My old self lowers over her and I fall into him, intome, and finally into Skyla.
And I enjoy one hell of a ride.
Those were the days.
And thanks to a little light driving, they will be again.
23
Logan
Paragon knows no seasons, but, alas, the marketing companies that rule the retail end of the island certainly do and we’ve been inundated with signs of fall everywhere. Pumpkin spice everything has dominated every store window, every coffee house, and the Gas Lab is certainly no exception.
Skyla has had a mad craving for donuts—which makes perfect sense because our baby girl will be exceptionally sweet. Suffice it to say, I’ve been making more than my fair share of donut runs.
Heathcliff has even made a few early morning deliveries to the house with a box of hot fresh glazed donuts that have made Skyla moan through every bite. Of course, that always inspires me to take her back to bed, sending the boys downstairs to have their own fill of the delicious treats while I make Skyla moan for me as I enjoy every delicious bite of the girl I love.
Skyla’s sexual needs have skyrocketed with each passing month of this pregnancy, and I don’t mind one bit meeting her glorious demands.
It’s the last Friday of August, and another thing that store windows and every media outlet is reminding us is the fact that it’s back-to-school time. Not only do Melissa and Mia start classes over at Host in a week, but Skyla finally caved to Emma’s demands and has enrolled the boys in preschool at the baby conglomerate Emma, herself, owns and runs. She runs the island’s biggest daycare, which also includes preschool all the way up to kindergarten. It’s where I went, where Gage went, where almost everyone I know started off their less-than-stellar scholastic careers.
This year Nathan and Barron, every Landon tot that qualifies, and let’s not forget Tobie, have been enrolled. Nathan and Barron are specifically in the class for three-year-olds, the Bear Cubs. Next year, they’ll officially be in pre-K Little Fishes. And then finally kindergarten, the Big Birds.
And that is exactly what brings us all to the Paragon Daycare,pre-K included! About a twenty-minute drive from the Landon house, the entire property sits on at least an acre of forestland. The evergreens flank the building that will be home away from home for the boys for the next few years. There are cutouts of bears all over the windows of their new room, and inside there’s a display of the alphabet running along the walls in a rainbow of colors. There are more toys, learning modalities, and children’s books than I’ve seen in one location, and the whole place holds the strange scent of cupcakes, Crayons, and paper. It’s a familiar scent that takes me right back to elementary school for some reason, and I feel a niggling of nostalgia growing deep in my belly.
Wes and Skyla are weepy-eyed, taking deep, meditative breaths every few seconds. Gage looks stunned, depressed, his new go-to look in general. Chloe didn’t show. Word on the street is that Emma had to move in with them to take care of Mally because Chloe all but gave the poor kid the finger. Apparently, Mally doesn’t sleep, or eat, or enjoy life in general. She sounds a lot like her mother, but I choose to keep the commentary to myself.
Ezrina has already determined she’s going to homeschool Alice for as long as she desires. I think she likes the company. Not to mention the fact Alice was hard-won—the product of a love hundreds of years in the making. It explains why Alice is constantly rooted to either Ezrina or Nev.
I think the same will happen to Angel, the baby Skyla and I are about to usher into this world. She was hard-won. The product of our love many, many years in the making. And in about two months, I’ll get to hold her in my arms.
But today is about the boys, and both Nathan and Barron look dapper in matching navy sweaters with the collar of their dress shirts peeking from underneath, jeans and tennis shoes that light up in electric blue dots with every step they take. I’m guessing Emma will ban those by the end of the day. Emma doesn’t care too much for distractions, but Skyla thought it would be fun to test her limits. And since Emma is here and Chloe is incompetent, Gage let me know that Kresley is being paid to nanny during the day. I don’t see why this should surprise anyone. It always takes two additional women to mother Chloe’s children.
Both Skyla and Laken worked hard coming up with the perfect first day of school outfit for Tobie. Wesley’s house—if you can call that monstrosity something so simple, was the first stop of the day. Both Skyla and Laken painstakingly French braided Tobie’s hair and, I must admit, she looks adorable with her plaited tresses, her dark curious eyes, and her crimson dress with a pattern of apples dotting it in neat vertical rows.
Beau Geste and Ember are here, too, already inside, milling around with the other children. Drake took Bree and Em to breakfast about ten minutes ago.
But Barron is crying, clinging to Skyla’s legs for dear life, and both Nathan and Tobie are doing their best to comfort and coax him inside.
“Hey!” Nathan taps his brother on the shoulder incessantly. “They’s gonna be dinosaurs in there. We gots to get them before they’re all gones!”
Barron pulls his head back, his face and eyes red as an apple. “I hates dinosaurs!” He stretches that last word out for a mile. “I hates Chloe’s dinosaur.”
Tobie’s eyes widen with fright. “Mally can’t come here.” She says to Skyla in a panic, “Mally’s my babies. She’s not—she’s not, not a dinosaur anymore.”
Wes picks up Tobie and plants a kiss to her forehead. “You’re doing great, princess. You’re a big girl today.”
She nods, her own lips suddenly trembling.
Skyla groans, “It looks as if this good time is contagious. Nathan”—she sweetens her voice as she looks to one of Gage’s mini-mes—“you’re going to be just fine. You are both Mommy’s brave boys.”
They nod their heads in turn with tears welling up in their eyes.
My God, the boys are adorable and have the ability to wipe away the patina of evil from their father if even for a moment.
Emma comes out with her hair slicked back and her lips painted traffic cone orange, as Skyla likes to point out.
“It’s time, Little Bears! Come, come.” She shuttles Tobie and Nathan inside and the two of them take off laughing without so much as a goodbye.
