Page 84 of Sighs By the Sea

“Can Matty and Drew come over? TJ too?” I let out a sigh. It’s hard to say no to George, especially after being apart so long. Despite my reservations, I agree. Family is complicated but essential. “I’ll call them tonight, and we can go visit this weekend,” I say. George’s squeals of delight make a broad smile spread across my face.

When we pull up to Maggie’s house, my heart lifts at the sight of her waiting on the porch. She rushes to the car, throwing open George’s door with a bright smile. Lifting him from his car seat, she plants a kiss on his nose, making him giggle. I watch, my heart swelling with love. Five seconds in, and it’s everything I imagined.

“Miss me, Georgie?” she asks.

“Oh yes, Miss Maggie. I drawed you six pictures,” he says. She raises him higher on her hip.

“Really? Well, can I see them or what?” He wiggles out of her grip and goes for his backpack in my hand.

“Okay, slow down, bud. Let’s get inside.” I hold the bag higher so George can’t reach it, chuckling as he jumps up to try.

Maggie comes to my side and pecks my cheek, but I frown. “You kissed him first,” I say with mock hurt in my voice.

She shrugs. “He’s cuter than you.”

“Ouch,” I say, but I don’t argue. It’s the truth, after all. She laughs and wraps her arm around my waist as we follow George up to the porch.

Inside, Maggie gives George a quick tour, showing how she’s made space for his things, including his prized Lego Batmobile right on the TV stand. For the next half hour, she fawns over the drawings George has made, including one where Maggie is a crime-fighting superhero stringing up a colorful villain. Crayons cover the coffee table as George insists he needs to make more.

Maggie holds up a particularly detailed page. “Oh, this one has to go to work with me, George. Harry is gonna love it!”

“Is Harry your boyfriend?” George asks. Maggie looks at me, I give a slight nod, and she turns back to George.

“Uh, no. Harry is my best friend and work partner. Your daddy is my boyfriend.”

George’s face brightens. “Oh! Is it a secret still? Auntie Andy said it was.”

I’m laughing. Of course, my nosy cousin has been sharing secrets with my son. At the thought, I suddenly miss her. Maybe I’ve been too hard on my family. It would be nice to see them.

“Nope, no secret.”

“Auntie Andy says that, um, you and Daddy might kiss.” He scrunches his nose like the idea is disgusting.

“Possibly,” Maggie says with a wink.

“She says adults are gross when they’re in love, and she’s happy she only loves me.” He tilts his head and looks up from his drawings. “Do I have to kiss Auntie Andy if I marry her?” My face goes pale—not at my son’s admission that he wants to marry his aunt. That’s more endearing than creepy. I had no idea they spoke so much while George was gone.

No, I’m shaking in my shoes for another reason. The big “L” word. The one I’ve been avoiding like the plague.

But Maggie doesn’t seem as affected as I am. “Silly goose, you can’t marry Andy. Marriage means making her your family, and she’s already your family.”

“So, if I want you in my family, I have to marry you?” George asks. Maggie looks down, a shy smile on her face. If she’s bothered by all this talk of love and marriage, she doesn’t show it. Nope. She’s glowing with pride. My woman is happy that my son wants her in his family.

“Erm, not entirely, champ. I’m happy to be your family, however that happens.” I’ve had enough. It’s a cuteness overload. Everything I could ever want is right in front of me, and I’m not letting my stupid fear dictate my words any longer.

I kneel beside them. “Marriage can mean family, but more importantly, love means family, Georgie. I love Maggie, so she’s our family now.”

Without missing a beat, Maggie adds, “And I love your daddy. Very, very much.”

George goes back to his picture, scribbling with a furrowed brow. “So you’ll definitely kiss,” he mumbles. Both Maggie and I laugh loudly, letting his frustration break the tension our admissions created.

When our laughter fades, I let my hand rest on Maggie’s on the coffee table. She squeezes it without looking at me. “Ugh, holding hands too.” George rolls his eyes. So, I guess my four-year-old is now a teenager.

I let go and stand up. “I’ll get cooking, I guess. Bat Boogers, right?” George’s face lights up, and he squeals with glee. I scowl mockingly. “But these better not taste like real boogers, Maggie.” She playfully shoves me, and I head into the kitchen to get to work.

While Maggie turns on a Batman movie for George, I stay in the kitchen to cook the burgers. The sound of their laughter mixed with the movie’s dialogue creates a cozy backdrop as I work. A profound sense of belonging washes over me, a feeling of family that I hadn’t realized I was missing until now. I know how much more I want—us, all together, with thousands more nights just like this.

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