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Once I’m finished, Miles carefully swaddles her back up, checking the wrap several times to make sure it won’t come loose. Then he puts her into the crib and watches her for a few moments until she dozes off. When he comes back to bed, he sighs and closes his eyes. “And the anxiety cycle starts again. I feel crazy.”
Again, I snuggle close, running my hand down his arm and drawing his attention to me. “You’re not crazy,” I whisper. “I think your anxiety is a sign of your love for her. You always want to make sure she’s safe. I also know how hard you work to address your anxiety and work with it. I’m proud of you for that. But even with therapy and medication, sometimes you might still need something to take your mind off your anxiety and help put you at ease.” I nod toward his bedside table. “Reading might help, but I’ve got a better idea.”
His eyebrows shoot up as I shift onto his lap and give him a deep kiss, then shimmy down his body until I’m half covered by the sheets and his hands are tangled in my hair.
One sensual blow job later, and my man is relaxed and almost drifting off. I place a sloppy kiss on his lips and whisper, “Don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. Now get some rest. We have a big day tomorrow.”
I run to the bathroom again, and by the time I come back, Miles is tucked under the covers and snoring away.
Mission accomplished.
“Mm, that was a good burger.” Miles happily rubs his stomach as we stroll hand in hand through the mall.
“You mean mozzarella sticks, salad, a burger, fries, and dessert?” I tease. My man is a bottomless pit. It’s kinda hot.
He laughs in that deep vibrato that has always set me on fire. “I’m a growing boy,” he drawls, like a good old-fashioned country boy. Which isn’t exactly correct. He’s a sweet small-town boy with some country accents. Ida is an old farm town, after all.
“If you grow anymore, you won’t fit in our apartment.”
Again, he chuckles. “Yeah, I’m probably done growing and have been for a while, but I’m still as hungry as I was as a teen.”
“Good. Channel that teen energy.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “Why? Where are we going?”
I tug on his hand, pulling him with me to the only thing in this part of the mall.
“The arcade?” He smiles brightly.
I nod, wrapping my arms around him. “Fancy dinners are wonderful, but I thought we deserved a chance to be kids, not be twenty-something parents with anxiety and trauma.” I move impossibly closer, so my body is flush with his. “Today I just want to be young and in love.”
He looks deep into my eyes, then slowly shakes his head, his hand moving up my neck and into my hair. Not caring that we’re in the middle of the mall, he presses his lips to mine and dips me backward, a soft hum of pleasure radiating from his lips as he kisses me.
I match his intensity, deepening the kiss, wrapping my arms tighter around his neck and twisting my fingers through his hair.
“Damn, woman,” he rumbles as he pulls me upright, finally breaking our decadent kiss.
“Back at ya, stud.” I wink at him. I haven’t called him stud in a long time, though I used to when we were first… well, dating isn’t the right word, but looking back on it now, fucking seems too crass. Whatever it was we were doing and pretending we weren’t. I’d call him that, especially over our flirtatious texts.
“Young and in love.” Again, he shakes his head, then smacks my ass, propelling me toward the arcade.
I don’t think I’ve been in an arcade since I was… ten? Maybe? I don’t remember much about it, other than I was squealing, running around, and having fun with my dad. I tried to get a million tickets and beat him playing the basketball shooting game. Warmth swells in my heart as the memory fills me with joy, rather than sadness.
I wasn’t thinking of that day specifically when I planned today’s date. I was just trying to think of something fun kids do. Kids. It feels so far removed from what we are now, yet it’s fun to be one, if only for a few hours.
For our first night out last weekend, I planned a nice dinner for us, a walk through downtown, and then a few hours of uninterrupted time at home before we picked up Emmie from Katie, who had no desire to let her go. Today’s date is a midday date since we have dinner at the farmhouse later. Rae’s watching Emmie, so we can go straight there after. But for now…
Young and in love.
“Where first?” I ask, looking around.
“Skeeball.” He drags me over and tells me about an old pizza place that closed down when they were kids, but had skeeball machines, so they’d always beg their parents to go there even though the pizza was pretty crappy.
We go from machine to machine. Shooting baskets, using pretend guns to shoot bad guys, riding motorcycles—which we’re both terrible at. We end up on one of those terrible dancing machines, and there, I get competitive. Miles is always competitive.
“What’s the matter? Big feet can’t keep up? Not so agile now that baseball is over?” I tease as he missteps.
“Watch it, sweetness. I grew up with three female best friends who were obsessed with boy bands. I know how to dance.”
