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“He can’t watch Beauty and the Beast with us?”
“I can stay and watch the movie,” I say before Elizabeth tells them I can’t. They seem excited about that, and I’m kind of excited myself. I love kids. I don’t know where the love came from as I was an only child and never spent time around other children except when in school, but I’ve always gravitated towards them. I’m always up for spending time with them and keeping them occupied when the entire team and their families get together. I don’t mind keeping watch while their parents enjoy adult time. Needless to say, I’m down with watching the movie and anything else they want to do.
The girls had dinner before the cookie baking and decorating session began and as it winds down, Elizabeth starts cleaning up some.
“How about we wash our hands before it’s time for the movie?” I say.
“And change into your pjs after you wash your hands,” Elizabeth tells them as they scurry to the bathroom.
It is getting kind of late. By the time the movie ends, it’ll be bedtime for the girls. We hear a crash and crying.
“I’ve got it,” I tell her, rushing to the bathroom without waiting for a response. Stella is on the floor, holding her elbow. There’s a broken plastic stool and Stephanie looks worried. “What happened?” I crouch in front of Stella.
“It broke,” Stephanie answers.
“You okay, Stella?”
“It hurts,” she cries.
“What does?”
She moves her arm like a chicken would flap its wing. I wipe her tears and gently touch her elbow. Based on how she’s sitting, it looks like she might have hit her elbow on the tub on the way down. She doesn’t wince or otherwise seem bothered, so I’m guessing there’s some pain from when it was hit. She’s still crying, though.
“Nothing’s broken. There might be a bruise, but I think you’re okay. You’re tough like a hockey player, Stella.”
The tears stop just like that and she grins. “Did you hear that, Aunt Lizzy? I’m tough like Daddy and Marco!”
I glance over my shoulder to see a worried Elizabeth. “Yeah, that’s great. Wiggle your arm and extend it like this a few times, just so I know you’re okay.”
Stella stands first, using her arm to help her up, and does as Elizabeth asks. Once she’s satisfied, I shoo her back to the kitchen and help them finish washing their hands by lifting them up and then cleaning up the minor mess that was made when she fell. I can’t stop smiling, though, because I have officially gotten on Stella’s good side.
WHEN I WALK into the living room, Marc is sitting on the couch with Stephanie on one side and Stella on the other, both of them sitting as close as possible. They so love him. Marc grins like it was inevitable all along, which it probably was.
“Come on. We’re waiting on you.” He taps the back of the couch where his hand is resting.
I sit next to Stella and try to get comfortable. Marc starts the movie with one hand while he massages my neck with the other. It’s weird and almost uncomfortable to be sitting here with the girls and Marc. It’s right and wrong all at the same time. My mind gets lost in the past and in two different futures. I want to move Stella out of the way and lean into Marc while putting as much room between us as possible.
These conflicting feelings are what I was worried about. There are entirely too many emotions battling within me right now. It’s been like this since Marc got here. Seeing a man with children causes women to go crazy to start with, but I feel like the effect is tenfold with me. Roger never really wanted kids himself, though he loved them. It was the one part of our relationship I worried about before we married because I wanted kids one day and I worried about what would happen if he didn’t change his mind.
One way or another things changed, he died, and the world shifted again.
I worry about that with Marc, too. Not necessarily that I’ll lose someone I love again because I know that’s a possibility with anyone in my life, but I do worry about my life being upended again for whatever reason. That’s what I worry about the most. Well, that and getting my heart broken, but at this point, I’m convinced the jaws of life couldn’t pull Marc away from me because he refuses to go anywhere.
Movement pulls me out of my head. Marc pulls Stella into his lap before grabbing the inside of my thigh and tugging for me to slide over. He kisses my temple, his lips move over my skin, though he doesn’t say anything, and then turns his head to whisper, “Stop thinking and enjoy this.”
I rest my head on his shoulder and watch the animated characters singing on the TV screen. Stella was half asleep, so she settles against his chest and tries to stay awake. This...this is what I want. I want someone to love. I want a family. I want a goofball like Marc who’ll make me laugh and who will be serious when I need him to be, even though he says he doesn’t know how.
I give in. I’m his, he’s mine, and whatever happens happens.
“Elizabeth, wake up,” I hear, my eyes reluctantly opening as I realize I fell asleep. The credits are rolling on the TV and when I sit up, both of the girls are conked out on Marc. “Go get their beds ready for me.”
“Okay.” I shuffle to their room and pull the sheets back. Just as I finish on the second bed, Marc is coming into the room with a girl in each arm. I take Stella from him. Goodness, she’s heavier than I remember. I lie her down and tuck her in while Marc does the same with Stephanie. I kiss her forehead, and then Stephanie’s. Marc is standing in the doorway with a small smile on his face.
“I should get going. Need anything before I leave?” He wraps his arms around my waist.
“Stay.”
“I thought you didn’t want me to?” He only looks mildly surprised, but there’s a satisfied grin waiting to break out, too.
