Page 80 of Simply You & Me

Daddy Wy said if his door is unlocked, then I can come in, but if it's locked, then I can't. So, I don't knock. I turn the handle, hoping it will let me in. It does!

"Daddy?" I step inside, not going too close because he says sometimes there are adult things on there. That's okay though, I'm not here to peek.

"Yeah, honey?" The clicking stops.

"You done yet? Dad Z's doing it again." Air puffs out of my lips and I look at the ceiling. Sometimes I can't believe I'm the kid in this family. The adults act silly more often than I do.

Wy spins with a big smile on his face. It's the brightest one I've seen on his face in a while. "Yeah, bestie. I'm done."

"Oh good! Come on!" I can't fit my fingers all the way around his wrist, but he still stands and follows me when I tug. "You going to come to our rescue?"

Daddy Wy laughs. It's kind of throaty, but it's nice. "I'll always rescue you from the food monster. Don't you worry."

A few steps from the bottom, I bend my knees, but I don't get far when I jump. "Hey!" I squeal, trying to act annoyed by him ruining my plans.

Wyatt's smile is back and bigger than ever when he plops me on his hip. "No jumping from the stairs like that." He boops my nose.

"Papa Jules lets me," I whine.

"Aurora May! How dare you tattle on me!" Julian's pouting too, but it makes me giggle.

Wy sets me down, and I point at Zach, who looks like he smelled something bad, so I tell him. "Maybe if you hadn't made stinky sprouts, you wouldn't look like that."

Daddy Tate chokes and sputters on his drink, and I laugh right along with him. "Oh, my hell, Zach. She got you good!"

Z looks like he's about to chase Tate down. I tip toe my way over to Jules and tug on his shirt. "Can you get rid of them?" I whisper.

His lips twist and I have to pinch mine to keep my laugh in. "I already tried," he mumbles through his duck lips.

"Julian, sit down and eat. Stop teaching the peanut your ways." I stick my bottom lip out, but all Z does is lift an eyebrow.

Like every night, Dad Z dishes my plate but when he goes to do the second, he's stopped before the sprouts can the plate.

"Those make me nauseous, Zach. I'll just have the potatoes and chicken please," Mom says. Her voice sounds sweeter than usual, and I just know she doesn't want to eat the stinky sprouts!

I open my mouth, but while rubbing her very round tummy she says, "Ice cream and cereal for dessert tonight, Rory?" Oh, she's sneaky, but I'll play her game. She doesn't have to eat Dad's Brussel sprouts, but I get Corn Pops and ice cream in return.

I nod, Mom nods, Tate snorts, Wyatt smiles again, Julian covers his giggle and Dad Z rolls his eyes, but he's happy. I'm happy too. Mommy's happy, and I have four dads. Oh, and a baby brother coming soon.

It's everything I ever dreamed. Papa Jules says that a lot too, and I hope he'll draw me a picture of his dream someday.

A picture that isn't just simply Mom and me. But all of us. A family.

Z, Wy, Tate, Jules, Mom, Bean and I.

A dream come true.

Epilogue

Adelyn

6 years later

"No, Dad, not that one." I can practically feel Rory's eye roll where she's resting her cheek on the top of my head. "No, that's the old version. I promise this one will work better?—"

I tune her and Wyatt out, not having the capability to follow along with their tech stuff. Don't get me wrong, it's amazing and I love that they have each other to talk to about that stuff, but it all goes over my head. And makes me snooze. Oops.

"You'll never catch me!"

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