stalker." Oopsies.

Hunter's eyes flash with confusion. "A stalker?"

I exhale deeply. Guess the fish is out the bag! "Don't freak out." I whisper loudly.

"Lilah," Hunter warns. "Is there a reason I should 'freak out'?"

I grumble. "It's not a big deal or anything, he just sorta sent me emails, and then showed up at my place on Thursday. It's fine though, I have Officer Pell's card, so if he comes again, she'll kick his ass." Oof. I'm thirsty. I walk over to the sink and pour myself a glass of tap water.

Hunter presses the bridge of his nose with two fingers. "Lilah?"

"Mhmm?"

"Why do you have a police officer's card?"

I bite my lip. Yesh, what's with the third degree today. "Mr. Sanders just overreacted! Miles wasn't going to do anything, he was just mad cause I pretty much told him to go fuck himself." I giggle. Why isn't Hunter laughing? "Oh, and then he said that because I swore, I've 'changed', whatever that means!"

"Did he hurt you?" Hunter asks quietly.

"Nooo," I drag. "Nothing like that. I think I hurt him more." Hunter cocks an eyebrow. "With my fiery words," I explain.

Hunter chuckles briefly. Woo! Made him laugh! "Why didn't you call me?" he asks seriously.

I grunt. "My phone was upstairs, and no person under the age of thirty has phone numbers memorized! We live in a digital age, Hunter!"

Hunter shakes his head. "Will you let me know if he bothers you again?"

"Yes yes, of course. You, Officer Pell, Kimmy. I'll even tell all of Manhattan." I laugh. "Oh my God, how mad would he be if I did that?"

"I'm assuming very mad," Hunter guides me to the terrace. "Are you ok? Do you want to leave?" he whispers.

I look at Maggie and the Fitzpatrick's. These people are part of his world, and I want to get to know them better. I refuse to let Miles ruin my chance to get to know Hunter's family, especially his mom. She's clearly important to Hunter, so that means she is important to me as well.

I sit down beside Maggie, and look at Hunter. "I'm great." I smile. Ok focus, Lilah. This is the mother of the man you lo- like. "Maggie?"

Maggie beams at me. "Yes, peach?"

I lean against the table. "Did you know that your son is an incredible person? He even ate hot dogs with me."

"Hot dogs?" Maggie laughs and looks at Hunter, who shrugs. "He must really adore you. The last time he ate processed meat was on his sixteenth birthday when Billy Rickens challenged him to a hot dog eating contest. Poor boy threw up all night." 

I burst out laughing. "No way!" Hunter covers his face with his hand. "In that case, I will cherish that night forever."

Once dinner was served the conversation steered to friendlier and less intrusive topics. Hunter and Bernard started discussing football. I chimed in with my extensive knowledge. Thanks, dad. Bernard was also a Patriots fan, which made us instant buds. I asked Hunter to change seats with me so Bernard and I could delve into statistics and predictions.

By the time dessert came out, I was in the middle of Mitsy and Maggie arguing about which Jane Austen book was the best. Obviously, Pride and Prejudice is a classic but I've always loved Emma. I told them that the movie Clueless is loosely based on the book. Not a lot of people know that. They both said they'd check it out. I was even kind enough to offer them my Netflix password, for which I got a weird look from Mitsy. Maybe she's more of a Prime Video person. Oh God, she probably buys her movies. Snob.

The sky is pitch-black, and I tilt my head up looking at the stars. A glass roof is such an ingenious idea.

"Are you looking for something specific up there?" Hunter wraps his arm around me and looks up.

"Yeah, for my star."

"You've said that before. Care to elaborate?"

"For my birthday, just before he passed, my dad bought me a star. I can't ever see it though. I think I need a telescope."

Hunter hums. "Do you have the coordinates?"

I reach for my purse, and pull out a small card from my wallet. "The registry came with this."

Hunter examines the card, and a brilliant soft thought touches his eyes. "Are you up for a little trip?"

"Right now?" I look at my watch. "It's late."

Hunter grins. "What do you say?"

What is he up to? "Ok," I answer tentatively.

"I just need to make a phone call." Hunter gets his mother's attention. "Mom, we're heading out for a little bit, but we'll be back soon."

Maggie kisses Hunter's cheek. "Mitsy has a guest room made up for you and Lilah. Just use the code to get in. We'll most likely already be in bed."

"See you in the morning." Hunter hugs his mother, and pulls out his phone.

I thank Mitsy and Bernard for their hospitality and dinner. Maggie saunters up to me as I wait for Hunter at the front door.

"Thank you." Maggie's voice is soft and vulnerable. Her ocean blue eyes glisten as she grabs my hand.

"For what?" Shouldn't I be the one saying 'thank you'?

"For making my son happy." She lets out a joyful sigh. "I can tell by the way he looks at you, peach. You're special to him. So, thank you."

My face flushes. "He's special to me too," I murmur. "You raised a good man."

Maggie wipes the corner of her eyes as Hunter joins us. "Have fun, darlings." Maggie shuts the door behind us.

Hunter and I make our way to the BMW. "So, where are we going?" I ask.

"You'll see." Hunter grins as he opens the car door for me.

The drive to wherever it is we're going was only ten minutes. We get out of the car and I look around.

"Where are we?" I narrow my eyes to adjust to the darkness. A building with two spheres on the roof is in front of us. No way! "Are we at the observatory?!" I exclaim.

    "We are." Hunter leads me to the ginormous telescope, and starts readjusting it. "Take a look."

I peer into the eyepiece and my chest fills with warmth. It's my star! It's situated just off to the side of the Pisces constellation. My parents used to tell me that I was a Pisces, through and through. Compassionate, intuitive, forgiving and shy. Not to mention prone to being fearful and over-trusting. Oh, we also fall in love too quickly. Don't I know it. 

I pull away slowly. "This is incredible. Truly. Thank you so much." I wrap my arms around Hunter, and hold on to him like he might float away. "Do you want to look?"

"Of course, baby." Hunter kisses the top of my head, then looks into the telescope. I stare at him in awe. He must have had to pull several strings to get us in here after hours. I feel my heart growing larger as the seconds pass by. He is so sweet and kind. And not the type of kindness that expects something in return. It's untainted. Pure.

"What're you staring at?" Hunter asks as his hands grip my waist. I shift my gaze awkwardly. Busted.

"Just you," I breathe. "Thank you, again."

Hunter's hand glides up and down my back. "If there's something I can do to make you happy, I'll do it, Lilah." My breath hitches as he leans down and his lips touch mine. In this unfiltered darkness, all my senses are lost. It's just him. His warmth, his thoughtfulness, and my melting heart.

"I have something for you," I whisper as I pull away. Reaching into my purse I pull out a thin little blue box.

Hunter opens it slowly. "Keys?" he asks as he holds up a coffee cup keychain with two bronze keys.

"To my place." I nod shyly. It feels right.

"I like the keychain." Hunter's smile reaches his eyes.

I giggle. "I thought it was fitting."

"Thank you, baby." Hunter pulls me into his chest. "I'm honored."

"Just don't sneak in while I'm sleeping. I have mace under my pillow."

"You sleep with mace under your pillow?"

"Hey, it's New York. Girl's gotta have protection."

"Yeah." Hunter tucks a piece of hair behind my ear. "You've got me."