Page 153 of Single Teddy
He was a brand-new child. Confident and sociable. Funny and excitable. Just like all kids should be.
“Yes, Bear, honey?”
“Can we let the cats out now? I think they’re tired.”
We both looked over at the cat carriers, and I nodded. I took one, and Bear tried to lift the other, but thankfully, Teddy came to his rescue. We walked inside, closed the door, and opened both flaps.
I’d had to make some changes when we’d decided to go ahead with the move, and one of the first was to find out which plants were cat-safe and which weren’t. Sadly, most of the ones I had weren’t safe, but with Teddy’s help, I’d managed to build a sort of greenhouse in the second-floor mezzanine that wouldn’t be accessible to the cats. I found new plants to put around the house that were okay for Blue and Sassy. It had been a wonderful experience, and I knew much more about prayer plants and ferns now than I did before, which was a huge plus.
“Okay, ready?” Teddy asked.
Bear nodded like a bobblehead, and we let the flaps down and waited for the kitties to come out. They didn’t.
“Hm…I think they’re shy,” Teddy said.
“We really should start them off in one room to get them used to all the new smells,” I said, and as we both tried to get the flaps zipped back up, one of the cats, Sassy, bolted out of her carrier and ran up the stairs, between the balusters, and onto the mantel, knocking one of the ferns onto the floor.
“Oh my god.” Teddy turned to me, grimacing, and put his arms around me sheepishly. “I’m so sorry. Look at us, not two minutes in the house and we’re already causing chaos.”
I chuckled and shook my head.
“Oh, hush you. No chaos whatsoever.”
“But…but the fern,” he said.
“The fern is resilient and will survive. I’ve got a million planters to replace the broken one. I’m not going to cry over spilled milk.”
Teddy pressed his lips together and looked at the floor. He was adorable. Made even more so by his newest knitted sleeveless sweater, a striped pink—his favorite color—and yellow tight top. I wasn’t sure how long he’d keep wearing wool pieces in the summer heat, but I was going to enjoy it while it lasted.
“Did someone spill milk too?” Donovan asked, and Teddy gave him the middle finger while Bear wasn’t looking.
“Let me clean this up,” Teddy said and tried to pull away from me, but I kept him right where he was.
“Don’t worry about it. We’ll get it in a minute. Just stay here and enjoy this moment with me. We finally did it.”
He smiled.
“We sure did. What do you think, buddy? Are you excited about our new home?” he asked Bear and picked him up.
“I’m happy we’re all going to live together,” he said, and I hugged both him and his uncle.
“Me too, Beary-Bear. Me too.”
How I’d gone from a single plant dad to a man in a relationship with a kid and two pets, I didn’t know, but I was going to thank my lucky stars for as long as I lived and breathed for bringing this man of mine into my life. I’d never felt more loved and at home than with him, and I knew this new chapter in our lives was going to be the best one yet.
“Agh. Gross. I need my EpiPen. So…much…cheese.” Ruby grabbed her throat and threw herself on the floor, but we allstared at her and none of us laughed. Well, none but Bear, but I’d teach him better.
“Oh, before I forget,” Teddy said, passing Bear to me and running out the door.
He returned after a moment with a big object wrapped in paper.
“What is that?” I asked and approached him.
“A housewarming present. For the greenhouse,” he said.
“I’m the one who’s supposed to give you a housewarming present.”
He shrugged.
