Page 58 of Here With Me

David stepped closer, his clean scent mixing with baby powder, his shoulder bumping Sadie’s. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done without you. I told my sisters I’d be happy to give them a date night like you suggested, but I didn’t expect for everyone to fall apart at the same time. You saved me.”

“I didn’t do much.” Sadie shifted Becca to the other hip.

“Don’t downplay it. Without you being here, Isabella would still be screaming. Becca would still be in tears, and Vangie would continue to turn the volume of the music up even louder because she couldn’t hear it over the cries of everyone else. I might’ve even joined in the sobbing before long.”

David sat on the couch, and Sadie handed him Isabella’s bottle back. “She may want this now that she’s calmed down some. Babies won’t always take a bottle if they are too worked up, especially if she normally nurses.”

With a hesitation in his motions, David tugged the Binky out of Isabella’s mouth and quickly replaced it with the bottle in hand. Sucking noises filled the blessed quiet.

David motioned, and Sadie sat next to him. Becca uncurled herself from Sadie to crawl over to David and snuggled into his side.

Sadie ran her hands down her sweater, noticing the stains Becca had left. Thankfully, they’d wash out. With the older girls happily playing on the floor and Becca snuggling David, Sadie excused herself to freshen up. Just before she left the room, she turned back and snapped a picture of the happy group. David’s sisters would want to see this.

So would hers for that matter. She sent it off.

Romee: *gif of Bugs Bunny with heart eyes.>

Romee: Girl, that looks serious. Are you practicing for the future?

Toby: I don’t understand why you’d send this to me. Clara says awwww.

Sadie tucked her phone in her pocket and stepped into the kitchen to scrub at the spot on her shirt and then wash her hands before returning to the group, where she found David with his back against the couch, his legs stretched in front of him, with Isabella nestled in her blankets resting on his thighs. His bare feet stuck out in front—there was something in his pose that made the moment feel casual, yet intimate. Becca sat on one side of David, holding one of Lottie’s dolls. Lottie sat on David’s other side, her back against his side. He had his arm around her shoulder. Vangie sat in front of Lottie as they played with the dolls.

The picture of perfection. Sadie pulled out her phone again and snapped another picture. Who wouldn’t? Besides, Leah and Caroline would eat this up.

And she’d want to see this picture again, more than just in her dreams. She’d want to remember that for a few brief moments in life, David Williams had needed her. That they’d come together as a team outside the hardware store.

David looked up, the look on his face doing funny things to her insides. Longing for this kind of moment, for a home, a husband who looked at her the way Jeremy had always looked at Bonnie, for children of her own…it struck with a ferocity that took her breath away.

Sadie had given up the dream of a big family when Jeremy had been diagnosed with Machado-Joseph disease. But David watched her with the same kind of look Jeremy had in his eyes when he talked about Bonnie. Sadie would give up all her Sunday afternoon naps to have moments like this—maybe even in this house, with this man.

“Thank you.” David mouthed the words to her, but she shook her head. She hadn’t done much. Quieted anxious children. He’d kept them calm, made them happy, and loved them.

“Come play, Mom.” Lottie patted the floor next to her.

Sadie’s throat tightened, but she nodded and made her way over to the girls, sitting across from David, her back to the loveseat. She stretched her legs out, and David’s bare foot tapped her ankle.

Feet were supposed to be gross, hairy, smelly things. Not a conduit that could turn a simple touch into something so cozy. So affectionate. So…intimate.

Becca stood up on wobbly legs but quickly waddled to Sadie, plopping on her lap. The little girl snuggled into Sadie, still brushing the doll’s long black hair.

A few hours later, when Caroline and Leah returned, the girls were all asleep. Lottie and the kittens—Tres and Cinco—included.

The house was blessedly quiet.

“Oh my!” Leah whisper-yelled. “Look at how cozy you are.”

Grant and Caroline walked forward and carefully picked up their girls.

Leah packed up the diaper bag before returning to take Isabella from David. “Did you guys enjoy practicing for the future?”

Sadie rubbed her cheeks to hide her humor. She didn’t need to encourage Leah, but sisters all thought alike.

David just shook his head, saying something to Leah as she picked up the baby, which made her laugh. Thankfully, they were able to leave without waking Lottie. She must have really worn herself out playing with Vangie this afternoon.

David and Sadie walked his sisters to the front door and waved goodbye from the porch while Lottie slept on. After his sisters’ cars drove out of sight, David wrapped his arms around Sadie’s waist and pulled her into a hug.

His clean, masculine scent, his hands splayed on her back—completely captivating. Sadie relaxed, savoring the feel of David’s warmth pressed against her.

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