Page 69 of Love Me

“Ohmygod!” Hannah screeches, jumping up and down, Charlie following suit.

“We’re going to see them in person, bear?” Charlie asks.

“We are, and we need to hit the road, so go get changed, and wear a long-sleeved shirt under your jersey please because the arena is pretty cold, okay?”

Charlie jogs off to her bedroom and Hannah stands still, looking at me with an expression I can’t read. Walking up to her, I trail the back of my fingers down the length of her bare arms, loving the scatter of goosebumps that follow my touch.

“Have you eaten?”

“Yes, I’m good, I promise.”

“You excited, baby?”

“How did you manage this?”

“Crazy turn of events actually. The GM called me, looking for a specific rare year of our whiskey for a gift, and I hunted it down for him. To thank me, he offered me tickets. They arrived a few days ago, and it’s been killing me to keep it from you. It was well worth it to see your reaction though.”

“Don’t you feel special, huh?”

“I do now. How about a kiss to show your husband thanks, huh?”

Her lips lift in a smile before she raises up on her tiptoes and kisses me. My hands find their home at her waist, holdingher gently to me and letting her lead. She kisses me softly, just pressing her lips to mine, and I relish in the feel of her softness against me.

“Aww!”

Hannah pulls away from me, but I don’t remove my hands from her waist. Waiting to see how Charlotte reacts.

“Aww? Don’t most kids say eww?” I tease.

“Nope! I loooove it! You’re sooooo cuuuuute! Now that you’re kissing, can we move in with you, bear? Garbage wants me there, I know he misses me ’cause I can hear him crying, remember? And then we’d be able to sleep together every single night and then Mumma wouldn’t be alone ’cause she’s happy when you’re here, bear, ’cause you’re fun.”

My face falls, knowing the weight those words will have on Hannah. She hasn’t moved from my arms, her body relaxed, shoulders slumping forward slightly as she stares at her daughter. Instead of letting Hannah fumble, I release her and move toward Charlotte, bending down to my knees to talk on her level.

“I’m pretty cool, huh?”

“The best!”

“You know your momma is happy when she’s alone, too, right?”

“Yep. But Evangeline said my mom must be sad ’cause she doesn’t have a husband. Then she said I’m weird ’cause I don’t have a dad. But I told her it’s just me and my mom and we’re besties and that sometimes we have bear and Garbage. But I want to live at your house and then we can have you and Garbage all the time and Evangeline won’t call me names.”

I sigh, my head falling forward for a moment, unsure how to proceed and explain things to her.

“Evangeline isn’t being very kind and accepting of everyone, because every family looks different. Some kids only haveone mommy, just like you.” The words taste like ash on my tongue because, fuck, I’ve been an honorary dad to this girl since the day I pulled her from her mother. “Other kids have only a daddy, or two daddies, or two mommies, or they’re raised by their grandparents and have no mom or dad at home. There are even families who have one parent at home, and the other parent is gone for a long time with the military, or with their job. Each one is okay and doesn’t define you as long as you have love.”

“Can I have two daddies?”

I look up at Hannah and raise my eyebrows at her in question, her hand flies up to cover the smile creeping up on her face and I have to stifle my laugh. I’d kill a fucker before I shared Hannah.

“Does what I’m saying make sense, munchkin?”

“Yep. It does. Evangeline should be nice ’cause it’s okay that everyone is different.”

“That’s right. Are you happy?”

She bites her little lip and squints her face like she’s deep in thought, my smile unrestrained as I watch her work through it. She’s the cutest fucking thing ever created, and I’m obsessed with this kid.

“Yep. I’m happy. Buuuuuuut,” she says, pointing her little finger at me, “I’d be happier if I could be with Garbage every day.”

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