Page 92 of Revived

“Nice to meet both of you.” She rises and then shakes our hands. I look over at Rachel as her smile widens before she kneels down to kiss the top of Grayson’s head.

When Rachel moved back in, the first thing Grayson asked is if she would be his new mommy. Rachel looked at me for permission, but I knew that decision had to be hers, and a mutual agreement between her and Grayson. She was careful to explain to him that although she would love for him to call her Mom, he needed to remember that his birth mom was still in heaven, and she would always be his mommy too. Grayson was absolutely fine with that, and so from then on out, Rachel became Mom to my son.

“Okay. So on the first day I insist that all families get a picture by the rocking chair. We use the photo in their end-of-the-year portfolios, and it’s a wonderful keepsake to remember the day.”

“Come on, Mommy.” He pulls Rachel by the hand as she struggles to keep up in her shoes while I laugh as I follow closely behind. Once we’re positioned in the seat, me standing to the side as Grayson rests on Rachel’s lap, Mrs. Heberland snaps the picture and then Grayson leads us to the chair he’s chosen, hanging his backpack on the clip under the table.

“Remember to use your manners and be kind, okay?” I speak to my son as he colors the picture in front of him.

“Yes, Daddy.”

“And promise to pay attention so you can tell me all about your day later,” Rachel adds.

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Okay, we’ve got to go, bud.” Rachel and I move to stand, kissing the top of his head before we walk away.

“Bye!” Grayson waves. “I love you!”

“We love you too, bud!” I call out as Rachel tears up beside me. Pulling her into my side, we back out of the room and then to my car, alone.

“Oh my gosh, why was that so hard?” She speaks through her emotion, checking her make-up in the mirror on the visor as we make our way across town to the college.

I grab her hand and lace her fingers with mine as I drive. “Because he’s growing up. This was a huge milestone. It’s in moments like these that I wish I could freeze time.”

“I agree. It sure is amazing to watch him change. I can’t imagine how you feel about it every day as his real parent.”

“Rachel,” I turn to her when I stop at a red light. “You are every bit that little boy’s parent as I am. You care for him, discipline him, and love him like your own. He’s your son too, okay?”

A tear slips down her cheek as her smile stretches across her lips. “Okay.” I kiss the top of her hand just as the light turns green and I finish the drive to the college.

“Here you are. Do you want me to walk you inside and help you find your seat too?” I tease as we arrive in front of the door to Rachel’s first class of the day.

“No, I think I’ll be okay,” she laughs.

“You sure? I could always introduce myself to your professor. Put in a good word for you.”

She slides her hands up my chest as she moves closer to me. “Oh, really? And what would you say are my strengths?” The lust in her voice is easy to detect, especially for my dick. I’m instantly hard, which is a big problem as other students start to arrive.

I move her around the corner, out of sight before I press her up against the wall of the building. “You know how to turn me on in an instant. You know how to drive me crazy and make me crazy for you at the same time. And…” I pause, staring down into her eyes. “You know how to love me despite the fact that I never thought I’d deserve that again.”

“I do love you, Luke.”

“I love you too, baby.” Crashing my mouth to hers, we get lost in our kiss as the world continues spinning around us. But this woman is my world now, my second chance. And I promised that I would take every opportunity to show her how much I loved her forever.

“Now go. Get to class before you’re late.” I smack her on the ass as she walks away from me, her head turning over her shoulder with a bewildered expression on her face.

“You’re gonna pay for that later,” she smirks.

“I’m counting on it.”

And later that evening, as the three of us sit down to dinner and recount our day, I realize that Rachel was the one thing I never counted on, but the one person who I ended up needing the most.

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