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Chapter Thirty-Three
Elijah
“He kept taking my Play-Doh.” Lucy dunked her French fry in ketchup as she talked to me about her school day. “Then, when I went to read a book, he tried to take it from me!”
“Sounds like a real asshole,” I told her.
“Elijah!” Hadley gasped as Eli nursed in her lap while she ate. We were sitting at her kitchen table. A few days had gone by since Hadley told Lucy about us—she called me her boyfriend. I felt fucking special when she said it, too. Nothing had changed, though. Lucy acted like nothing was different. I was already spending a lot of time with them before Hadley’s announcement.
“Uh-oh, you’re in trouble.” Lucy giggled. “You said a bad word.”
“You do not repeat the things that Elijah says.” I could feel the heat from Hadley’s eyes on my face, but I didn’t glance over as I bit into my burger.
“It’s not the first time she’s heard me,” I said.
“Nope. Elijah says bad words a lot,” Lucy agreed with me.
Hadley sighed.
“Ma wants you all to come to her house tomorrow for dinner,” I added quickly.
“I work tomorrow.”
“I know. That’s why she’ll start cooking around six so that by the time you’re off, it’ll be done. I can pick up Eli and Lucy from your parents while you head here to change. Or you can let me keep them…”
“I don’t think so.” Hadley laughed.
“You don’t think so to what?”
“To you babysitting. Of course we’ll go to dinner.”
I breathed out my relief. “I can babysit.”
She cackled harder. “While I’ll admit you’ve made a lot of progress with holding Eli, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ve done nothing else.”
“Okay, show me. Stop giving him the tit and give me a bottle.”
Lucy giggled, and Hadley rolled her eyes. “Baby steps,” she reminded me.
“Baby steps,” I agreed half-heartedly. “Do you guys want to spend the night at my house?”
Lucy jumped out of her seat. “That sounds so fun. Please, Mommy?”
“Do you know how tired Mommy is, Lucy?” Hadley whined.
“You can lie down when we get there. Lucy and I can watch a movie before she has to go to bed.”
“Can I pick it out?” Lucy asked.
_______
Despite me telling her to go lie down, Hadley still fought her sleep until she crashed on the couch before Lucy did while watching a movie. Eli was asleep on my bed downstairs. I carried Lucy up to the only guest bedroom with a bed in it. I would let her pick which room she wanted at some point whenever I was sure her mother wouldn’t neuter me for suggesting Lucy have a room at my place.
But then again, would Hadley want to move somewhere else down the line? If so, I would have to ask her. It might take a while to resale the house.
Baby steps, I reminded myself.
Hadley and the kids were so close yet it felt like there was a mountain between us. When a man knows, he knows. I never understood how some people rushed into things head first until Hadley. I never knew I wanted a wife and kids until I found her, but I missed her terribly each night that I didn’t get to be with her.
