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I bite back my grin as I reach for her and place her on my hip. “Let’s go, Momma. Time to find a movie.”
“Let me clean up first,” she says.
“Nope. It’s an easy cleanup. I’ll do it later. Now we relax.”
“Yeah, Mommy, now we relax,” Paisley repeats as I sit her on the couch. She moves over to the middle and pats the spot next to her. “I get to sit by Mommy and East.” She smiles her adorable little smile that reaches in and grabs hold of my heart.
“Look, Paisley, Pocahontas,” I say as I flip through the channels. She claps her hands and shocks me when she climbs up in my lap. She’s sitting sideways with her head resting on my shoulder. Larissa opens her mouth, I assume to tell her to sit back on the couch, but I hold my hand up to stop her. “She’s good. Now, you should move over here with us.”
“Yeah, Mommy,” Paisley chimes in.
Larissa moves over to sit next to me. Her shoulder bumping mine. Reaching out, I place my arm around her shoulder and bring her in close. I then relax into the couch and settle in for some Disney with both my girls in my arms.
Right where they should be.
We’re barely a few minutes into the movie and Paisley is sound asleep. “I should take her home,” Larissa whispers.
“Stay.”
“It’s close to her bedtime anyway.”
Just a little longer. “I feel like I’ve barely seen you today and I’m going to be gone the next two days.”
“I like to keep her to a routine. She does well with structure and needs a good night’s sleep.”
Turning my head, my lips meet her temple. “I’ll walk you out.” She slides out from underneath my arm and stands. I do the same, careful not to wake the sleeping princess in my arms. I manage to get her strapped into her car seat without waking her up.
“Once she’s out, she’s down for the night,” Larissa says from behind me.
“She’s a good kid.” I don’t know why I say it; it’s not like we’re talking about her behavior, but for some reason, it feels like it’s important she hears that. “You’ve done a great job raising her.”
Tears well in her eyes. “She’s my entire world, Easton. She’s already so attached to you….” Her voice trails off.
“Just her?” I ask, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her close.
“Not just her,” she confesses.
I want to scream at the top of my lungs that they’re mine. I want the world to know, but I settle for an internal fist bump, playing it cool. “Good.” I kiss her forehead. “I’m attached too, Ris. This house, it’s quiet. It’s simply a place for me to sleep. With the two of you here, it’s like you bring life to the place. It’s something I didn’t know I was missing.”
“The novelty will wear off.”
“Hey.” With my index finger, I lift her chin. “This isn’t because the two of you are new and shiny. It’s here.” I lay my hand over my chest. “I’ve enjoyed every minute that I’ve shared with the two of you, separate and together,” I add, just for clarification. “We can ease her into the idea of us being more at your pace. I won’t force your hand, but Larissa, we are more. More than I ever imagined I would want, and more than I could ever hope for. You might as well go ahead and get on board with that.”
“And if I don’t?” she asks. There’s a sparkle in her eyes.
Bending, I press my lips to hers. “You will,” I murmur as my mouth fuses with hers. Instead of words, I let my mouth convince her.
“Got it,” she whispers as I pull away from the kiss.
I can’t help but chuckle. “Good to know. Be careful driving home, babe. Call or text me when you get there so I know you’re safe.”
“I’m a big girl, Easton. I’ve been doing things on my own for a long time now.”
“I know that. But you don’t have to, not anymore. Drive safe,” I say, stepping back and opening her door for her. For a minute, she just stands there staring up at me. No words are spoken and her facial expression is blank. It’s like she’s checked out. As she processes what I just said, I start to panic that I went too far, when a slow grin tips her lips.
“Do you always get your way?” she asks.
I shrug. “I always fight for what I want.”
