"Okay, kid, three things you did at school today. Go," I say, adding the cream to the pan.
"I signed up for the talent show," he says, holding up three fingers and putting one down. "I don't know what I'm gonna do yet, but I signed up. And, hmm."
I watch out the window as Topanga, now lime green, pulls into the driveway. The garage door opens with a groan. I need to fix that.
"Mom's home," I say. "Add the garage door to my list?"
"Are you ever going to finish this list?" he asks.
I shrug. "It keeps me busy."
Jade walks in from the garage. A vision as always. Sammy's hair started out blonde but has gotten darker with each passing month. We think she'll end up with Jade's dark hair, but she has a solid chance of getting my blue eyes. Time will tell.
I cock a brow at her. I can't imagine a time when I won't want her. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And she's mine.
She's really mine.
She plays with the ring in her lip, a soft smile tugging at the corners.
"Hey boys," she says. She ruffles Coop's hair as she walks by where he sits at the island and makes her way to me and Sammy.
"Hi, baby," she coos at Sammy. She leans in, giving me a quick kiss, and then takes the baby from the wrap. "Smells good in here. What's for dinner?"
"Dad said something about marrying you chicken?"
Jade and I share a look, but neither of us acknowledges the elephant. He's been calling me Dad more and more, but it's inconsistent. We want him to decide, not us.
"Marry me, chicken," I say. "It'll be ready in about ten minutes."
"Are you guys going to get married?" Coop asks.
I have the ring. It's been collecting dust for months. I've almost asked her a thousand times, but I don't think she wants to, and I'm okay with that as long as we're together. I don't need marriage. I need her. And this. Our life.
"Someday," Jade says. "But right now, I love us just the way we are."
Cooper nods. "Fine, but we're changing our names then. I printed the paperwork yesterday."
Jade creases her brow. "Changing our names?"
"Mateo Hayes, Sammy Hayes, Jade Bennett, Cooper Bennett."
"I wanna be a Hayes like Dad and Sammy," Coop says.
"Is that what this whole dad thing is about?" she asks.
"I printed that paperwork too."
Of course he did.
JADE
After dinner, we all pile into Mateo's SUV, or the dad mobile as he calls it. He takes the corny dad thing to a whole new level sometimes.
A project I did for school somehow evolved into much more. Tomorrow is opening night at the gallery, but tonight I share it with my family.
It's not just Coop and me anymore.
We're a unit of four. Well, sometimes.
