Eliza finished dressing and slid beneath the cool sheets as she dialled Rowyn’s number.
“Good timing. I’m just out of the shower,” Rowyn said as the line connected.
“You take like five minutes in the shower and it’s been at least twenty. Did you get distracted on the way?” Eliza asked.
Something uncoiled within her at the mere sound of Rowyn’s voice. A quiet buzz of anticipation for the sweet sound started up instead.
“You know me too well. I was picking out clothes for tomorrow and I thought about how I really need a wardrobe update, so I started sorting through the ones I want to donate and, well…time disappeared. It does that far too often.”
Eliza chuckled as she pictured the exact scenario playing out. She asked Rowyn about her day with the kids and settled back against the pillow, content to listen to Rowyn’s detailed retelling of their afternoon. She loved how little input Rowyn needed or expected from her and how comfortable it was to lie here and get to listen without worrying about what to say back.
“You sleepy yet?” Rowyn asked.
“A little,” Eliza said as she stifled another yawn.
“Mmm, sounds a bit more than a little. The kids are excited to see you tomorrow,” Rowyn replied.
“Just the kids?” Eliza asked.
“Not just the kids. And you know it,” Rowyn said.
“You could’ve seen me all week if you had a phone from the current century that received photos or video calls.”
Eliza’s eyelids were getting heavy, but she fought them, not ready yet to be done with their time together.
“You trying to seduce me with the idea of nudes, Elle? Because trust me, I have it all etched into my memory.”
Rowyn’s voice had dropped an octave, and her body responded despite the tiredness.
“Your voice is too much of a turn-on,” Eliza murmured.
“And you’re too tired to do anything about it. Get some rest, and you can tell me more tomorrow. Night, Elle.”
Eliza huffed at being told to go to sleep, but the weight of her tiredness was only getting heavier.
“Night, darling.”
Neither of them hung up, and Eliza drifted off to the soft sound of Rowyn’s breathing for the second night in a row.
“And then Lorna passed to me andbam, I smacked it straight into the goal!”
Eliza smiled at Amelia’s excitement as she retold the story of her winning shot in the football game they had played in school that day. Team sports had always been an issue for Amelia. She would get too frustrated or overwhelmed, which almost always ended with her lashing out and getting into trouble. Her excitement at the victory was refreshing, and Eliza was grateful for the changes she was seeing.
Her eyes locked onto Rowyn’s, who was no doubt the biggest factor in those changes. The confidence she had instilled in Amelia and Elliot already was nothing short of a miracle.
“Mom? Did you hear me?”
Eliza snapped back, having quite literally gotten lost in Rowyn’s eyes for a few moments. She had been sure those kindsof things were reserved for romance novels or movies, but by the sounds of it she had completely missed the next thing Amelia had said.
“Sorry, Amelia, I zoned out for a minute. I’m still a little tired from the flight. What did you say last?”
Amelia glanced between Eliza and Rowyn, and Eliza braced for the attitude about not listening to her.
“I asked if you could come to our school sports day. It’s not for weeks and weeks, but if you know now you could plan. It’s during school, so I know you’re working, but it’ll just be till lunchtime. Rowyn’s coming,” Amelia said with a smile.
“Yeah, sure, baby, we will make a plan. Go tell your brother to wash up for dinner, and you do the same. We can talk more while we eat, and you can tell me about it.”
Amelia beamed as she ran to get Elliot, and they were finally alone, albeit not for long. Rowyn was getting the dinnerware out of the cupboards and Eliza slid up behind her. Rowyn stilled as Eliza slipped her hands against her hips and leaned in softly to whisper in her ear.
