Twenty-Four

"K nock, knock," Scott's voice sounded from the foyer.

"In the kitchen," Nova called out, then went back to reading the latest Ask Aimee column. He could tell Jimmy was still writing them, even though the other journalist had returned to work a long time ago.

"Hey there. Is Mill—" Scott's voice cut off suddenly, and Nova looked up to see what his problem was. His ex-husband raked his gaze over him and scowled.

"I'm here, Papa!" Millie said as she skipped into the kitchen. "Ready!"

"Give Papa a minute alone with Daddy, okay, June Bug?"

She sighed heavily, then ran back to her room. "I can pack more dolls."

"When was the last time you showered and shaved?" Scott asked.

"When was the last time you minded your own business?" Nova quipped. He picked up his coffee cup, but his hand was shaking badly. He took a deep breath and set the mug back down. "I'm sorry."

"You look like hell, Nova. What's going on?" Scott asked as he circled the island to take the stool next to him. "It's noon."

"And?"

Scott huffed a breath. "You're still in your pajama pants."

"Listen, I took a shower this morning and swapped out nighttime pajama pants for daytime pajama pants."

"Day pajamas?" Scott asked. He reached over and ran his hand over Nova's stubbled jaw. "This is new."

"What do you want?" Nova asked, his surliness ratcheting up a notch.

"I'm concerned about you," Scott replied. "I've never seen you look so haggard."

Nova scowled at his ex-husband. "It's called exhaustion. There have been at least nine hundred and seventy-five thousand people through the planetarium since we reopened." Scott raised a brow. "Fine. So I exaggerated slightly," Nova said. "Nine hundred and fifty thousand people."

"And, what? You personally gave each and every one of them a tour?" Scott asked.

Nova flipped him off.

Scott scowled and shook him off. "All this for tenure? Tell me, Nova, is it worth it?"

"I thought so."

"And now?" Scott asked.

Nova picked up his cup of coffee to hide his smile. He wanted Jimmy to be the first to hear his good news, but his reaction time wasn't fast enough.

"Are you serious?" his ex-husband asked. Nova nodded. Scott hugged him, trapping the full cup of coffee between them. "Congratulations?"

"Thank you."

"So why do you look like someone stole your puppy?" Scott asked, then grimaced. "Is this heartbreak? Did you and Jimmy break up?"

"No." Nova slumped on the stool. "With everything going on at the planetarium and Jimmy picking up additional duties at the paper, we've had no time together since the night of the BFT's reveal."

"That was three weeks ago," Scott said.

"I'm aware," Nova grumbled, achingly aware of every minute that passed without Jimmy's smile and touch. "I reached a conclusion this week that I need to make some big changes around the planetarium and university. I'm too much of a control freak."

"No," Scott gasped. "Not you."

Nova snorted. "I have an amazing staff at the planetarium and a phenomenal teaching assistant. I need to let go and let those people utilize their skills instead of micromanaging every little thing." He released a deep sigh. "I'm just worried it's too little too late."

"What do you mean?" Scott asked.

"We text and talk on the phone every day, but something is off and weird." He sighed. "Maybe our season is just coming to an end."

Scott frowned. "What the fuck are you talking about?" He picked up Nova's coffee cup and sniffed it. "I don't smell any booze."

Nova rolled his eyes. "It's because I haven't added any."

"I'm going to need you to explain that bit about the season coming to an end."

"It's September," Nova replied.

"Uh-huh. And next month is October."

"Summer is over," Nova said, wondering if his voice could possibly sound more morose.

"What does summer have to do with your relationship with Jimmy?" Scott asked.

Nova closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and told him about their arrangement. He left out the detail about finding the list because Jimmy would be embarrassed. "So summer is ending, and I'm pretty sure Jimmy is giving me the dust-off."

"Brush-off," Scott corrected. "And I call bullshit. I saw you two together at the planetarium. Sparks were bouncing off you like a live wire."

"I thought so too," Nova said. "I was about to tell Jimmy I'm in love with him before the big event, but we got interrupted by Dr. Grimshaw and Nigel."

"Oh," Scott said somberly. "And things started to feel weird between you after that night?"

Nova nodded miserably. "I must've fucked up somehow. I just don't know what to say or do. Maybe the smart thing is to let him go."

Scott heaved a sigh. "Shut up. I think I know the problem."

