Page 51 of The (Maybe) Murderer Who Knocked Me Up

I can feel his eyes on me. There’s no trace of anger, even though I kept our daughter a secret from him. There’s only yearning.

Could we simply come together after all these years? Could happiness be that easy?

“Look!” Chime says. She stretches her arms out with all the flair of a five-year-old child in a fabulous skirt and spins. The hem of the dress lifts and spirals around her. Her ribbons and hair follow suit. She laughs with joy and the light in her eyes makes me wish I could take a picture that would do this moment justice. But I’ve already tried. There are some moments of childhood that can’t be captured with a camera.

Slade watches her with wonder. Now that I know he never hurt anyone, I’m surprised I didn’t figure it out before. He had a reputation in high school because he was so big and had tattoos, but I never saw him do anything unkind. Jake’s words echo in my mind.

Until I found my mate, the only time I ever felt safe was with my brother.

Chime stops spinning and looks up at Slade. “Isn’t this dress amazing?”

He chuckles. “Yeah, it is.”

“Why don’t you show Slade your anatomy books while I get dinner on the table?” I say.

He might as well know our daughter has an obsession with the human body now.

Ourdaughter. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that.

“Oh! I can show the page about eyeballs. It’s fascinating. Did you know that your eyeball is really this big?” She balls up her hand into a fist.

“No, I didn’t,” he says.

She grabs for his hand. The moment their fingers touch, his eyes soften in a way that makes my heart melt. It’s as if they’re fated too.

He glances back at me with this vulnerability in his eyes. He needs me to let him love her. I can see that.

“Go on,” I mouth to him.

I watch her guide him to our couch. He sits a respectable distance from her, given that they’re strangers. But she scoots closer to him and leans against his body, like she would with one of my brothers. Maybe she can feel the pull of their connection too. He looks back at me again, checking in. He’s so careful with her, like he’s holding a priceless object that might break if he tips it the wrong way.

Seeing them together like that fills a part of my chest I didn’t realize was empty. My body has wanted Slade plenty of times since he left. Not only sexually, but physically. There have been times when I wanted to touch him so desperately, I didn’t think I could bear it. But I didn’t realize how much I needed to see him treat our daughter as precious—to revel in her sweet cuddles.

I smile at him, then turn away to hide the tears gathering in my eyes.

“Look at this eyeball,” Chime says dramatically.

I laugh silently and walk into the kitchen. The box of crystal goblets is still waiting on the counter. They’re easily the fanciest thing I’ve ever owned. My fingers itch to get out a knife and break the seal.

Chime will undoubtedly want to read the entire section on eyesight. I guess I have time.

I unpack the first glass and hold it up to the light. The intricate divots in the glass create a pattern that sparkles and glimmers like a diamond. A bright joy floods my body as I stare at it. I’ve always admired my mother’s chandeliers and Aunt Emerald’s crystals, but this goblet is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.

I wash all eight of the goblets, not just the three we’re using. After I’m done, I unpack the glass cabinet I bought at the same time as the goblets, and set it up underneath the cupboard by the sink. It’s just large enough to display all the goblets. I put them in there, except the three, and continue setting the table.

In the background, I hear Chime reciting facts about human eyes to Slade. Once or twice I glance over to the couch where they’re sitting. She’s now sprawled across his lap, and he’s quietly smiling down at her. I wish I didn’t have to interrupt them.

“Dad, is dinner ready yet?” Chime asks.

Slade startles, as if he was woken from a trance.

“Yes, you can come and eat,” I say.

She grabs Slade’s hand and drags him back to the table. He stares at her the whole way, just like he did while she was spinning. I think he might be more in love with her than he is with me.

I’m okay with that. I think that’s how it should be.

“I love macaroni and cheese,” Slade tells Chime as they sit down.

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