Final part, I'm not sure I'm happy with the ending but here it is anyway.
Also sorry if there are any mistakes in this story.
Joe sighed and went to his room. There were so many things he wished he had done before leaving. He was still not sure they will manage to survive without him here. But it was not his job to worry about them anymore, right? Well, he could still care, after all he did promise Lennox they would still see each other. But it would not be the same. They all knew it.
He started sorting out his things, he hadn't realized how much crap he accumulated in the three years he had worked here.
The cab Mel called just arrived to pick her up at the restaurant, she gave him her adress and sat back, thinking. She hoped Joe would be home and they could talk. The drive home was fast, she had not realized they had already arrived. She gave him his money and rushed inside. The house was quiet, maybe too quiet. Had he already gone?
She went into the kitchen. Empty. She could see he had gone through the cupboard to take his stuff. She felt like crying. She slowly walked up the stairs to check his room which would probably be empty too by now.
She silently opened the door and her breath caught in her throat. Joe was there, sitting on his bed, looking at a picture of all of them, with a small smile on his lips. She walked up to him and put a hand in his shoulder.
"I remember this day" she said and he suddenly looked at her.
"Yeah, the kids didn't want to take the picture" he replied. She chuckled.
"But it turned out great, look at us all, smiling"
He suddenly stood up, looking sad.
"I have to finish packing"
"It doesn't have to be like that" she said.
"You know, I can't stay like this."
"Like what?"
"With you and Austin" he replied saddened.
"I know, that's why Austin won't be here."
"What do you mean?" he said hopefully.
"I said no."
"Why? I thought he was the most perfect guy for you?" he asked as he stepped closer to her.
"Maybe, but there was one big problem" she told him stepping even closer.
"And what was that?" he asked her, looking at her lips then back into her eyes.
"He was not you" she said with a small smile.
And then he was kissing her and she was kissing him back, their heads tilted to the side. He took a step closer to her so that their bodies were flushed against one another and there was no room between the two of them. He had a hand on her back and the other in her hair. As they deepened the kiss she started moaning. They only stopped when they could no longer breath, but were still in the other's embrace, smiling widely.
"You really wanna give this a try?" he asked her.
"Yes" she breathed out still smiling.
"Then this calls for celebration" he said kissing her lightely on the lips and taking her hands to guide her to the kitchen where they could have a glass of wine.
Once the glasses were poured, they toasted.
"To us!" she said.
"To us." he echoed.
Fin