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“Okay, pumpkin, it’s time to get in bed,” Ryan tells her.
“Can I watch an episode ofRescue Riders?”
“Not now. Get under the covers.” Ryan uses his no-nonsense voice and she scrambles from my lap, crawling up to the top of her mattress.
Standing, I walk around the bed and brush a loose strand of hair from her eyes. “I’m going to head home. Let me have a kiss.”
She puckers her lips and gives me a loud, smacking kiss. “I love you, Mommy.”
“I love you more, sweetie. Sleep tight.”
While Ryan says goodnight, I head downstairs to make sure everything is put away. He’s already taken care of all the cleaning up, so I head to the mudroom and grab my keys.
Ryan leans against the door jamb. “You want to have a glass of wine?”
“No, thanks. I need to get some laundry washed before I go to bed. Thanks for dinner. It was delicious as usual.”
He smiles. “Who would’ve thought I’d learn how to cook?”
I laugh. “Not me.”
When we were younger, I never could’ve imagined Ryan would be the on-the-ball man he is today. Back then, we were both rebellious and didn’t think much about consequences. Becoming parents as teenagers changed all that.
“Safe home, Evie.” He smiles.
I snort. “Night.”
He closes and locks the door behind him as I move across the mudroom to the entrance to my half of the duplex. Ryan purchased this property a few years ago, and I pay rent to live here. I know he doesn’t charge me half of his mortgage, and if he did, I wouldn’t be able to swing it by myself. Not on a dog groomer’s salary anyway. The salon might be bougie as fuck, but my salary doesn’t reflect that.
Once I’m inside, I lock the door behind me and toss my keys in the basket on the small table. I wasn’t lying when I told both Darius and Ryan there was laundry to be done. I throw a load of wash in, then move to the kitchen to unload the dishwasher.Such a wild life I lead for a twenty-four-year-old.I smile to myself.Just another glamorous day in the life of Evie Bruschi.
I might not be out partying or hitting bars with my friends, but I wouldn’t change a single thing, because if I did, I wouldn’t have Tillie. She’s brought immeasurable joy to our lives. Ryan and I have found a way to co-parent without being a couple, and in the process, we’ve become best friends.
I’ll paint a million dog asses for Tillie. Her happiness is all that matters.
CHAPTER4
DARIUS
By the timeI arrive at my parents’ house, my entire family is already there. With so many vehicles filling the driveway, I end up parking curbside. Walking up the stone path, I shift the bags in my arms and look over my childhood home. A modest colonial style with a front porch, I’ve always loved this house. Growing up, it was filled with chaos, noise, love, and the delicious aromas of my mother’s cooking.
I step inside to the sounds of loud laughter and the scent of all my sister’s favorite Greek foods. No matter what may change in my life, it’s nice to know this place is the one constant for me.
I place one of the bags down on the entryway table and hook the handles of the other over my finger.
I amble to the spacious kitchen at the back of the house. When my parents built this home, my mom wanted to be able to keep an eye on us kids while we played in the backyard. So, instead of upper cabinets, the rear wall is filled with large windows, and there’s also a sliding glass door that leads out to a back deck.
“Darius,” my dad calls out, and all eyes land on me.
I smile. “Dad.”
He pulls me into a hug and then my mom is hurrying over.
“Agóri mou.” Leaning down, I kiss her cheek and give her a quick squeeze. At least that’s the intent, but my mother has other ideas. “Give me a decent hug, for God’s sake,” she orders.
A disgruntled sound leaves me, but I do as she wishes, like the good son I am.
“Let poor Darius go,” Calista says.
