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“Life is messy, Gray. We can’t control it even if we try. What we can do is embrace it and find the good.” I kiss his chin. “Hey, girls, can you come in here for a minute?” I call out.
“What are you doing? We have to clean this up. They might fall.”
“They’re probably going to fall, Grayson, and that’s okay. We’re here to keep them safe. They need to help clean this up, and besides, it looks like fun.”
“Fun?”
“Waken.” Harlow sniffs from the doorway.
“We made a mess,” Hayden says, her bottom lip jutting out.
“Come here.” I crouch down and hold my arms open for them. “It was an accident,” I tell them. “But we’re going to help Daddy clean it up. What do you say?” They nod their little heads, sorrow still marring their features. “Daddy, grab the shop vac.”
Grayson nods but doesn’t make his way toward the garage. Instead, he lifts each of the twins, setting them on the counter, then pulls me to his side. I slip a little on the sudsy floor, but his grip on me is firm. “My girls,” he says, gathering the three of us into a hug. I feel his lips press against my temple. “Thank you,” he whispers.
“You’re welcome. Now, let’s get this cleaned up. I brought supplies to make cookies and homemade pizza.”
“Yay!” the girls cheer.
Grayson leaves to grab the shop vac, and I place the girls back on their feet. “Have you ever skated in bubbles?” I ask them. They shake their head. “Well, let me show you.” I take a few steps and then slide a little, catching myself on the counter. “Don’t slide too fast so you don’t fall.”
The girls take off at the same time and slide into me. Their laughter is contagious. “Okay, this time we’ll do it together, ready?” I ask. They nod. “Go.” The three of us take off and slide to the other side of the kitchen.
“Wee!” Hayden says, taking another turn, sliding to the other side once more.
“Watch me, sissy!” Harlow calls out. She does the same, and I’m just about to call them out to watch me when Grayson’s laughter catches me off guard.
“I leave you for what, two minutes max, and you’ve turned my sudsy kitchen into a skating rink.”
“You make the best of what you’re given, Gray.” Something flashes in his eyes, and I’m worried I’ve overstepped. That is until he comes to stand beside me and pushes off the counter, sliding toward the girls. They cheer for him, and that won’t do. This was my idea after all. I’m the victor here.
I take off and slide, going a little faster than I realized, and crash into Grayson, which lands us both on the floor covered in suds. The twins want in on the action, so they fall on top of us in a fit of giggles. I want to take a picture of this moment, not that I’ll need it. This day will forever be in my mind. It’s not just Grayson that I love. I love his daughters too. I love the domestic picture that we create. I love that in my mind we’re a family. The three of them are my family, and I couldn’t love the girls more if they were my own.
And Grayson, well, he’s the love of my life.
A year ago, if someone would have told me that this is where I would be, I would have laughed. Now, well, this is my life. A life I love. A life I embrace.
When we finally get our laughter under control, Gray sends the girls to change clothes, instructing them to leave the wet clothes in the tub while he uses the shop vac, and I come behind him with the mop to clean up the mess.
“Thanks for your help.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Not just with the mess, with the girls.”
“I didn’t overstep?”
“No. You were great with them. You’re right. Everyone was safe. I was just overwhelmed, is all.”
“That’s understandable, Gray. You’re doing a great job with them.”
“Thank you,” he says, pulling me into the perfect embrace. “You are too.”
“Girls, it's time for a bath, then bed,” Grayson announces once the credits roll of the princess movie we were watching.
“Waken, can you give us a baf?” Harlow asks.
I look over at Grayson, and he nods and shrugs, leaving the decision up to me. “Of course,” I tell her. “Go pick your jammies, and I’ll be there in a minute.”
They jump off the couch and rush down the hall to their room.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me giving them a bath?” I ask Grayson.
“They asked for you.”
I nod. “But are you okay with it?”
“I trust you with them, Laken. You’re a part of our lives. Of course, I’m okay with it. I’m going to clean the kitchen from dinner, and then I’ll be up to help.”
