Page 25 of All You Need is Alien Love
Chris smiles. “So you’re a romantic, huh?”
I chuckle. “Only with River. He brings out sides of me I didn’t know existed.”
Chris nods, his soft gaze turning toward his wife. “I know exactly what you mean. Until Melody came into my life, I didn’t know what true love was. It’s like I was living in some kind of black-and-white television episode until she turned my world into Technicolor. It was that profound.”
Oddly, I completely understand.
“River does seem to share a lot of similar traits with his mother.”
Chris’s lips twitch with amusement as he studies them both. “That he does. They’re both fun, feisty, and full of energy all the time. But I think I most love the fact that he inherited her gorgeous curly hair.”
Now that’s a sentiment I can get behind. “Those curls are hard to resist.”
We share a look of mutual understanding.
River starts his Christmas playlist on a low volume, bopping to the music while he and Melody cover the tree in so many ornaments and lights I’m worried it might not be able to handle the weight.
In an hour, we’ve turned our living room into a festive holiday space, and River beams with satisfaction.
River and his dad eventually head to the kitchen to make dinner, shooing me and Melody to go sit and relax.
I quickly realize this was all part of River’s plan.
He blows me an air kiss and sends me a sassy wink as I leave him and Chris in the kitchen.
Melody chuckles as she joins me on the couch. “I think this is River’s not so subtle way of trying to have us get to know each other better.”
I grunt in agreement.
She unzips her onesie a little and fans herself. “These things are toasty.”
“River loves them. He has us wear them for date nights.” I smile. “Even our wedding.”
Melody’s expression turns wistful. “It’s something we used to do when he was a kid.”
I freeze, a sinking sensation in my chest.
Melody continues. “We used to wear them for holidays or other special occasions. We’d get dressed up in themed onesies and play games, eat food, watch movies, and just spend time together as a family.” Her voice gets choked up. “I can’t believe he still does that now with you. You should take it as a real honor that he wants to share that tradition.”
Galactic gods, it all makes so much sense now. His love for onesies wasn’t random or quirky like I’d thought. It was so much more deeply meaningful than he’d ever let on.
My hearts ache and my tentacles throb with the need to hold my mate and never let him go.
I willnevernaysay onesies ever again.
Melody studies me quietly for a moment. “I know how much you care for my son, and that’s why you harbor a lot of mistrust toward me and Chris. But we intend to prove how committed we are to being part of River’s life again. We love our son very much.”
My jaw clenches for a moment and I force myself to relax. “River’s a lot more forgiving than I am.”
“He needs someone like you in his life. You balance each other out. I see it every time you’re together.” She sighs. “It’s understandable that you’re angry with us. We’re angry with ourselves. But even more so, we’re ashamed. We let guilt and fear hold us back from returning far longer than we should have.”
I let out the breath I’ve been holding for some reason. “You admit that?”
She nods. “When River was in serious danger, it was like we had the perfect excuse to come back and save the day. In retrospect, we probably wanted to look good in his eyes after we’d failed him in such a massive way for so many years.”
“You should tellhimthat,” I manage to say, my voice hoarse with emotion.
Her expression softens and I see River in so many of her features. “We have. We bared our hearts and laid our faults on the table. We didn’t sugarcoat anything. And even though we might not warrant it, he’s already accepted our apology. He’s shown us more kindness and understanding than we probably deserve. Benji did an amazing job of raising him in our stead. We owe him more than we can ever repay.”
