AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Where are we going?” Emmie asked, her eyes sparkling.
“It’s a surprise.” He smiled at her, and Emmie squealed with excitement before she crawled out from underneath the table and ran toward her room to get dressed.
“I didn’t know you were home today,” I said.
“Home,” Wesley said, as if he was trying the word on for size.
“I mean…yourhome, obviously.
“No, no. It’s your home, too, for now.” He glanced at the tea party I started packing up, putting the plastic cups and saucers back in the box. “I like the castle you guys have built. Very…” He glanced around. “Well-decorated.”
“And warm,” I added. “The roof keeps away the storm, Emmie told me.”
“Right,” Wesley said with a chuckle.
“This is what I love about being a mom,” I said, not making eye contact with Wesley.
He took the piece of cloth we’d used as a tablecloth and folded it even though he didn’t have to.
“What?”
“It lets you look at the world differently again, you know? Children let you have the parties under the table instead of on top of it. We study every individual blade of grass, seeing it as a whole world, and see if we can count the ants’ legs as they move fast to get their job done. The small things become important and interesting again. We start to focus on the big things as an adult so much, we lose track of the little things.”
Wesley rubbed his palm on his thighs. He didn’t disagree with me.
I wasn’t sure if he knew what I was saying, but that didn’t matter. Today was a good day. Emmie and I did what we usually did on the weekend, spending time as mother and daughter, doing human things. We didn’t talk about magic; we didn’t lose control and see a whole new world. It was just me and her, the way it used to be.
When I crawled out from underneath the table, Wesley offered me a hand and helped me up. His blue eyes were drowning deep, and he tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
“I’ll go get dressed,” I said, blushing despite myself.
Why did he have this effect on me? He just looked at me, and I melted.
The mate bond. Fated.
I shook off the thoughts and walked away to get dressed, too.
I put on jeans and a t-shirt, tying up my hair in a ponytail. Emmie came out of her room wearing pink tights, a green dress, and her blue rain boots.
“None of that matches,” I said with a laugh.
“But I like it,” she said. “The dress has a frog. Look.” She pulled her dress outward and looked down at the frog that held out his hands as if he wanted a hug.
“Then that’s what we’re wearing,” I said, nodding. Why squash her creativity when she was so unapologetically herself? “How about you bring other shoes along, just in case your boots start to hurt you,” I suggested.
“I’ll be okay,” Emmie said.
“Are you sure?”
Emmie nodded, so I agreed.
We met Wesley in the living room. He handed me a bag with clothes.
“What’s this for?”
“For me, when we get there,” he said. “I’m flying you out.”
“Oh,” I said, trying to understand what he meant.
