Page 109 of Time for Change

A wave of nervousness hits me in the chest as I look down at his excited, eager face. “Uhh, we were going to wait until tonight, remember?”

“But I can’t wait!”

“Me either,” Gianna says, joining us.

“What’s going on?” Stevie asks, confused as to what we’re talking about. She knows I haven’t told the kids about the trip we’re taking later, so I’m sure she’s trying to figure out what’s going on.

But as I gaze at her, all I want to do is ask her now. I’ve been so fucking happy with her, and even though it’s only been about five months since we started seeing each other, this just feels right. And what’s more incredible is the kids were on board since the moment I mentioned my plan to them. Actually, it was more of an ask than a tell, but they readily agreed and are just as excited as I am.

“Why not?” I tell them, not caring that the plan I’ve worked on all week to ask tonight when we arrived at the cabin is being thrown out the window.

Gianna steps forward and takes Stevie’s hand. “You know how I ask you to braid my hair on Sunday mornings after breakfast?”

Stevie grins and nods.

“And how you play cars with me all duh time, even when Daddy says that’s enough?”

Stevie and I both chuckle as she nods again.

“Well, we have a ’prise for you,” Christian says, looking over at me expectantly.

I hand Christian the key I had printed just for her. “Dis is for you.” He practically shoves it in her hand.

She looks down at the single key. “What’s this?”

“It’s for our house,” Gianna states happily.

Stevie looks over at me with questions in her eyes, so I take it from here. “This key is to our door.”

“We want you to move in with us!” Gianna states, bouncing up and down with excitement.

“And sleep with Daddy in his bed!” Christian adds, making everyone chuckle, since we’ve now drawn the attention of the entire group.

“I-I don’t know what to say,” Stevie says, her eyes filling with tears.

“Say yes. The kids and I want you with us, all day, every day. We want you to live in our home and create more memories with us,” I say softly, taking her hand and bringing it to my mouth, where I place a soft kiss on her knuckles.

“I…yes.”

“Yes?” I ask, wanting to hear her say it again.

“Yes, I’ll move in with you. All of you,” she says with a giggle.

I pull her into my arms and kiss her soundly, not caring who sees.

When she pulls back, her lust-filled eyes take a few extra seconds to focus. “Wow, okay. This is a pretty big change, Jack. Are you sure?”

I thread my fingers into her hair and hold her head gently. “I’m sure, Sweets. In the words of the Crüe, it’s time for change.”

“Well, I’m on board with this change,” she informs me, grinning widely as I refer to our favorite song.

“Good.” I press my lips against hers chastely before asking quietly, “How quickly can you get your stuff? I’m a little anxious to have you in my bed every night.”

“I’m a surprisingly fast mover,” she states with a wink.

“Excellent.”

“Now, come on, let’s celebrate,” she says, taking my hand and leading me to our seats.

I glance around the table, at the mixture of faces. Some might find it weird to have my ex-wife and her husband at the dinner table with us, but that’s their problem, not mine. Co-parenting with someone means doing what’s best for the kids, despite your personal differences.

My eyes take me to the bar, where Caden stands, smiling and flirting with the pretty bartender. She has a look in her eyes that she doesn’t buy any of the crap he’s peddling, which might be a first. Could she be the only person immune to his charms? Wouldn’t that be something? Poor Caden won’t know what to do with himself.

I guess time will tell…

The End

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