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Jeb walked out of the den and over to me. His arms wrapped around me, but before I could return the hug, the excitement from Kevin’s voice made me look up at him.
He was at the top of the stairway, yelling down, “Wow! This is so cool, Mom. I can play my game without Eva bothering me!”
“Mom, I can watch my Disney shows without the big baby having a temper tantrum,” Eva said to annoy her brother.
They both ran down the stairs. “Thank you, Mom,” they said in unison.
“You’re welcome sweetheart, and so are you Kevin, but it was Jeb’s idea to give you each your own TV, so he deserves the credit.”
Eva smiled at Jeb, and Kevin gave him a thumbs up.
“I’m about to go play the game,” said Kevin.
“And I’m about to watch my Disney shows,” added Eva. Her golden brown cheeks, which were a few shades lighter than her brother’s, perked up into a smile.
Kevin ran halfway up the steps then turned around and looked at Jeb. “Thanks, Pops.”
Jeb’s smile widened as Kevin ran down and hugged him. Eva slowly meandered over to her brother and Jeb and joined the group hug.
“Anything to make my little ones smile,” Jeb said.
After their tender moment, the kids took off to their rooms.
“Babe, something happened when I went to pick the kids up. I’m afraid to pinch myself for fear I’ll wake up and everything will go back to normal with Rodney,” I began.
“Oh yeah? What happened?” Jeb asked and appeared to brace himself as if he were preparing for a new episode of Rodney’s never-ending drama.
“For starters, Melody has moved back in with him. So we talked about his effect on the kids when they spend time with him.”
“And how did that go?”
“He apologized for the way he treated me and the kids in the past. He says he wants to build a relationship with you so that we can co-parent in a healthy way.”
“Wow. Are you sure this is the same man I met before?” Jeb laughed.
“Something about him was different. It’s like he’s matured over these past few months.”
“Could it be that he has bumped his head again?”
“Stop it, Jeb. I’m trying to be serious.”
“I am, too, baby. The Rodney I know is a long way from mature, so we just have to watch out for the other shoe to drop,” Jeb replied.
“I guess all we can do is wait and see,” I said, knowing only time would tell if Rodney was telling the truth.
Jeb inched closer to me. “I will do anything it takes for us to have a family unit that works. You, Eva, and Kevin mean the world to me, and I want you to be happy. It would be great if Rodney cuts out the unnecessary drama. If that means us meeting to talk things out, I’m all for it. But if he gets out of line—”
“I’ll be the first to cut him off,” I finished his sentence.
Jeb enveloped me in his arms. “Enough about him…” He began to rock me in his arms and whisper sweet things close to my ear. The heat from his breath sent me reeling into another universe as I inhaled his distinct and intoxicating scent into my lungs. “Can I keep you forever?” he asked as he breathed in the sugary scent of my hair.
I smiled. “Do you even have to ask?”
He tightened his hold on me, kissing my neck, and I became stiff in his grasp. He loosened his arms and leaned back to look me in the eyes, brushing a stray lock of hair behind my ear. H
e caressed my face and held it in his hands, looking into my eyes with the purest affection.
When he inched his face closer to mine, so sooo slowly, I thought I might die with the anticipation of reuniting with him. I shut my eyes, awaiting the unison. His soft lips met mine, and I was in bliss.
