Page 133 of I Loved You First

Brady beamed at her. “I like your idea.”

She and Cam laughed.

Cam stood, still chuckling as he pulled back the covers. “Let’s get you tucked in for a couple of books. We want you getting a good night’s sleep.”

Brady settled against his pillows. “Because kindergarten makes you tired?”

“The first day is exciting,” Cam said, kneeling next to his son as he captured Brady’s hands. “Tomorrow will be a big adventure.”

Brady nodded.

“Are you ready for the words?”

“Yup.”

“You’re smart and amazing. I love you to the moon and back. I’m so lucky I get to be your dad.”

Brady smiled. “I like it when you say that.”

Cam kissed his forehead. “I mean every word.”

“Yup,” Brady said again, looking at Fiona as she settled next to him on one side of the mattress while Cam settled on the other. “You can say your special words to me tomorrow.”

She nodded. “You better believe it.”

“’Cause that’s how we do it now that you live at the lake with us. You and Dad take turns.”

She grinned, loving that she was part of the nighttime routine—that Cam and Brady had welcomed her into their special ritual. “Yes, we do.”

She winked as she touched her finger to the tip of his nose. “Who’s reading tonight, me or your dad?” Because that was also part of their new routine—she and Cam taking turns with story time.

“How about you read one story and Dad reads the other?”

“That sounds good.” She picked up the first book, reading about the llama who had been afraid to go to school but then had fun—Brady’s new go-to favorite. “The end,” she eventually said.

“Maybe I’ll be like the llama.” Brady looked from Cam to Fiona. “Maybe I’ll be afraid at school tomorrow.”

Fiona brushed his hair back. “Big kid school is something new. Everyone feels nervous when they try new things. Even grown-ups.”

Brady blinked at her. “You feel nervous about stuff?”

She nodded. “Definitely. But my jitters go away when I try the things that make me feel afraid.”

Brady looked at Cam. “Do you think my jitters will go away?”

Cam nodded. “I do. When you see Owen, Davis, and all of your other friends from preschool, I think you’ll feel happy to play with them again.”

“And your dad and I will be there to drop you off and pick you up,” Fiona reminded him.

“But big kid school is big. I might get lost.”

Cam shook his head. “When you go to big kid school, you walk in a line behind your teacher. Just like you did in preschool.”

“But big kid school is much bigger than my little kid school.”

Cam nodded his agreement. “That’s true. But you’ll learn your way around the whole school after a few days.”

Brady blinked. “The whole school?”