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So I simply smiled and gave her a wink, which caused a fit of giggles. The sound was like a burst of sunshine through a cloudy day. She turned back to the cupcakes, carefully putting them on a bright yellow plate, her tongue peeking out from the side of her mouth in concentration.
I took the time to just look at her. Her skin, her hair, everything about her was perfect. There was so much of Thalia, but I saw a bit of me in the dimples of her cheek and the set of her lips. When she finished her task, she turned back to me, her eyes still alight.
“Will you join me and Mommy at our tea party, Damian?”
Another ball of emotion caught in my throat, heavy and painful, like I couldn’t breathe around it, as this little girl looked at me so expectantly. Suddenly, everything felt so simple.
“I’d love to join your tea party, Luna.”
“Yay!” Her cry of happiness was the sweetest thing in the world. She started to lift the plate of cakes when it began to tip. Thalia quickly caught it.
“How about I carry these to the table, and you show Damian where to sit?”
“Okay, Mommy!” Luna shouted, scooting down from the chair. She grabbed my hand in her small, soft one. “This way!”
Luna led me to the coffee table and introduced me to all her stuffed animal friends while Thalia set the plate of cupcakes in the middle. As she was making up storylines for each guest, Luna poured tea, which was really just pink-colored water, and made us all participate. It hadn’t taken much convincing, though. I was all too happy to immerse myself in Luna’s happy little world.
“Princess Unicorn, you look so lovely today,” Luna gushed in an English accent that had me stifling a laugh. “Wouldn’t you say so, Queen Mommy?”
Thalia took a dainty sip of tea, with her pinky up, of course.
“Why, yes, Princess Luna. Princess Unicorn is very beautiful.” Thalia played along so flawlessly as she pretended to talk to the stuffed animal. It was clear that this was a game they played a lot. Seeing Thalia in her element was amazing. She shone so brightly, laughing along with Luna, who clearly adored Thalia. It was…all words escaped my mind. It was just beautiful.Thaliawas beautiful.
“What about you, Sir Laze-a-lot?” I almost spit out my tea water in surprise at Luna’s name for me. But I had been quickly filled in that I was considered lazy for having Thalia move instruments at the studio. Interesting how that had been the thing about me that really stuck with Luna, according to Thalia. “Isn’t Queen Mommy the prettiest lady in the room?”
Thalia immediately blushed at Luna’s question. Sure, the little girl meant it innocently. Hell, we were just raving about how a horse-unicorn was beautiful a few seconds ago, but of course, it was all very different when it involved me and Thalia.
“She… Queen Mommy is indeed a very, very beautiful lady, Princess Luna,” I rasped, trying my best to speak in an English accent as well, but it was coming out in fragments. Thalia, nonetheless, still blushed beet red at my words, but I raised my teacup toward Luna. “But you, Princess Luna, you’re not just a beautiful little girl, but you're an amazing host. You have been so gracious and kind for introducing me to your friends.”
Luna simply giggled, pleased with how Thalia and I were playing with her, and we continued like that for about another half hour. I never knew that I could love pink-colored tea water in a plastic tea cup. It was certainly a new experience for me.
After the tea party and cupcakes, we had dinner, Thalia’s apparently famous spaghetti, and watched a movie. Halfway through the movie, Luna started yawning and rubbing her eyes and soon after, her head rested on Thalia’s stomach.
I couldn’t stop the desire to wrap Luna up and tuck her into bed, but we didn't want to overwhelm Luna with too much new stuff tonight. That wasn’t what this time was supposed to be about. This process was step-by-step and would be ongoing, but I was ready to spend as long as it needed to take. My priority was getting to know my daughter, whatever that looked like.
Thalia came back to the living room and sat next to me on the couch, dropping her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her in a soft hug.
“I think today went really well,” she said as I skimmed my thumb along the soft skin of her arm. I could see the stress she was feeling ease just a bit.
I tipped her face toward me and dropped a chaste kiss on her lips, stroking my hand through her soft hair.
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity.” She smiled lazily at me. “You’re so amazing with her. Luna clearly adores you. You’re a great mom, Thalia.”
I kissed her again and when she pulled away, Thalia’s brown eyes were shimmering in the low, warm light of her apartment. I could tell that she was comfortable and happy in her own space, and I was relieved to see that I wasn’t messing up the atmosphere of their home by being there.
I could tell there was something in Thalia’s mind as she leaned her forehead against mine, but I didn’t push it. She bit her lower lip lightly before parting her scarlet lips.
“Do you want to stay the night?” The whispered question filled my heart with such joy. There was nowhere else in the world I wanted to be than right here.
Chapter 23
Thalia
Thingsescalatedmuchmorequickly than I’d intended.
It was Damian’s first time in our home, and I’d felt such dread before we got here. The anxiety had been building when we were in his ridiculously gorgeous, expensive car. It was so much that I started feeling ashamed of our home and even though I did the most I could with what I had to work with, it would never match with what Damian was used to. If his tour bus was any indication, his home was probably out of this world.
But I loved our quaint apartment because it was filled with love. And Damian had fit in so well, only adding to the feeling of home. He was so easy and approachable with Adriana, and I loved how he let her be her crazy self without any outward judgment.
