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“Mommy, is this a hotel?” Gracie wrinkled her little nose and peered up at her mother who glanced at me before her eyes landed on Gracie again.
“No baby. It’s a house.”
“My house,” I added and kneeled down to get eye level with her. “You okay staying here for a little while?”
She huffed a breath and peeked up at her mother before her eyes were on me again. “I like my house and my room because it’s yellow.”
My eyes flicked to where her hand was connected to her mother’s. Her little fingers gripped Cadence’s tighter. “I like your house a lot too. It’s perfect because it’s a piece of you and your mother and you don’t have to stay here forever just for a little while. Is that okay?”
“How long is a little while? Because sometimes Mommy says she’ll be gone just for a little while at work but when she comes home, I’m already asleep and it’s a long, long time.”
I tried extremely hard not to smile but this kid. She wasn’t going to make this easy.
“Longer than that little while but I’ll make you a deal. If you stay, we can make your room yellow like the one you have at your mommy’s house so that it feels like you’re there and not here.”
She frowned harder, brows pinched while she looked around as if trying to decide whether or not that was a good enough offer. “Mommy, are you staying too?”
“Yeah, baby. I’m staying too.”
Kaliq who seemed to have instantly accepted Gracie as his new best friend lifted the kid into his arms, holding her against his chest while she giggled and squirmed. “And we have a swimming pool here. I bet you don’t have one of those at your mommy’s house.”
“Yes I do. It’s just little and Mommy hates blowing it up.”
Cadence scoffed a laugh.
“Nobody has to blow this one up. You want to see it?”
“Can I, Mommy?”
“Yes, but no running. You have to be careful.”
Kaliq nodded at Cadence, giving the reassurance she needed to trust her daughter with him. “I got her.”
As soon as they were out of earshot she turned to me. “You don’t have to make her room yellow.”
“I already did. I had someone take care of it last night. Not a big deal.”
“It’s definition a big deal, Jaah. I don’t want you going out of the way for us. This is…”
I kissed her hard. There was a lot she would have to adjust to but I didn’t want them being here feeling out of place or not welcome. She allowed me to provide her sanctuary and that was exactly what I intended to do.
“I thought we agreed you wouldn’t use all this to sway me.”
I chuckled and pecked her lips once more. “Still don’t know what you’re talking about. Come on, I’ll show you the rooms and then we can tour the rest of the house.” I carried two duffels, one large rolling suitcase, and a tiny yellow one up the stairs.
There were six bedrooms total, four on the second level and two on the first. My property also housed a mother-in-law suite in the corner behind the main house across from the pool house. It held two bedrooms, living room, and a kitchen.
Just enough space for Kaliq to feel independent but still be close. I understood he needed his space so I never complained when he chose to live there instead of under the same roof as me. As long as he was here, within reach, I was satisfied.
“Oh wow,” was the first thing out of Cadence’s mouth when I pushed the door open to the room at the end of the hall. I had selected it for Gracie because it was the biggest next to mine. The space allowed for plenty of room to be used as a play area.
“It’s very….yellow.”
I stepped in behind her, looking around. I had no clue what my staff had done. My only instructions were to make it kid friendly with yellow and sunflowers.
“Too much?”
She grinned over her shoulder, lifting a hand which showcased a thumb and index finger pinching air with very little space between them. “A little, but Gracie’s going to love it. You really didn’t have to do all this.”
