Page 22 of Better Than Expected

Hannah turned to look at Caroline and even though Abbie was there – she knew, she’d known about them for the last eight weeks, but Hannah was still careful to keep things light for her daughter. Hand-holding and some cuddling on the couch. A few kisses here and there, but usually greeting or saying goodbye.

This was pure, unadulterated, soft affection, overwhelming her in the best way as she pressed her mouth to Caroline’s.

Caroline had some glitter in her hair, glue on her fingers from helping with these valentines, and Hannah didn’t ever forget that Caroline hated these kinds of commercial holidays.

But she did these things for Abbie.

At the thought of it, Hannah pressed even closer and slid her hand to Caroline’s neck, stroking there briefly before she pulled back and stared into dark eyes as they fluttered open.

This? This was romance.

***

Later that night, when Abbie went to shower, Hannah slid Caroline one of the valentines she’d ended up helping out with.

And then proceeded to laugh as Caroline groaned and buried her face in her hands. “Please, no more!”

Hannah giggled as she insistently slid the valentine closer. “I don’t need you to assemble this one, I just want you to read it.”

Caroline visibly perked up as she opened the card, and Hannah felt the anxious little flutter in her stomach as she knew exactly what Caroline was reading.

Caroline –

I’ve finished your blueprints if you want to review them with me tonight.

And by tonight, I mean after Abbie goes to bed.

And by “after Abbie goes to bed”, I mean – would you like to stay the night?

Love more than you realize,

Hannah

The small smile on Caroline’s face was worth everything as she peeked over the card and asked, “Stay the night? With Abbie here and everything?”

Slowly, Hannah nodded.

It was another step, Caroline spending the night when Abbie was home. Their whole nights together were limited usually to weekends where Abbie was with her grandparents or at a sleepover, but… but Hannah wanted more than those odd nights.

And the anxiety quieted as Caroline’s smile grew wider.

That happened a lot, too.

April 4 – This Year

“I don’t like it,” were the first words out of Michael’s mouth when Hannah picked Abbie up from his house on Easter Sunday.

Hannah pursed her lips at him, ignoring the comment easily, as she’d taken to doing in the end of their marriage and in the last two years since she’d left him. “Where’s Abbie? Is she ready to go?”

Michael sighed, his jaw clenching as he stepped closer to Hannah, doing that thing where he towered over her. He was five inches taller than she was, vastly more muscular, and she’d seen him lose control of his temper enough over the years, physically striking out at objects around him – and one time, slamming his fist right through the drywall next to her head. So close, she’d had plaster in her hair and she’d choked on the particles in the air in front of her face – that it had frightened her before. For years.

It still gave her the whisper of fear, of nerves, slithering through the bottom of her stomach. But instead of cowering back as she had done in the past, she took a deep breath and tilted her jaw up at him.

“I said I don’t like it. I did the nice thing, Hannah, and I’ve let your relationship with Caroline go for the last few months–”

She didn’t bother to hold back her snort. Michael’s definition of letting it go was to make derisive comments and disgusting, snapping jokes whenever they’d talked on the phone. Which, admittedly was not much since the holidays. He’d had his weekend with Abbie right before Christmas, when he and Caroline had had an altercation, and then he’d been in Europe for almost two months.

When he’d returned six weeks ago, he’d only seen Abbie only because his parents had picked her up for the weekend and he’d gone to their home to take her out for the afternoon. And, that was it.

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