Nova narrowed his eyes. "Did you say something to him?"

"No, of course not." Scott scoffed. "Kai overheard a snippet of gossip about you getting caught kissing a student in the control room before the event started. There was something else about you being distracted and neglecting your duties. Kai thought you were in big trouble, but I laughed it off."

Nova's heart plummeted. "Fucking Nigel. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew better. Dr. Grimshaw doesn't respect and admire you because of that damn telescope grant. The woman recognizes brilliance when she sees it. I figured Nigel was the one behind it. The man has had it in for you since you accepted the position at Georgia Southern. I knew you would set him straight if he was stupid enough to confront you."

"A direct approach is not his style," Nova said. "He did make passive-aggressive remarks during the faculty cocktail party, and I shut him down as did Dr. Grimshaw." A sobering thought hit Nova. "Do you think Jimmy overheard similar gossip?"

"Nigel Numb Nuts wouldn't have been stupid enough to make remarks near me, but he didn't know Kai and might not have gotten a good look at Jimmy," Scott said.

"I put my body between Jimmy and the door." Nova closed his eyes and sighed. "I didn't want anyone but me to see the look in Jimmy's eyes. I'm pretty sure he was about to beat me to the punch and confess his feelings first."

Scott placed his hand on Nova's shoulder. "If Jimmy heard a fraction of what Kai had, he probably blamed himself for your distraction. If he loves you, he'd want what's best for you."

"Jimmy is what's best for me."

"So tell him," Scott said. "If you want Jimmy, go get him. Tell him how you feel. If he doesn't return your feelings, and I bet a thousand dollars he does, then at least you'll know the truth and can move on."

"How can our feelings for each other be real?" Nova asked. "We've only known each other for three months."

"Don't question how and why you're in love with him. Just embrace it, Nova. Love is a gift. Don't give up. Fight for him."

Nova straightened on his stool and swiveled toward Scott. "I'll make you a deal."

His ex-husband narrowed his eyes. "I'm listening."

"You take your own advice and stop taking ‘no' for an answer every time you propose to Kai," Nova said.

Scott snorted. "You want me to club him over the head and drag him to the justice of the peace like a caveman?"

"I was thinking you should tell Kai you're going to marry him," Nova replied. "Then you can start painting the picture of what your life together will be like. Don't forget the Great Dane named Violet."

"I haven't forgotten. Violet will be ready for her new home next week." Scott tipped his head to the side. "And if I promise to try your method…"

"I'll tell Jimmy how I feel," Nova said.

"Deal," Scott said, extending his hand. Nova accepted it, and they shook. "Millie June, are you ready?"

"Coming, Papa!"

Nova picked Millie up and held his daughter close. "Love you, June Bug."

"Love you, Daddy."

After Scott and Millie left, Nova embraced the peace and quiet, something that had been in short supply. He got out his notebook and a pen and began making a list of all the ways he could declare his love for Jimmy. Some were silly and sweet, and others were too tame to adequately get his feelings across. Nova glanced over at the Sunday newspaper, and an idea hit him with the force of hurricane winds.

The answer was in Jimmy's latest Ask Aimee column.

Hi, Aimee. I'm thirty-five and in love for the first time in my life. I never believed in soul mates, and I never thought happily ever after was in the cards for me. I'm the kind of person who feels emotions strongly but rarely expresses them. I've never verbally expressed love to anyone outside my family, not even to friends I've known since childhood. Since I've met my girlfriend, these new and beautiful emotions have continued to build inside me until I feel like I might explode if someone doesn't open the pressure valve a little and let some air out. I realize that I'm the someone and the pressure valve is me owning and expressing my feelings to her. This woman is my whole world, so what's the most romantic way to confess my love to her? Do I go with a grand gesture, write her a poem, or just blurt it out on spaghetti night? Can you give me some advice?

Savanna from Savannah

Hi, Savanna from Savannah. I don't think there is a right or wrong way to declare your love for someone. The best approach is one that suits the person. Only you can know if she's the kind of lady who'd like a big-gesture declaration or a more subtle approach like a romantic stroll on the beach and a confession at sunset. Perhaps you can revisit the place you met or choose something that symbolizes the two of you as a couple. If spaghetti night is your jam, then spell it out in meatballs. Be honest. Be sincere. Be yourself.

Aimee

And then the perfect solution came to him.