“Then I guess you really don’t want any sweets,” I said, pushing off the wall and moving to stand behind Cleo. “And don’t try to use those puppy-dog eyes on me. It’s not gonna work.”
Okay, so it almost always worked, but not when it came to food. My mom loved desserts more than anyone else I knew, but even she made sure to prioritize a somewhat balanced diet.
Charlie huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Fine.” She turned to Cleo. “But can you make them all fluffy like you did the other day? I liked those.”
“Anything for you, sunshine,” she said, smiling as Charlieheld out her hand for her to take. Cleo hesitated for a moment before putting her hand into my daughter’s, and then she was dragged off to the kitchen.
It was the first time I realized Cleo had ever used the nickname Liv and I did for Charlie. The fact that she was becoming comfortable enough not to overthink it made me smile. When she’d told me about her struggle with infertility, my heart had broken for her. Growing up, she’d talked about how much she wanted to be a mother, and that was taken away from her. She was so good with kids—the type of person who would’ve made an amazing parent. I hoped, though, she could come to think of Charlie as hers as much as she was Liv’s and mine. I never wanted her to view herself as less than in that department.
I followed them down the hall and into the kitchen, laughing as Cleo instructed Charlie on what to pull from the fridge. “I’ll get started on the coffee,” I said, pressing a kiss to her cheek as I went by.
We were going to need it after the night we had. I was already feeling the exhaustion seep into my weary muscles.
After filling the pot and grinding down the beans, the aroma of fresh coffee filled the space. I nearly wept with relief as I turned around to face Charlie, who was currently attempting to whisk the eggs like Cleo had shown her. I thought she had it handled, but I was wrong. When I went to pour myself a cup of steaming liquid gold, Cleo called for her to bring the bowl over to the stove. I assumed she would’ve hopped off the chair first before grabbing the bowl, but apparently that wasn’t how my daughter’s mind worked.
Instead, she tried to climb off the chair while carrying the mixing bowl at the same time and tripped. I rushed forward to catch her, but instead, I felt the slimy sensation of egg yolks as they splashed all down the front of my clothes.
Cleo whipped around as the metal bowl crashed to the floor,interrupting the peaceful silence we’d been enjoying moments ago.
Charlie’s hands flew to her mouth. “I’m so sorry, Daddy! I didn’t mean to.”
“It’s fine,” I said, holding my hands up. “Just a little mess. Grab a wet towel, sunshine. Let’s get this cleaned up.”
“Here,” Cleo said, rushing to my side. “Let me help. You go get changed.”
“It’s okay—” I began, but stopped the moment she narrowed her eyes and pointed toward the bedroom. “Yes, ma’am,” I muttered, smirking as I padded into my bedroom to change.
Liv and I might’ve been married, but it didn’t mean we did all the overly domestic things like making breakfast on Sunday mornings. In Nashville, we had a live-in chef who took care of most of the food prep and cooking for us. We didn’t spend a lot of time at the house together, choosing instead to take Charlie to amusement parks or museums. I wanted her to experience all the things I never had as a kid, but maybe I was doing her a disservice by also forgetting about the things that made my childhood so wonderful. I mean, some of my best memories were spent in this very house with Mom and Dad doing mundane, everyday things.
As I slipped into the bathroom to change, I heard a knock at the door. I ordered groceries yesterday and was sure that it might be them. They were a little bit early, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary.
“Can you grab that?” I called out, shrugging out of my clothes. “I think it’s the groceries.”
“Sure thing!” Cleo shouted back. She mumbled something to Charlie before heading to the door. The hinges creaked as she swung it open.
“Surprise!” I stilled at the familiar voice coming from the front, quickly pulling on a fresh shirt before hurrying out of the bedroom and hoping I was wrong.
Liv stood at the front door, wearing a smile as her eyes drifted from Cleo to me. She was overdressed, looking like she had just stepped off a photoshoot in a long, flowy skirt with knee-high cowboy boots and a frilly, lace tank top. Her hair was curled, and her makeup was perfect.
“Mommy!” Charlie screamed, running through the house. She moved past Cleo, nearly causing Liv to topple over as they collided. “I missed you so much!”
“Hey, sunshine! I missed you, too,” she said, holding onto our daughter as though her life depended on it. She pulled back, holding Charlie back by her shoulders. “Let’s look at you, huh? You’ve grown so much.”
“I haven’t grown that much,” Charlie giggled. All her attention was stolen as she noticed the boxes in Liv’s hand. “Are those for me?”
Liv laughed awkwardly, moving Charlie to the side. “They’re for everyone. Though,” she paused, looking at Cleo as she straightened up. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t sure if you’d be here, and I didn’t know what you might want. I tried to get a variety, but the selection here is limited compared to what I’m used to.” She held up two white boxes. “Grabbed some kolaches, too. Spicy and regular. Oh! And there are coffees in the car.”
I came to a stop beside Cleo, glancing at her out of my periphery. She was still wearing a deer in the headlights look. I didn’t think she’d moved this entire time. Oh god. This was a disaster.
“Hey,” I said, moving in to give Liv a hug. “Uh, what’re you doing here?”
“I was missing my girl something fierce,” she said, giving Charlie a squeeze. “I know I should’ve called, but this seemed like more fun.”
“Fun,” I snorted. “You were feeling nosey.”
“Yes, fun,” Liv deadpanned. “Now, will you take these from me so I can introduce myself properly?” I did as she asked,watching carefully as she turned toward Cleo. Her lips spread in a wide grin as she held out her hand. “Hi! I’m Olivia, but please call me Liv. I don’t really think there needs to be any kind of formality here amongst friends and lovers.”
“Right,” Cleo said slowly, reaching out to take Liv’s hand. “I’m Cleo.”
