Felix blinked, completely taken off guard by the tall silhouette blotting out the light outside his apartment door.
"I love you too," Tamora repeated in a whisper.
The handyman's face was hard to read as he stood in his pajamas, combing his fingers through his hair. He seemed more stunned than anything. Wordlessly, he invited her in, and they sat together on his couch.
Slowly, Felix reached out his palm, and Tamora tangled his fingers with hers. His eyes brimmed with tears as he held on tight.
"I was…so afraid that you never wanted to see my face again," Felix sniffled, realizing this wasn't a dream.
"I should be the one saying that; not you," Tamora gulped. "After all the things I said…"
"It's going to take more than a few angry words to shake me."
The sergeant was amazed at how easily things rolled off Felix's shoulders; how fearlessly he expressed his feelings. He was a far stronger person than she was in so many ways. Squeezing his hand still joined with hers gave Tamora the courage needed to follow his example.
"I got so caught up in how good it felt to be with you that I nearly forgot how hard loving someone can be…when you could lose them. And when you told me you loved me, everything came rushing back at once. All the pain and grief..."
Tamora's teary gaze met Felix's as she took in a shuddered breath.
"I acted out of self-preservation. I realized I was in too deep because…I love you too. And that terrified me. I'm terrified that what happened with Brad will happen again. I let my guard down."
"Oh, Tammy…" Felix kissed her knuckles. It broke his heart to see how deeply her backstory affected her.
"I don't want to lose you," the sergeant whispered. "And like an idiot, I thought pushing you away was the answer. I'm sorry."
A bittersweet smile crossed the handyman's lips.
"And I'm sorry…I'm sorry I didn't tell you what I knew. And I'm sorry if I ever made you feel like you needed fixing—"
"No," Tamora winced. "Forget all those dumb things I said, Fix-It. I took every insecurity I had and put them on you. Dammit…Why do you even love me? That is if you still do."
"Still do," the handyman chuckled, squeezing her hand.
Lost for words, the sergeant pulled him into a tight embrace, both taking in the comfort of the other's arms.
"Sometimes…I get scared about losing you too," Felix confided. "What the last thirty years have shown me is…you never know what's going to happen. A game-breaking glitch, a faulty wire, outmoded—I've seen a lot of folks go. Some of them friends."
Tamora blinked, pulling away to look into the handyman's world-weary eyes. It was the first time she'd ever seen him like this. Felix placed a hand over hers when she cupped his face.
"There's always a risk when you care for someone. It's okay to be afraid…But Tammy, don't let fear deprive you of all the good things that can come from taking a chance."
With those words, Tamora felt heard, understood, and comforted all at once. Nodding, more tears threatened to fall.
"I love you," she said with a newfound acceptance.
"I love you too."