Page 94 of Bobby

“You’re welcome. And happy Thanksgiving,” he says with a rare smile. He doesn’t hide his joy, but he doesn’t smile unless he really wants to. And seeing the girls happy, I’ve got a feeling he might smile a bit more now.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” they both say as loudly as they can. I wince a bit but wouldn’t have it any other way.

“What are we doing today?” Ivy asks as she takes a sip of the water that’s been sitting out since last night, when she set it there before bed and we were too tired to clean up.

“Nonna Cynthia invited us over if you want to go,” Willow says with a look sent my way, as if confirming she spoke correctly. I nod once.

“Yay!” Lily hops down and runs to her room.

“Where are you going?” Willow asks with a laugh.

“To get changed. Nonna promised me she’d make me more zeppole if I came over again.”

“But you just had donuts,” I say, a little flabbergasted.

“But not Nonna’s donuts,” Ivy counters as she also hops down and follows her sister.

“You both need showers before you get dressed,” Willow calls out to them, and the three of us left in the kitchen chuckle at their audible groan before Ivy shouts that she’s going first.

“Sounds like that’s my cue to leave. Text me when you want me to have the car ready, boss.” Marco nods to both of us and shows himself out.

“Think I should go too,” I say as Willow turns in my arms and wraps her arms around my waist.

“What? You don’t want to shower here and borrow something to wear to your mother’s place?”

I chuckle at the imagery of me in something of hers as I brush a piece of hair behind her ear. “We might need to rethink the living arrangements if you’re offering to share your shower. Your place only has one, while mine has four.”

“Are you trying to tempt me to move in with talks of having my own bathroom?”

“You’d have to share still.”

“Well, as long as you don’t steal my shampoo, I might be up for it.”

“No promises.” I lower my lips to hers and enjoy the stolen moment we have. For all of ten seconds.

“Are you guys always going to be kissing?” Lily asks from behind us.

“Yes,” I mumble around her mother’s lips, but don’t let them go.

“Mommy, Ivy’s hogging the shower. It’s my turn now, and she knows it.”

With a heavy sigh, Willow pulls away and goes to her daughter. “Your offer sounds pretty good right about now.”

“Say the word and I can get it done today.” I’m done pretending I don’t want her in my space.

She turns her head back to me a second before she enters her daughter’s room, a narrowed look on her brow. She knows I don’t bluff. And that I get things done quickly. I already know she’s thinking about how I moved her and the girls into the building and got it all done without her consent. She said she hated it, but I think she secretly enjoyed seeing me go to extremes to have the three of them in a place where I could watch over them on my terms.

“As long as you apologize for it after,” she says before turning her back to me, shutting the door to her girls’ room.

If she wants an apology, I better make it worthwhile. I go back to the bedroom and put my shoes on, then grab my phone. I call Marco as I let myself out.

“Ready to go already?”

“Not yet. Know any movers available to work on a holiday?”

His bark of laughter has me pausing as I wait for the elevator. “You haven’t been home yet. Wait until you see what your ma already did. I’ll send some people over to move the girls’ things while we’re out.”

I hang up and smile as I enter the elevator. I should be pissed, but I know where I get my need to control from. Not my dad, but my mama. No doubt she’ll have already moved things around to make room for my new family, cutting the moving time to half.