Page 74 of Worship Him

He sets her down and I feel his arms circle me from behind when I pour the milk.

I smile, my hand resting on his. He kisses my neck, sending a delicious shiver down my spine.

"Your tea, Mr. Spontaneous." I slide his cup to my right before looking up at him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

We settle on the couch, our warm drinks set on the table, perhaps to be forgotten.

I lean back against his chest, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing. I can tell from the baby monitor that Avery's fast asleep in her portable crib, her tiny fists clenched tightly.

The fire—not quite necessary but still a welcome addition to the room’s atmosphere—crackles in the hearth, casting a warm glow across the room. It feels just like old times, and I can't believe we ever spent so much time apart.

"You’re going quiet again. What're you thinking about this time?" his deep voice rumbles through me.

I tilt my head back to look at him. "Us. How we almost threw this away."

He tightens his arms around me. "We were idiots."

"Speak for yourself," I tease, elbowing him gently.

"Fine. I was an idiot," he concedes with a chuckle. "But you have to admit, keeping our daughter a secret wasn't your brightest move either."

I wince. "Touché. God, we really messed up, didn't we?"

"Yeah, but look where we are now." His hand finds mine, intertwining our fingers. "Second chances don't come along every day. We'd be fools not to grab this one with both hands."

I nod, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I'm glad we got another shot at this. At us."

"Me too, Des." He presses a kiss to my temple. "And this time, we're not letting go."

We sit in comfortable silence for a while, watching the flames dance. It's surreal how easily we've fallen back into sync, like the past year of separation never happened.

Yet it did, and in some ways, I think we needed it.

"You know," I muse, breaking the quiet, "maybe we needed that time apart. To grow. To realize what we really wanted."

He raises an eyebrow. "Look at you, getting all philosophical. Next thing I know, you'll be telling me the universe has a plan."

I laugh, swatting his arm. "Hey, don't mock my newfound wisdom. I'm a mom now, you know. That automatically makes me sage and all-knowing."

"Oh really?" His eyes sparkle with mischief. "Then tell me, O Wise One, what does the future hold for us?"

I pretend to think hard, tapping my chin. "I see... diaper changes. Lots and lots of diaper changes."

He groans dramatically. "And here I thought you'd predict something more exciting. Like me buying out my competitors and becoming the tech overlord of the world."

"Nope, sorry. Just poop in your future, Mr. Ryder."

We dissolve into laughter, and I'm struck by how light I feel. How right. We may have taken a detour, but we've found our way back to each other.

When the afternoon sun filters through the cottage windows, I find myself in the kitchen, rummaging through the cabinets.

Adam had just returned from shopping for supplies—buying things we probably won’t even use— and is leaning against the counter, Avery nestled in his arms, watching me with an amused smirk.

"You know, we could just order in," he suggests, raising an eyebrow.

I shoot him a playful glare. "There’s no way there’s delivery way out here. Plus, this gives me an opportunity to christen our newly reunited family with a home-cooked meal."

"Alright, alright," he chuckles. "What's on the menu, Chef Lewis?"

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