Page 78 of Everything We Left Unsaid

Jacob

Twigs and pine needles crunch beneath our feet and beams of sunlight stream through gaps in the trees. The air is mild, the familiar earthy scent carried on a light breeze. Chloe claps and giggles from behind me, excited to be out in nature. Just like her mama.

It took some convincing, but Abby finally agreed to let me wear the carrier and helped me adjust it before strapping Chloe to my back. She pulled out her phone and snapped a few pictures of us as though she needed a hard copy of the memory.

I wonder if she’ll post any of them on her social media now that she finally joined everybody else in the twenty-first century. I followed and friended her as soon as she told me she had created a profile and spent hours scouring her pages, looking at every picture she’d posted over the last eighteen months. She said she finally gave in and created a profile because her family that lived out of town continued to hound her over baby pictures.

“I’d forgotten how peaceful it is out here.” I take in my surroundings, appreciating the gentle, tranquil sounds. Birds chirping cheerfully, shoes thudding against the soft dirt, the occasional buzz of an insect’s wings as it flits by, the rustling of leaves as animals scurry through the trees. How could I wait so long to come back?

I thought Abby hated me, I remind myself. Squeezing my eyes shut and clenching my jaw in irritation, I take a deep breath and let it out in an effort to relax my now tense body. Memories of that time, a time when I thought there would never be a future for Abby and me, creep into my mind. I push them back, flexing my jaw and trying to uncoil my tight muscles. I don’t want to think about that today. There’s no use in it. All that is over now, and Abby and I are happy. There’s still the matter of who’s responsible for tearing us apart, but that doesn’t have any impact on how we feel now. When I’m with her and Chloe, I need to let the past stay in the past. I have to stop letting it bleed into our present, and I sure as hell can’t let it jeopardize our future.

My attention finally returns to the here and now when Abby calls my name.

“Yeah?” My gaze lands on her and she eyes me quizzically as though she expects me to say something. Has she been talking to me this whole time?

“I asked if you wanted to go to the falls.” A look of concern clouds her features. She knows I was zoned out. I force myself to relax my furrowed brows and let a slow smile spread across my lips.

“Do you mean the same falls we spent some quality time in once before?” I ask seductively, shifting the mood.

A blush tints her cheeks and she glances away, her teeth capturing the edge of her bottom lip. “Yep,” she begins sheepishly. “Those are the ones.”

“Then I’d love to.” She grins, her giddy excitement palpable as she leads us down the trail. We come upon the falls and I’m flooded with memories of that day. Her wet underwear, practically see-through and clinging to her body. The way she moaned as my fingers parted her and dipped inside. The feel of her dainty hands wrapped around my...

I clear my throat and adjust myself. We’re not alone this time, and if I keep thinking about her like that, I’ll have the worst case of blue balls in the history of mankind.

“Chloe, are you ready for a snack?” Abby asks, unzipping the pouch on the back of the carrier where she’s stored our supplies.

“’Nack,” Chloe confirms. Abby helps me unload her and place the carrier on the ground. We both eat apples while Chloe has a pouch of applesauce and a handful of Goldfish crackers.

“This is amazing.” I skim over the scene in front of me. “I missed this,” I confess, my gaze landing on Abby. Reaching over, I slip my hand into hers. “I missed you.”

Her eyes soften and she squeezes my hand. “I missed you, too.”

“You’re never going to miss me like that again.” Her eyes widen in surprise before filling with uncertainty. “We’ll never be apart for more than a few weeks, a month at most, ever again.” She relaxes, her rigid posture softening with my declaration. “Come hell or high water, I will always make my way back to you.”

Her eyes brim with tears, but before any can fall, she reaches for me, pulling my face to hers with both hands to cup my cheeks, and presses her lips to mine. It’s a passionate kiss, not with heat, but with determination and resolve. Our kiss is a promise. We’ll never let anything come between us again.

We slip our shoes and socks off and wade into the shallow water at the edge of the creek. It’s still warm from the waning summer so we strip Chloe down to her diaper and let her splash around. She laughs and squeals as water drips down her face, curling the ends of her hair. I chuckle when Chloe finally emerges from the water, waddling from her swollen diaper. It looks as though it’s about to burst.

