AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I could give her this.
The next morning, I bypassed Giovanni’s and slipped into the elevator just as the door slid shut.
The amount of travel required by the job was too much. I knew that. But if I wanted the job, I had to accept the bad that came with it.
Striding out onto my floor, I proceeded directly to Maeve’s office. With a brisk knock on her open door, I stepped over the threshold.
“I’d like to take the offer.”
Threads
Hope
I brushed the tips of my fingers over the sweetly rounded mounds of her baby cheeks. She should sleep for another two hours yet here I was, pulling her out of bed. I should have left her at Lucky’s last night but knowing I’d be away for an entire week, I couldn’t bear to part with her a day early.
“Good morning, Tweetie,” I called softly. “It’s time to go to Daddy’s. You want to go see Daddy?”
Brayleigh barely stirred, her delicate, transparent lids fluttering before revealing the cornflower blues that mirrored my own. She slowly blinked up at me from her crib.
“Hi,” I whispered. “You want to go see Daddy?”
She nodded sleepily instead of emitting her usual ear-splitting squeal.
I picked her up and snuggled her against my chest, deciding in that moment to leave her in her sleeper and let Lucky get her ready for daycare. I wanted these moments just for myself.
Her little body, warm and heavy with sleep, grounded me. When it came right down to it, she was most important.
I splayed my palm over her back, pressing her closer to my heart, and prayed I made a good decision.
At work, Maeve stepped back into a coaching role almost immediately. The first week, we traveled to the shoot together. The second week we worked in office as she transitioned me into her roll. She was not happy with the speed of the transition, but she wasn’t willing to give any more of herself to the job.
She’d act as my base at the office during this trip. Next week would be her last.
I buried my nose in the sweet fragrance of Brayleigh’s hair and prayed. “Please, God, let it be okay.”
Reluctantly, I bundled her up. Within moments of putting her in the car, she fell back to sleep, and remained asleep all the way up to Lucky’s front door where he waited.
“Are you excited?” he whispered.
I transferred a deeply sleeping Brayleigh into Minty’s open arms and dropped a lingering kiss on her head. A kiss that had to last me a week.A week. I’d never been away from her for more than a couple of days in a row. Even when Lucky had her, we still practically lived in each other’s pockets.
“I think so…”
Lucky drew his head back in surprise. “You think so?”
“I am.” I nodded definitively. “I am. It’s just…” I petered off at a loss.
Lucky’s brow furrowed. “Are you worried about leaving her so long?”
“Not worried…” I shook my hands out in front of my face as I blew out a breath. “Woo, Lucky,” I exclaimed. “I am not going to cry. I’m not worried about leaving her with you. I’m never worried when you, when you and Minty, have her.”
His expression eased. “You know, you can talk still talk to me about stuff. You’re still my best friend. We’re still a family.”
My eyes filled uncharacteristically, and I laughed. “Oh, my gawd, Lucky! Don’t get all mushy with me or you’ll have me blubbering.”
I snagged a donut from the box I’d picked up on the way, fist-bumped my baby-daddy, and made a point of sailing out the door, hoping he bought my pasted-on smile.
Was I excited?
