Page 55 of Selfish Desires

Wendy slid next to me, her fingers intertwining with mine. The warmth in my chest spread like wildfire throughout my body. Sadie giggled at something Zachary had whispered into her ear, and Wendy's eyes dazzled at the sound. “I can see you're getting ideas,” she teased.

“What makes you think that?” I asked, trying to keep a straight face.

She let out a small laugh and looked up at me, her gaze gentle yet searching. “Because I know you.”

And then I had an idea. “You guys should go out to eat, enjoy Newport, and we’ll watch Sadie.”

“What?” asked Wendy, Blair, and Zachary.

I shrugged, trying to act nonchalant. “Why not? You two look like you could use a night out.” I nodded to Zachary and Blair. “We can handle Sadie for a night.”

“I thought we’d all go out, and you could show us Newport,” Blair added, her eyes glued to Sadie.

“And we will. But tonight, you and Zach have a date. Wendy and I will be fine.” I winked at all of them.

Zachary looked dubious. “You sure about that?” As if on cue, Sadie began to twist and squirm, desperately trying to free herself from her father’s iron hold.

I responded with a firm nod despite the slight apprehension starting to creep in. “Absolutely.”

“And you're okay with this?” Wendy asked me, her eyebrows raised.

I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “Sure, why not? It’ll be fun.”

Wendy broke into a grin, her eyes twinkling. “Well, alright then.”

Blair and Zachary exchanged a glance before shrugging and agreeing.

“Alright,” Zachary said, his tone cautious but hopeful. “But only if you're sure...”

“We're sure,” I cut in firmly, outstretching my arms for Sadie.

Zachary handed Sadie carefully over to me, his eyes not leaving her for a second. I could see the hesitation in his every movement. Wendy placed a comforting hand on his arm, her smile softening at the concern in his gaze.

“Sadie’s in good hands,” she reassured him, nodding in my direction.

He sighed, finally looking up from Sadie, and gave Wendy a weak smile. “I know she is.”

Blair came forward to kiss Sadie’s forehead before they grabbed their winter coats, their apprehension slowly dissolving into excitement about their unexpected night out.

As the door clicked shut behind them, Wendy and I were alone in the house with Sadie. The little girl seemed to sense the shift in atmosphere because her big, round eyes widened, and she blinked at me curiously.

“Dada?” she asked, her voice small but clear in the quiet room.

With a pang, I realized just how challenging this night might be. I glanced over at Wendy for reassurance. With a nod and a tender smile, she stepped forward. “It's alright, Sadie,” she said, stroking the girl's soft hair. “Daddy and Mommy are out for their date night. It’s just us tonight.”

“Alright, Sadie.” I bounced her lightly on my knee. “Time for some fun.”

“Maybe Netflix has some good kids shows.” Wendy wasted no time skipping to the television and turning it on to the desired channel.

I followed her into the den with Sadie on my hip, and we plopped onto the couch as Wendy scanned every network for something kid-friendly. It was amusing watching Wendy squint against the harsh light of the television as if leaning an inch away from the screen would make her find something quicker.

Suddenly, Sadie pointed at the screen, her little pudgy fingers flapping, and threw a wild squeal.

Wendy chuckled lightly, looking toward me with a wide grin. “Well, I guess we're watching bunnies tonight.” She cranked the volume up and joined us on the couch.

The animation was simple and the storyline basic, but Sadie was entranced, her round eyes glued to the screen. Wendy and I sat on either side of her, our hands intertwined over the back of the couch while we watched Sadie more than the cartoon.

It wasn’t long before Sadie’s eyelids drooped heavily against her will. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t fight off sleep and drifted off midway through the adventures of the cartoon bunny.

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