Page 33 of Love Me

“Isn’t that par for the course though? Daughters driving their mothers mad?”

I drop a kiss to the top of her head and walk farther into the back to the interior stairs that lead to the apartment.

“Bear!” Charlie squeals as she sees me enter her room.

“Munchkin monster!”

“Mumma’s downstairs?”

“Yep. And she’s in the best mood and said you can have whatever you want for breakfast today!”

“Even pickles?!” she squeals, clasping her hands together in excitement. I can’t do anything other than laugh.

After helping Charlotte get ready for the day and feeding her a breakfast of pickles and—after some serious begging—a waffle with peanut butter and banana on top, we braid her hair and grab her backpack to head downstairs so Hannah can say goodbye before school. I love the flexibility my job at the distillery gives me, and being able to help Hannah most mornings with Charlie is the best way to start my day. She is so full of life and always so excited to go to school to learn. Granted, school right now is full-day preschool, but she’s still learning and eager. I don’t ever want that light for learning to dim.

“Hey, my baby girl. Did you have a good breakfast?”

“Yep! I had pickles!”

Hannah’s eyes widen and she whips her head in my direction, brows arching in question.

“She also had a yummy peanut butter waffle with half a banana.”

“Okay, that I’m happy with. Good choices. I hope you have the best day learning.”

“I will. Best friends forever?” Charlie asks Hannah.

“Best friends forever and always.”

I smile like a fool watching the two of them, pride and love filling my chest. Fuck, I want to permanently make the two of them mine. Levi may have helped make this family, but there is no doubt that they are mine.

Once I find a parking spot at the elementary school, Charlie unbuckles her seatbelt, and I pick her up to climb safely out of my truck. Hannah about kicked my ass a few months ago when Charlotte decided to full-on launch herself out of the side of it, skydiving style. She landed pretty gracefully, the little daredevil. But Hannah threatened to cut my balls off with a butter knife if I let it happen again.

“Dance time!”

I face Charlie in the parking lot, ignoring everyone around us and only focusing on the sweet girl in front of me. Going to Pre-K was a huge adjustment for her, and when it wasn’t getting any easier, I got her to make up a silly dance with me to help pump her up for the day ahead. So far so good, and it’s working.

“You ready, munchkin?”

“Ready!”

We sing our bravery song, stomp our feet and clap our hands, do a shake in a circle and then hip bump—thank Christ I have no problem squatting, but this shit will hurt if we’re still doing it at graduation—all to the tune ofTwinkle Twinkle Little Star. Charlotte skips off to her teacher and I watch until she disappears inside, already missing her, remembering the day she was born and realizing it’s already been almost four years.

“Ohmy god!”

“Shit, Hannah, did you just piss on me?”

I jump up off the couch where we’re sitting watching The Cabin in the Woods. My entire thigh is wet with warm fluid.

“Oh my god, bear. I think my water broke.”

“Wait, seriously?” My concern over my jeans being covered in her urine suddenly evaporates.

She stands from the couch, waddling like a penguin to the bathroom. Grabbing some towels from the closet, I try to soak up whatever fluid is on the couch.

“Bear! It did! My water broke! Oh, fucking shitballs asshole motherfucker!”

I laugh at her array of curse words as I walk over to the bathroom door.

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