“Change is hard, but my guess is you aren’t the only one feeling it.”
“You’re not. You’re all yay, Mom and Dad are leaving.” He waves his arms in the air like a cheerleader, and I die laughing.
“I don’t have time to worry about things changing. I’m just trying to keep my house standing and my kids alive. You remember how it is. Why don’t you talk to Raffe? I know he has to be feeling some kind of way about all of this. He could probably use your friendship right now.”
“You’re right,” he says, sitting a little taller. “I hear he’s on the mountain. Maybe I should go up there.”
“He’s back home. Dad brought him down this morning. Elijah and Ash went up to see him, but they were headed out. Elijah should be back any minute.”
“Uncle Dan!” Aurelia yells again.
He chuckles to himself. “That girl is going to be trouble.”
“You think?”
The sudden screams and giggles from the living room tell me their dad is home.
“What’s this? Why are you three sitting in one place?” Elijah asks.
“Mommy told on us, and now Uncle Dan says we have to sit here for thirty minutes,” his daughter tells him.
“Well, I’ll go set Mommy straight.”
“What about Uncle Dan?” she asks sweetly.
“Aw, yeah. Him too,” he says more quietly.
A few seconds later, he appears in the doorway. “What is this I hear …” he says loudly. He shakes his head as he enters, holding his finger to his lips. He falls into the chair beside me. “Just kidding,” he says, tossing a handful of sunflower seeds in his mouth.
“Don’t you dare spit those shells in the house.”
His eyebrows jump on his face in amusement. He turns his attention to Dan. “What’s up?”
Dan rolls his eyes, standing. “I’ll see you later.” He leans down and places a soft kiss to the top of my head. “Thanks for the talk.”
I hear him tell the kids goodbye and that they can get down when their mama tells them they can. My daughter groans, but it only makes Dan laugh. “That’s what you get for throwing her under the bus to your daddy.”
“But that’s what she did to me,” she squeals in protest.
“Maybe so, but she’s the mama. Not you.”
My eyes widen, mocking my husband. “See, that’s how you stand up to her.”
“Never gonna happen. That girl has a grip on this thing.” He beats his fist against his chest.
I shake my head, because I can’t deny it. They have a special relationship, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
“At least you’re honest.” I lean over to kiss the tip of his nose, but he dips his head and captures my lips. His fingers weave into the back of my hair, and he tightens his grip, deepening the kiss.
A few second later, my daughter interrupts us. “Mommy!” she yells.
“Ten more minutes!” I holler back, giving my husband the look before taking off up the stairs.
He catches me before I reach the top and picks me off my feet. He gently drops me to the mattress before locking the door. The man’s not even winded.
“I love it when you run from me,” he says, stalking toward the bed.
It still makes my stomach flip. “You only have ten minutes,” I say, removing my pants.
