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Marlow smiles warmly. “It seems like we may have a future Alice in Wonderland on our hands.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
And I want you there to share all those moments with us.
In the week since Lola told Marlow she loved her, I’ve included Marlow in her bedtime routine. We take turns reading to her, and there’s something extraordinary about the three of us cuddled on the bed together like we’re a family. I never imagined I could be this happy again after Maddie left, but Marlow has changed everything.
She’s quickly become integral to our daily routine, and I can’t imagine a life without her. I long for the day when I can wake up with her by my side each morning, and she’s the last thing I see before I close my eyes at night. She and Lola hold my whole heart, and I want us to be a real family… Waffles too.
I take Marlow’s hand in mine as we enter the school’s auditorium. Other than the town buzzing with gossip and my mother sharing the news with her friends, we’ve kept our relationship low profile until now.
“Dylan, are you sure about this?” Marlow murmurs as she looks down at our entwined fingers.
I think back to the night I traced her chest with words of affirmation before fucking her into oblivion. Her body was my canvas to do as I pleased, and if she’d let me, I’d spend the rest of my life worshiping her the way I did that night.
“You’re mine, sunshine, and I want everyone to know it,” I declare.
“Wait.” She grabs ahold of my arm with her free hand. “When we get back to your place tonight, I need to talk to you about something important,” she says, chewing on her lip.
“We can talk about whatever you want,” I promise. I catch sight of my mom in the second row, motioning for us to come sit with her and Cash. “We better take our seats.”
“Yeah, okay,” Marlow says hesitantly.
I ignore the onlookers staring in our direction as we make our way to the front of the auditorium. At least now, there isn’t any question who Marlow belongs to.
She’s mine. Now and always.
“Hi, Marlow. Hey, sweetheart,” my mom greets us. “How’s our little star doing?” she asks me.
“She’s extremely excited. Where’s Dad?”
She points to the small section of seats on either side of the stage where my dad’s sitting next to Harrison with his camcorder in hand. “He’s going to film the play so Presley and Jack can watch it when they come to visit. And he wants Lola to be able to see it later, since she’s missing most of it.”
“She’ll love that,” I say.
“I tried to get him to use my phone to record, but you know how he likes that camcorder of his,” Cash chimes in. “Marlow, it’s good to see you again.” He flashes her a big grin.
“You too,” she replies sweetly.
Cash snickers as I shoot him a glare and drape my arm around Marlow, drawing her closer to me.
We all settle into our seats as the lights dim and the curtain opens. I smile with satisfaction when Marlow rests her head against my shoulder. While I appreciate my family’s unwavering support, having her by my side to share this moment with is more than I could ever ask for.
The first act moves at a glacial pace, while I impatiently wait for the “Garden of Live Flowers” scene in act two. Marlow squeezes my leg when several fifth graders dressed as flowers make their entrance.
“This is it,” she whispers with anticipation.
Sure enough, a group of first graders follow the older kids on stage. Lola is the last one to come out. She’s dressed in a green leotard and tutu, with a white headpiece shaped like a flower tied under her chin with a green ribbon. She’s absolutely adorable.
When the music plays, she sways to the rhythm of the song like we’ve practiced, but she stops when she notices Marlow waving at her.
“Hi, Marlow. Hi, Daddy,” she exclaims, waving enthusiastically with both arms.
“That’s my niece,” Cash hollers proudly.
The crowd erupts into laughter as Lola’s teacher steps out from the stage wing and gently coaxes Lola back into place. Lola goes right back to swaying with a megawatt smile for the rest of the song.
“She’s brilliant,” Marlow gushes with pride.