“Probably should’ve just taken it off and let her go in her birthday suit,” Abby giggles, removing the soggy diaper and replacing it with a dry one. She hands it to me to wrap in a plastic bag to discard later and I nearly drop it, surprised by its weight. Note to self: don’t let those things get too wet. I had no idea they could be so heavy.

We head out after our swim and Chloe is asleep before we make it to the car. Once we’re back at the cabin, Abby and I take advantage of nap time, slipping between the sheets of our bed and slowly exploring each other’s bodies. All weekend our lovemaking has been hasty and desperate, our need for each other making us wild and impatient. But now, with our hunger somewhat sated, we take our time, luxuriating in the feel of each other’s bodies in every gentle caress and soft moan.

Abby straddles my lap, my back against the headboard, and sinks down onto me, gasping as she takes me in. She moves her hips slowly, rocking them back and forth as I grip her tightly, fighting the urge to move her faster. We kiss and savor, holding each other tight as we make love. She presses her face into my neck to muffle the sounds as she shudders her release. When we’re finished, she curls into my side and I hold her as we both drift off, finally getting our own afternoon nap.

We awake ravenous since we skipped lunch, just as the late afternoon sun peeks through the curtains, and stretch our overworked limbs. Between the time we’ve spent in bed not sleeping and our short hike, my muscles are starting to feel the strain, reminding me I need to hit the gym more often. Abby and I kiss for a few minutes before slipping out of bed and heading in opposite directions. She peeks in on Chloe, confirming she’s still asleep while I go to the kitchen to start on dinner. Having obtained the missing supplies we needed the night before, we set to work silently, not needing to fill the empty space with words.

It’s amazing how quickly we’ve fallen into this comfortable existence again. It just goes to show that we’re meant to be together. We spent over two years apart, not speaking or seeing each other, with no idea what the other was up to. Yet, here we are like no time has passed, picking up where we left off. Only now, we have an adorable addition who has completely stolen my heart. I never understood what people meant when they talked about this all-encompassing, unconditional love they felt for their children, a love that was even stronger than what they felt for their partner or spouse. I never thought I’d love anyone more than Abby, but I do. If only by just a little bit.

Abby finishes putting the salad together while I throw steaks on the grill. Potatoes are already baking in the oven, and a tart that we made with what was left of our apples from the farmer’s market is ready to go in. When I walk back inside, Abby holds a bleary-eyed Chloe in her arms. I lean in and kiss the top of her head before pressing a swift kiss to Abby’s lips. It’s not lost on me that our weekend of playing house is coming to a close. I’ll have to leave before either of them is awake in the morning, so I plan to savor every moment I have left with them.

After dinner, I pull the warm tart from the oven and cut three slices, letting them cool for several minutes before serving them. Abby groans as she places the first bite on her tongue. The sound is heady and satisfying. I’ve always loved the noises she makes while eating dessert. Chloe tears into hers and ends up wearing as much as she eats. Afterwards, we settle on the couch, Abby tucked into my side with our baby girl on her lap, and watch cartoons.

When we finally tuck Chloe into bed, I pour two glasses of wine and start the water for a bath. There are no bubbles this time, but I can’t say I’m disappointed. It’s fun imagining what lies beneath the fluffy white suds, but having a direct line of sight is even better.

I tug off my shirt and socks, standing there in only my jeans. Dimming the lights, I pull Abby into the bathroom and her stunned expression brings a devious grin to my lips. Her eyes flare with lust as she takes in my bare chest. I reach for the hem of her shirt and she wordlessly raises her arms, settling her palms on my stomach when she brings them back down. My muscles clench with the contact, the ridges becoming more pronounced as they flex. Her fingers find the button and she pops it open, sliding my zipper down in slow motion. Once rid of my jeans, I cup her ass and pull her into me, pressing my erection against her. She moans into my mouth as it seals over hers. Slipping my hands into the back of her shorts, I push them down, my hands skimming her cheeks and squeezing them on the way. She steps out of them and we stand there in nothing but our underwear, our eyes locked on each other.

I lift my hand to her chin and tilt her face toward mine. “I love you.”

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