I look up just as Matthew comes back downstairs, looking at the TV and then at us.
“I can’t wait till another movie comes out, then I’m going to bury that movie in the backyard after I break it in pieces, just in case,” he says while going into the kitchen to get himself something to drink.
Coming back, he looks at me. “So are you spending the night or are you sneaking out early?” This kid is too smart for his own good.
“I’m spending the night. The whole night. I’ve been away from her for four days. I’m not doing it again. Now that you know how I feel about your mom, I hope that this is okay?” I’m asking his permission, but yes or no, I’m not leaving. I’ll sleep in my car before I leave.
“Okay. You want me to carry Allison up?” he asks, always willing to take care of his sister.
“No, I’m good, I’m going to carry her up first and then come back and get your mom.”
He says nothing more, just nods and turns to walk upstairs. Getting up and carrying Allison upstairs, I place her softly in her bed, covering her up, and kissing her on her forehead. I’ve fallen in love with her mother, and this little girl that has captured my heart as much as her mom.
After she is tucked in and is sleeping like a starfish, I go in search of my other girl. Creeping down the stairs quietly as to not wake her up, I gently pick her up. I want to just sit with her in my arms. I want to smell her. It’s weird how before I didn’t have the need to always think of someone else besides myself, and now all I think about is her before me.
When I finally make my way to her room, I pull the covers down, placing her under it. Turning around, I go downstairs, making sure everything is closed and stopping at Matthew’s door. Knocking once, I open and let him know we are heading to bed. He doesn’t answer and just nods.
Making my way to the bed, all I see is her small body curled up in a ball. She hasn’t moved since I placed her in the bed. Getting under the covers, I reach out for her, pulling her close to me. No way am I sleeping without touching her.
Once I have her in my arms, she curves into me and adjusts herself to me, throwing her legs over mine. I release the breath I had been holding in since I pulled her into me. With my arms around her, I close my eyes and let the past four sleepless nights catch up to me, bringing me down into a deep sleep.
When I open my eyes, I blink twice to adjust my eyes to the light seeping in. I don’t think I moved positions the whole night. We are exactly in the same place we were last night. The only thing is Parker is up because she is making soft circles on my chest. She must feel me looking at her because she looks up at me.
“Morning.” I squeeze her closer to me, bringing her almost on top of me.
“I haven’t slept well the past few days. I guess it caught up to me because the last thing I remember is watching Frozen.” She pulls herself completely on top of me, making me reach down to grab her ass with both hands, squeezing. She places both arms across my chest, planting her chin on her hand. “I thought I’d never wake up with you again. Every morning I woke up I would look over at Meghan and ask if it really happened.” She blinks at me.
I remove my hands from her and sit up in bed with the headboard at my back, making her sit in my lap straddling me.
“I couldn’t function. It’s as if I was going on autopilot. I was barely surviving. Tom kicked me off the ice twice and cancelled all my activities. So, I had to sit in that fucking house thinking. Thinking I would never get to hold you again. I may have to replace a couple of walls and a door when my four-month lease is up.”
She touches my face for the first time in four days, running her finger over my stubble that I’ve let grow out. It’s like she’s tracing my face for memory.
“That lease is almost up. I think I know someone who you can call. I train his son, so I’ll get his number for you.” She hasn’t made eye contact with me. She is just following her finger while she touches me.
I pull her chin up so I can look in her eyes. “We have to start looking for a house. I already contacted a realtor. Actually, the same realtor Tom used. He said he would have some houses to show us sometime next week.”
Her eyes now go big, not sure she heard me.
“A house? Why are you buying a house? Here? That’s a little silly, don’t you think?”
“Well, since this is going to be my hometown, I thought maybe you would want to get something a little bigger. I mean, I’m okay here, but it is a little bit small for the four of us.”
She starts to stutter, not sure what to say, but I don’t give her a chance to think.