But as it was, Emily was sitting in front of me, watching a movie on the TV while Jackson toddled around and played a game with his stuffed animals that I couldn’t quite understand.
I mumbled a “Hey there” over the pins and he walked over to me, reaching for the pins. I let them out into his palm, trying not to be embarrassed about the drool. “Thank you,” I said.
“Of course.” He set the pins on the coffee table in front of me. “Can I help?”
Just then, Jackson realized Knox had come in and yelled, “NOTS!”
Knox grinned and picked him up. “Hey big guy!”
I smiled at the two of them. They had a special bond that made my heart all warm and fuzzy. “Would you mind putting Jackson's outfit on?” I asked Knox.
“Sure thing,” he replied.
Jackson repeated, “Nots, nots,” as he carried him back to his bedroom. He’d come so far in his speaking just in the last several months.
I finished working on Emily's hair, and when I finished the waterfall braids around her crown, I said, “Hold still. Let me spray it.”
“Uh huh,” she said, completely oblivious to anything but her show.
The couch springs squeaked as I got up and went to the bathroom for a bottle of hair spray. But on my way back, I stopped at Emily and Jackson's room. Knox had Jackson's sweater pulled over his head, but his elbows were bent in the sleeves. Knox was flapping Jackson's arm, saying, “Bawk bawk bawk, bawk,” making Jackson laugh raucously.
There was nothing better than a toddler’s full-body laughs. Especially since Jackson had been so withdrawn after the divorce. I'd seen my baby boy come out of his shell, start talking, walking, smiling more than he ever had before. And I knew it was because of all the joy Knox brought into our life.
Still smiling to myself, I turned away and went back to Emily. I covered her forehead with my hand and sprayed a good spritz on there so that her hair would stay in place throughout the photo shoot. This would be our first family photo shoot together, and would double as our engagement photo shoot. I wanted it to be perfect.
“Okay Em, I need you to go put on your sandals,” I told her.
“Do I have to?” she whined.
“I could turn off the TV if it’s distracting you?” I offered.
She quickly got up, going to the shoe rack by the front door, making me laugh quietly to myself. Nothing would come between that girl and Bluey.
But as she was walking back, she frowned at me. “Where are your shoes, Mama?”
I looked down at myself, still in my scrubs from work, and frowned. Of course I'd left myself to be the last one getting ready.
I hustled by the room where Knox was finishing getting Jackson dressed and went into my bedroom. Shucking my scrubs, I reached from the pretty velvet dress laid out on my bed. The cream colored fabric was soft under my fingertips.
Within minutes, I pulled it over my head and cinched the wrap around my waist, giving myself the appearance of an hourglass figure. I still hadn’t lost this baby weight and doubt that I ever would. But with Knox, I was starting to accept myself, love myself, see myself through his eyes. That was one of the greatest blessings he could have given me other than loving my kids with his whole heart.
Now that I had the dress on, I slipped into a pair of brown leather booties and walked out of the bedroom. At least I’d curled and styled my hair this morning in preparation. Just a mist of hair spray and adjusting with my fingers had my look complete.
All three of them were in the living room, and all their eyes were on me as I walked in. I could feel their eyes on me, but Emily was the first to speak. “Mommy, you look like a princess,” she gasped.
Those words had me all warm and fuzzy inside. “Thank you, baby.”
Knox got up, holding Jackson in one arm. With his free hand, he gripped my fingers and spun me a circle. “Definitely a princess.”
I grinned at him, loving the way he saw me. “You look very handsome, too.”
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
I nodded.
Together, we traipsed out to the truck to seal our perfect little family in photos forever.
2
