Page 69 of That Time in Venice
“At least take one with me looking at the camera. We’ll poseforit.”
“All right. Everybody get inposition.”
Anika set the food on the floor and they rearranged on the bed. Jaden stood with an arm around her neck. Brielle snuggled close with both arms around Anika’s waist, her cheek to Anika’s breast, and smiling at thecamera.
“Perfect,”Reedsaid.
After snapping a few photos and showing them to Anika for her approval, he started herding the kids out of the room. “Okay, let’s go people.” He scooped up Jaden. “Let’s leave mommy alone so she can have some quiet time. Remember, today’sherday.”
Jaden stuck his thumb in his mouth, his eyes big and pitiful as he looked over his father’s shoulder at Anika. Brielle pouted but slid offthebed.
“It’s okay, they can stay,” Anika said, as they shuffled towardthedoor.
Reed paused halfway across the floor. “You sureaboutthat?”
She looked at her kids and her husband. Over two years of marriage and this was her first official Mother’s Day. This one, at least, she didn’t want to spend alone. She wanted to be with her family, the people she loved and who loved her. No matter how crazy or noisy or boisterous the day turned outtobe.
“Yes,it’sokay.”
“Yay!” Brielle said. She started dancing around the room. Reed placed Jaden on the bed, who immediately became caught up in his sister’s excitement and jumped up and down on themattress.
Reed sat beside Anika and kept an eye on the kids. “You sure? Because just so you know, I’m taking my day onFather’sDay.”
Anika put an arm around his neck and pulled him backward so his head rested on the pillow beside her. “I’msure.”
“Okay, Jaden, that’s enough, son,” Reed said. The little boy stopped immediately and fell out on the bed as if he’d done a day’s work in those fewminutes.
“Let’s see, we have a dancer slash opera singer, and what appears to be anactor.”
Reed chuckled. “We’re going to be well taken care of in ouroldage.”
“I thinkso,too.”
“Hey.”
Anika looked into Reed’s blue eyes. He smiled, but she saw seriousnessthere,too.
He ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “Iloveyou.”
Her heart tightened with bliss. At times she still couldn’t believe that she had been blessed enough to marry this man and share raising these wonderful, loud, sticky-fingered childrenwithhim.
“I loveyou,too.”
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