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“It was a long day for me. Are you tired, too?” I asked.
Addy shook her head and said seriously, “I got my second wind.”
She was so adorable I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Sarah carried a plate of cookies into the room and placed them on the ottoman. “More like her eighth wind. This girl can go all day long.”
Addy reached for one, and Sarah said, “Just one. You had a bunch earlier.”
“Can I have more than one?” I asked Sarah.
“You brought us a tree and helped us put it up. You can have as many as you want.”
“No fair,” Addy whined.
“Eat your cookie. It’s time for you to go to bed,” Sarah said firmly.
Addy ate her cookie in a few bites and drank the apple cider Sarah brought her.
I should have moved off the couch and made a move to leave, but I was so comfortable here, with the tree in view.
“Now, it’s time for bed,” Sarah said to Addy before turning to me. “You enjoy your cookies. I’m going to put her to bed. There are glasses in the corner cabinet if you want to get some water. Sorry I’m not a better host.”
“Don’t worry about it. You have Addy.” I understood how hard things were with kids. Not that Sebastian complained, but we saw how demanding Ember could be. And when we weren’t there to help, he was on his own.
Sarah moved toward the stairs, and Addy surprised me by crawling into my lap and wrapping her arms around my neck. “Thank you for our tree. I love it.”
Everything inside me melted. “You’re welcome.”
My voice came out gruff because my throat was thick with emotion. When she scrambled off my lap, her knee dug into my thigh. I didn’t even feel it because her sweetness caused my heart to ache for things I shouldn’t want.
“Night, Knox,” Addy said with a shy smile.
“Good night. Sleep tight.”
Then she laughed as she took off for the stairs. “That’s what Mommy says.”
Then they were gone, and I was alone in their living room. The tree was festive and cheerful. A few minutes later, I felt a surge of energy, so I grabbed the garland out of my truck and placed it on the mantle for Sarah to arrange as she saw fit.
Sarah came downstairs a short while later. “Oh, wow. I didn’t realize you brought garland. It looks great there.”
Suddenly uncomfortable, I moved away from the mantle. “You can put it wherever. My mom wanted you to have it.”
“That was nice of her. I can’t thank you enough for everything you did for us. It’s such a wonderful memory for Addy.”
“I hope it was a good one for you, too,” I said before I could think about how my words would land.
She smiled softly. “We wouldn’t have been able to do this without you.”
“If you ever need help in the future, just talk to me or one of my brothers. We’ll get it set up for you.”
Her expression fell slightly. “That’s very generous of you.”
“That’s what friends are for, right?
She sat on the couch and looked uncertainly at me. “But we’ve only just met.”
I sat next to her. “I like doing nice things for you. Maybe it’s because you’re a single mother, or maybe it’s because Addy’s adorable. I just know how hard things are for Sebastian as a single dad, and maybe you don’t have the same support system he has.”
