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I watch her head up to the front door and a second later she disappears into the house. I can’t help but smile. Everything is going great. I have the woman that I love and we just spent the entire night wrapped around each other.
I wanted to tell her last night how I felt but I was worried that it would scare her off. I don’t want to lose her, so I bit my tongue, but I have a feeling that those three little words will spill out soon.
It doesn’t take Caroline long to come back out with Charlotte in tow. I get out to help the little girl into her new car seat and I pass her the stuffed bunny that I got for her.
“Thanks, Heath,” she whispers and I frown, wondering if maybe I got the wrong one.
She cuddles it close to her chest, though, so I pass it off, figuring that she’s probably just tired from her sleepover or maybe she missed Caroline last night.
“Do you want to go grab some breakfast, Charlotte?” I ask and she nods again, her little eyes falling partly closed and I smile, closing the door.
Maybe she’ll sleep on the way over to the café and be back to the excited girl that I’m used to.
“Is the café okay?” I ask Caroline as we head toward the center of town.
“Sure, or I can just make us something at the house.”
“Let me spoil you two,” I tell her and she blushes slightly, but nods.
“Alright, let’s go.”
I take her hand again as we drive and we try to ask Charlotte about her sleepover but she doesn’t seem interested in talking that much. I can see Caroline frown at her niece as we park and I squeeze her hand.
She seems to shrug it off and we head inside to grab a bite to eat, but things don’t improve over breakfast.
“You’re not hungry? Did you eat at Amelia’s?” Caroline asks as Charlotte takes a few more bites of her pancakes.
“Yeah,” she says.
“Are you tired, bunny?”
“Yeah,” she says, her eyes drooping and I smile reassuringly at Caroline as I ask for the bill.
“I’ll pay. Why don’t you go get her settled in her car seat and then I can drive you guys home.”
“Thanks,” Caroline says as she picks up Charlotte and I watch them head toward the front door.
It only takes a minute for me to pay and I hurry outside to join them. Charlotte is dozing in her car seat by the time I buckle up and pull out of the parking spot.
“It was her first sleepover. I think she must have overdone it and stayed up late.”
“Probably. You’ll have to take it easy today.”
“Yeah, I might need a nap after last night, too,” Caroline says with a giggle and I grin.
“Me too.”
“We’ll have to do it again soon.”
“Name the time,” I say as I pull into their driveway. “Let me help you carry her in. We can put her right in bed if you want.”
“Thanks,” Caroline says and I hop out and round the truck to grab Charlotte.
Caroline opens the door for me as I carry Charlotte in. I follow her upstairs and she moves the covers back as I lay her down. She takes Charlotte’s shoes off and I watch her as she cares for her niece.
“You’re such a good mom. I don’t know how you do it all,” I tell her as we step out of the bedroom and into the hall.
“Thanks. Most days I’m not sure how I do it all.”
