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“Because like you said, men either cheat, or they don’t.”
“You may never know one way or the other, and there’s no point in tormenting yourself with those thoughts. It’s enough to know it happened more than once.”
“I suppose so. I’m sorry to be talking about him when I’m in bed with you.”
“Don’t be. He has nothing to do with me or us.”
She surprises me when she moves so she’s on top of me, gazing down at me with love in her eyes. “You have no idea how much I’ve come to rely on your input into everything that happens, since way before we got naked together.”
“You mean since you crawled naked into my bed.”
“That was such an accident.”
I poke her sides, making her jolt and then laugh. “You’re such a liar.”
As she kisses her way down the front of me, I’m incredibly thankful that she crawled into my bed and changed both our lives for the better.
24
IRIS
Christmas is the usual mess and madness, but the kids have a blast, which is all that matters. This year is different because Gage is with us for Christmas morning. We were supposed to spend Christmas Eve with his family, but both his parents came down with the flu, so we’ve postponed that visit until after our trip. He FaceTimed with them earlier and introduced me and the kids to them.
They seem like nice people, and I’m looking forward to getting to know them. If I’m a tiny bit relieved that I don’t have to meet all the important parents in Gage’s life in the same twenty-four-hour period, well, I won’t admit that to anyone.
“Guys, Mr. Gage has a special surprise for you,” I tell the kids after breakfast.
Laney bounces in her booster seat. “Surprise!”
“That’s right, pumpkin,” I tell her. “Tyler and Sophia, sit back down so Mr. Gage can give you his present.”
When the older two have returned to the table, Gage gets up to retrieve the backpacks he bought them with their names embroidered on them. He hands them out to the kids.
“Mine says Laney! Does yours?”
“You’re silly,” Tyler replies. “Mine says Tyler, and Sophia’s says Sophia.”
“They’re really nice, Mr. Gage,” Sophia says. “Thank you.”
“Look inside,” he says, smiling.
We told the kids he slept in the guest room so he could spend Christmas morning with us. He’s wearing a navy T-shirt and flannel pajama pants and looks right at home at my kitchen table.
The kids unzip the bags and pull out the sun hats, sunscreen bottles, floaties, flip-flops and bathing suits he got them, in consultation with me.
Tyler is the first to pull out the folded paper that has the plane ticket printed on it. “Are we going to Florida?” he asks, eyes big.
“We are,” Gage says.
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Tyler lets out a shriek of excitement as he throws himself into Gage’s arms. Fortunately, Gage sees him coming and catches him in a big hug. “You guys!” Tyler says to his sisters. “We’re going to Floridatonight!”
Laney is so excited she nearly falls out of her seat. I grab her and unbuckle the clip to release her. She goes right to hug Gage with Sophia following. I love that his big surprise has gone over so well.
“You guys know how my wife and little girls died in the accident, right?”
