Page 41 of Return to Us
“I hope so. It’s pink and pretty and I love it.”
I put her down after giving her a quick kiss on her nose. “You can stay in here if you want.”
“Yay!”
“Is that Melia I hear?” Jack calls from the hallway, and before I can turn, Amelia is rushing out.
“She loves Jack,” I explain.
“Most do. He’s like a giant child.”
She’s definitely right about that. He’s also going to pay for this weekend in so many ways. After a moment, Jessica rocks back on her feet and starts to move around the room.
“God, it’s been so long since I’ve been anywhere close to here.”
“You didn’t travel to the beach?” I ask.
“I did, but not this beach.”
I haven’t either. It’s been almost fifteen years since I stepped foot here. After we broke up, I tried, but the memories are everywhere. My siblings would come, and I’d have some reason to avoid it. Most of the time, the excuse was valid, but the truth was that it was too difficult.
“Why not? This house is . . .”
“Ours.” The word slips out, but I should’ve kept my damn mouth shut. It’s just that being here, standing in this place that we would sneak away to when life was too much, is making me remember.
Jessica stares at me, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. “I was going to say special.”
“It is special.”
“Gray . . .”
Amelia rushes in, holding Jack’s hand and pulling him along. “Hey, you two.”
“Uncle Jack, this is my room.”
He grins at his goddaughter. “It’s a pretty awesome one. I wanted the pink room, though.”
She giggles. “No, silly, you can sleep in the room with the bunk beds.”
“Bunk beds?” Jack looks affronted. “Who is going to sleep in the bottom bunk?”
“Daddy!”
“You have it all worked out, huh?” I ask her.
She nods once, walks over to Jessica, and directs her to the bed. “You and Uncle Jack can sleep in the bunk beds, and that way, Miss Jessica and Miss Delia get their own rooms. It’s what the boys should do.”
Jess grins as she looks at my daughter. “I think that’s a great idea. You are a very smart little girl.”
“I know. My daddy says I’m like Auntie Stella.”
A laugh escapes her lips. “Then you are going to be a handful.”
“What’s a handful mean?”
“It means that you’re perfect and are going to make life very fun for your daddy,” Jessica explains.
“I like you.”
