Page 4 of A Me and You Thing
“I’m worried it’ll be too much for everyone. Fibromyalgia leaves my mom worn out after simple tasks. And you know our fathers will insist they can come and help, even though neither one of them has the strength. My dad’s arthritis leaves him barely able to walk on some days. Lung disease leaves your dad breathless after any type of exertion...”
“Lifestyles of the Sick and Dying,” Sawyer mutters in between soft kisses. It’s not our joke, it’s our parents’ witticism for their lives. We try to laugh at their levity, but neither of us find it all that humorous. We haven’t come to terms with the idea of losing any of them.
I continue. “Your mom’s the only one still going strong. She’s such a workhorse, but she takes care of your dad twenty-four-seven and I know it wears her out.”
“I’ll be home in the evenings to help. They’ll be fine.” Sawyer covers my face with soft kisses. Conversation is the last thing on his mind.
Our parents are all in their seventies. Sawyer was a bit of a surprise to his parents when they had him in their forties. We have that in common. My parents didn’t think they’d be blessed with children. Then I came along when my mom was forty-two.Surprise.
I place my hands on Sawyer’s cheeks, forcing him to look at me because I want to express how worried I am about leaving. Instead I get lost in his blue eyes. I swear he’s stared at the calming depths of the ocean for so many years, the color has imprinted on his eyes. I will never tire of looking into them.
He kisses me deeply, and we melt into each other for a few moments. I love my blond-haired, blue-eyed marine biologist. His looks fit the part, as if he’s some sort of beach god, born to live and thrive near the sea. It’s in his blood. His father was a fisherman by trade and taught Sawyer well. He’s more comfortable on a boat than on land.
Thank goodness, my parents retired in the sleepy seaside town of Newport, Oregon or I never would’ve met him.
“Quinn,” he says when our kiss ends. “Stop worrying.” He rubs his nose against mine, giving me an Eskimo kiss. “There’s no reason to feel guilty. The girls will be well taken care of, and the Grandma Gang will love every minute. My sister’s looking forward to staying with Dad while Mom’s here, and it’ll be a nice break for my mom from the demands of being a caregiver. Between us, we’ll make sure your mom gets plenty of rest. I don’t doubt your dad will be at our house most days too, pretending like he’s helping. Everything will be fine.”
Slivers of morning light sneak their way between the blinds and creep across our bedroom. The white sheers billow in the sea breeze. The moment feels peaceful and sweet in spite of my worries. I love our quiet time in the mornings, just me and Sawyer, before the chaos of the day sets in. It grounds us as a couple and makes me feel connected to him all day long.
Sawyer sighs. “The thing is, Quinn, since the twins were born eight months ago, you’ve had about five seconds of sleep.” An exaggeration, but some days it does feel that way. “You’re a wonderful mother and I love everything you do for our family, but I know you need a break. There’s no shame in that. Do it for you. You deserve somemetime.”
I bite my lip. There’s one thing I’ve learned since I became a mother: mom-guilt is a beast. “Two weeks seems like forever, though. I can never get that time back. I love that our daughters know I will always be there for them. I want them to have that kind of foundation in their lives, to always feel secure. I want them to trust me, to rely on me, and have confidence in me and never doubt my presence or support. I want them to know unconditional love. When hard times come—and you know they will—I want my love to bolster them through those tough times. I want them to always feel secure in the knowledge that there’s someone out there who loves them more than they can ever comprehend.”
He gently caresses my face, and his eyes turn as soft as his touch. “Quinn Speech.”
Sawyer always says that when I wax slightly poetic. I get a little carried away sometimes. My emotions bubble to the surface, dying for a chance to escape. And out they come, raw and real. It’s just me. I’ve always been the sensitive type, but I don’t apologize for it. Luckily, I married a man who loves it.
“The Grandma Gang will smother our girls with love. No worries. So, quit with the guilt trip.”
I press my lips to his. He’s right. Guilt trip sums up my feelings on the matter. “I do want our daughters to be close to their grandmothers.”
“Exactly. Besides, you already sacrifice your life for our girls on a daily basis. You need to take care of yourself, too—have a little time to regroup. It’s time to party like it’s 1999.”
I laugh at his Prince quote. “It’s a working trip, and it’ll be crazy busy. Not exactly relaxing.”
“It’ll be a nice change of pace for you. You’ll come home feeling renewed.”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were trying to get rid of me.”
Sawyer rolls me over onto my back, and he follows. We share a heated kiss while I bury my hands in his hair.
“Hey,” he says, his lips just above mine. “I’m trying really hard to be unselfish here. Don’t make it hard for me. Two weeks without you is gonna make me crazy.”
He wins my heart on a daily basis because of his romantic nature. Sawyer Denali has charmed the socks right off my feet since the moment I met him six years ago.
I trace my fingers over the features of his face. “I don’t know if I can survive two weeks withoutyou.”
The lines next to his eyes crinkle when he smiles—one of my favorite things about him. His laugh lines are prominent because he has a quick and easy smile. He’s a naturally happy person. His warm personality never feels fake or forced. I think that’s why I always feel so drawn to him. He is my light in a world that battles darkness.
“Tell you what,” he whispers, “after your trip, I’ll pick you up from the airport and we’ll sneak in a two-night getaway up at the cabin, just me and you. We’ll make up for lost time. After two weeks, you’ll survive two more nights without the girls, I promise. Deal?”
Two more nights without the girls will be unbearable. However, a little time to renew our relationship before being mom again would be incredible. We bought the cabin for weekend getaways and we don’t use it enough, at least not since the twins were born. I would love to relive our honeymoon days. We’ve never lost the spark that was ignited during that time, but having twin baby girls certainly shifts other aspects of life into the background. I love the way Sawyer keeps our romance alive.
My brown eyes meet his as I turn on my pouty lips. “I don’t know. It might be rather boring. What would we do all alone for two nights in an isolated mountain cabin?”
He laughs, deep and throaty. “I’m sure we’ll think of something.” He caresses my lips with his.
“Is that a promise?” I ask.
