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Where We Stay

Page 204

by Madeleine Rose

“I could marry you.”

I look back at her.

Blair freezes as she realizes what she said, and Aspen’s eyes grow huge.

I can’t stop myself from grinning. “Good to know.”

“Shut up,” Blair mutters, following Aspen into the kitchen.

She’s barefoot, wearing my shirt and still half asleep while Pen tells her everything she wants to do today.

That feeling hits me again.

This isn’t Blair fitting into my life anymore.

It’s our life.

And fuck if I don’t want it to stay that way.

“Can we have pancakes even though it’s Saturday, Daddy?” Aspen asks as she climbs back onto her stool beside Blair.

Blair raises her brows at me. “She makes a really good point, babe.”

“You two are really twisting my arm here.” I start pulling ingredients from the cupboard.

“And bacon,” Blair adds with a hopeful smile.

“YES, BACON!” Aspen shouts.

Blair grabs her head and groans. “Sunflower, turn down the decibels.”

Aspen frowns. “What are decibels?”

I laugh, earning a death glare from Blair. “Volume, baby girl. Blair has a headache.”

“Oh.” Aspen’s expression turns apologetic. “Sorry, Blair.”

“You’re forgiven, babe.”

“DADDY—”

Blair winces.

Aspen gasps and immediately lowers her voice. Her whisper somehow comes out louder than her normal speaking voice.

“Daddy, can I have chocolate chips in mine?”

I turn back to the pancake ingredients, smiling to myself.

Yeah.

I could get used to my Saturday mornings looking exactly like this.

* * *

By ten, Blair’s had two coffees, three pieces of bacon, and enough water to hydrate a small country. She looks marginally less like death.

“Can we go to the boardwalk?” Pen asks.