Emotion clogs my chest. “One day at a time?”
“One day at a time.”
My eyes close from the heaviness of today, and when I least expect it, I fall asleep in his arms, where I was always meant to be.
CHAPTER 28
FINN THOMPSON
Skye’s high-pitched scream startles me awake. I immediately hear Maya groan from the bed beside me. My eyes are sore from the early start, but she’s slept through most of the night until now.
“I’ll go,” she murmurs.
Before she can throw the covers off herself, I lean over and grab them. “No,” I mutter through the dark. “I’ve got it.”
“You did it last time,” she says as she sits up and pushes her dark hair away from her face.
I huff. “And you’ve done it every time I wasn’t here. Go back to sleep. I’ve got it.”
Despite the dim lighting, I can see the frown that covers her face. “Finn?—”
“I’ve got it,” I say before leaving the bed and walking towards Skye’s cot. “Go back to sleep, Maya.”
I feel her eyes on the back of my head as I lean over the cot and scoop Skye up into my arms before holding her closely against my chest. I leave the bedroom silently and shut the door behind me.
It’s nearly sunrise, and it’s not worth us both getting up if one of us can do it.
I’ve been staying over ever since the attempted break-in to take the load off Maya’s back, anything to help her with her studies and sleep deprivation.
Sure, I’m tired, but I push through. Nothing makes me happier than doing what I should have been doing since the start. It’s still new to me, it’s exciting to be involved, and I wonder if that feeling will ever go away.
How can the joyous feeling of being a father ever disappear? It’s a blessing.
After changing Skye’s nappy and warming up a bottle, I manage to get her to quieten down as I sit on the sofa and stare at the TV with blurry eyes. I don’t have class until later today, but I know Maya has a class around twelve; she needs as much sleep as possible.
Skye stares up at me with those big brown eyes that will forever steal my heart.
I smile as I watch her drink down her milk before burping her and laying her down on her comfortable playmat while I clean and sterilise the bottles. A few hours later, Maya is still asleep, which gives me deep satisfaction.
I get to work making breakfast before she wakes up, and I fall into a routine. I never knew how much having a schedule is beneficial for my sobriety. It gives me purpose and responsibility, less time to spiral.
Before, I didn’t care about timelines because I didn’t have one. I did whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Things are very different now.
The door to the bedroom creaks open behind me as I glance over my shoulder to find Maya emerging. Her hair is a mess, and the T-shirt she’s wearing barely covers her thighs, and god, she looks heavenly in the mornings.
I’ve missed waking up to her. I’ve missed sleeping in the same bed as her. I’ve missed holding her. There’s nothing about her I don’t miss.
“Morning, sunshine.”
I’m so lucky I get to wake up to this. I wouldn’t change anything for the world, and that’s how I know I’m in a good place.
Maya blinks as she stares at me by the hob. Her eyes trail down my bare torso, realising I’m in nothing but my boxers. I don’t miss the way her cheeks flush as she watches me, eyes dilating to the point it sets off a fire deep in my soul.
“You okay over there?” I chuckle, enjoying every second of her eyes on me.
She snaps her gaze to mine. “Uh…yeah. Gonna go brush my teeth and freshen up.”
“Breakfast will be ready in ten.”
