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Also, as much as Ineededhelp with my son, I also needed to slowly transition from not being his full-time caregiver. I’d fallen in love with that kid from the moment I knew he existed—he was a huge responsibility, but I never regretted the time I spent with him and the opportunity his mother had given me to be a part of his life.
Getting work done and being more efficient would be amazing, but handing over some of our special time through the day was going to take some getting used to.
Jack was possibly more enamored by our new guest than I was. He’d taken to Lexie in our home just as easily as he had that day in the grocery store.
One thing I hadn’t been prepared for was the zing of jealousy I’d feel when I saw them together.
I wanted that time with my baby.
And I wanted that time with Lexie.
Crazy, I know.
Our new routine wasn’t without some adjustments and awkwardness.
Honestly, the easiest part was Jack.
Lexie and I were the ones who had a bit of growing pains.
“Hey, this isyourhome now. For as long as this job works out, you belong here. Open the fridge any time you want. Put food on the grocery list. Throw your laundry in the wash. You’re not a guest, you live here and I want you to be comfortable,” I told Lexie when it became evident she was tiptoeing around like a hotel guest.
Her pretty cheeks pinked, but she nodded. “It’s just kinda weird going from living on my own to living with someone else in a house that was originally theirs.”
“I get it. But I think we’ll both be more comfortable if we just pretend like we’re longtime friends living together.”
Things got a little easier after that, but I quickly noticed Lexie would eat something quick and easy while feeding Jack, and then disappear to her room for the rest of the evening.
I let it go on for a while, but I finally had to say something.
“I’d like it if you’d eat dinner with me,” I said one day.
Lexie turned huge green eyes my way. “Dinner?”
I held up a hand. “Hear me out. It’s not a requirement. Hell, maybe you look forward to retreating to your room each day. But I get the feeling you eat early and run off because you think I want you out of the way. That’s not true at all.” I smiled and shrugged. “If you haven’t noticed in the month you’ve been here, I don’t have much of a social life. I’d be happy for us to eat dinner together—even if just a few times a week. But again, only if it’s something you’d like.”
“Maybe three nights?” Lexie suggested. “I cook one night, you cook, and we order something in one night?”
“I love that idea.”
So, over the next couple weeks, I watched my son thrive and bloom with Lexie by his side.
I started looking forward to dinner at least three times a week with a woman I quickly realized wasthe oneeven if I wasn’t sure I could do anything about it.
And I actually started to have a bit of free-time to myself because I wasn’t overwhelmed with work and parenting.
Lexie was an absolute god-send.
For both Jack and me.
And I wanted to tell her how I felt.
But things were good.
We were like a little family of three.
We had a good routine.
Lexie and I got along like we’d known each other for years. We were a great team with household responsibilities and parenting tasks.
