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“Did you make extra heart pancakes?” Zoey’s leaning in, pressing a kiss to my jaw and I continue to hold her close. I’m not ready to let her go yet.
“I saved the batter,” I confess squeezing her tighter. “I’ll make more if you promise me one thing.”
“What’s that,” her breath tickles my neck?
“No more walls,” she tries to pull away but I don’t let her go. “I get it, I know you’re only trying to keep you and the girls safe. I get it, damn Zoey I understand. But you’ve got to know you don’t have to protect them from me. I let you go once before, but that’s a mistake I won’t make again.”
This time I do allow her to pull back enough so she can look up and our gazes lock on each other. She stares at me, but this time I don’t say anything, instead I wait for her.
“There was some talk of a ride and movie night.”
“Yeah, there sure was.”
“So, I guess you better make me those pancakes so we can start the rest of our day then.” Without hesitation I lean closer and kiss her again finally feeling like we’ve taken a step in the right direction.
“Wow,” Zoey walks into the kitchen and drags her palm over the newly installed countertop. Dean really pulled through and in record time. I’ve got to say I’m impressed.
“This is beautiful,” she spins around taking it all in.
Suddenly Riley and Regan come running down the hall squealing and laughing. Zoey hurries toward them, stopping them in the dining area. “No running,” she scolds them. “This is Jayson’s home and you know we don’t run in other’s homes.”
Zoey glances up at me with an apologetic look in her eyes. “Sorry.”
“For what?” The space is wide open, I’ve yet to buy furniture or even move in. “There is nothing to break and a home isn’t truly a home without chaos and laughter.”
And people you love to share it with, but I leave that part out. Hearing the twins laugh and scream playfully is exactly what I imagined when I first saw this place.
“They are destructive.” She insists and I can’t say I believe her, they look so innocent.
“Do you want to see the rest?” The girls jump up and down happily and I hold out my hand motioning toward the steps leading upstairs.
Watching the three of them walk throughout the home, going in and out of every room, their eyes growing wide and the smiles on their faces, it was perfect. Riley and Regan lay down on the newly installed carpet, rolling around in the open bedrooms with no furniture.
At one point Riley said something about where her bed would go and Zoey corrected her, I noticed the way she did everything shecould not to look at me. I wanted to hug Riley right then and tell her she can put her bed wherever she wants it.
The four of us made our way back downstairs and out onto the back deck. Again the squeals echoed over the lake as the twins take in the new playset I ordered last week. Last night, well into the evening hours, Mattie and I built it from he ground up. He spent the entire time hassling me, calling me daddy and not once did it bother me.
I know he meant for it to get beneath my skin but it had the opposite effect.
“Is that ours?” Regan asks and before Zoey can tell them no, I answer her.
“I got it for you and Riley, yes.”
Her eyes light up and she looks at her sister. Instantly the two of them take off toward the playset and I glance over to see Zoey watching her daughters.
With them being occupied I step in closer, positioning my body behind hers, leaning in to nuzzle her. The smell of her shampoo surrounds me, while I bury my nose in her hair. “I’m not lying,” I tell her and I feel her take a deep breath, her shoulders sagging as she exhales.
With one hand on her hip, the other on the railing before us, I pull her back flush to my chest. “I hope the three of you are here often,” I could say more. I want to say so much more, but I’ll save that for another day.
“They look so happy,” she says with a laugh. Turning to look back at me she smiles. “Thank you.”
Not wanting to overstep I press of soft quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. “It’s theirs, whenever they want to play.” When she closes her eyes, I see her throat bob and I wait for her to get past whatever it is rolling around in her mind.
We stand there, for how long I don’t know. Laughing and watching as they climb around on the bridge, swing on the swings and bounce on the mini trampoline which is enclosed on the end.
“They love it,” Zoey waves at them. “It’s a beautiful house Jay,” she adds still watching her girls.
I focus on her side profile, remembering all the times when we were younger and I held her much like I am now. I get what people have been saying; Zoey is different. But she’s also the same. She is still sweet and loyal. The difference is now she is a loving mother that will do anything to protect her girls.
