* * *
Heath
Waking up on a Sunday morning with Roly beside me and the kids in my bed feels like a weird fever dream. I’d spent years low-level hating the guy, forgetting as I do that people grow and change. Even better, while he’s grown—and still continues to grow—as a person and, hopefully one day, a stepfather, he’s still Roly. Funny as shit, kind in a bone-deep way that I can’t even begin to fathom, horny as hell, and the best goddamn friend anyone could ever wish for.
As for the business, we’re all working extra hours, with the new east-side pizza shop scheduled to open next week, a new gym all blueprinted out, and Scout’s development almost ready to go public. The kids prevent us from overdoing it, and even on days when it’s just us, Roly insists on maintaining a balanced schedule.
I’m constantly surprised by him, so the girls and I have come up with something of a surprise for him. He and I have talked, and neither of us wants to look at marriage until we’ve got at least a year under our belts, but there is a step in between that I think we are ready to make.
All three of the girls and two of the dogs are now on the bed, with me and Roly fitted around them. I reach over into the nightstand and grab the envelope decorated by the three girls I love most in the world, and what it’s holding is both simple and profound.
“Girls, don’t we wanna invite Roly to do something?”
“Yes!” they all say in unison.
He squints, suspicious. Sometimes our surprises are fun, like a random jaunt to Amy’s ice cream for some midsummer deliciousness; others include hilarious reenactments of the “Thatha Poop” story, completely and totally at his expense.
He loves those reenactments; don’t let him tell you otherwise.
Lily makes me wait until she pulls up her video app and aims the lens right at Roly’s face.
He pulls a silly face, the one that makes the girls scream with laughter. “Oh, god. What madness is this? I swear, if you invite me to another all-girls sleepover, I’m going to run away. I love you, I love all of your friends, but no. I can’t handle it.”
Lily rolls her eyes at him. “No, Roly. Also, that’s never an invitation, it’s always a demand.”
I smile at my daughter, who has blossomed with Roly in our lives. Obviously, Ashley and I take a lot of credit for how amazing she is, but I know that Roly has helped her to become more confident.
Luna pipes up, having lost most of her little lisp, which tears at my heart in ways you couldn’t possibly understand. “No! It’s not about a stupid party. We want you to live with us, Roly. Not just some of the time, but all of the time. You belong here. And so does Audrey.”
I leave the strangely and wildly decorated envelope with the extra garage door opener in his lap. I’d given him a key almost immediately, but I figure that electronics mean we’re serious.
He peeks inside and looks up at me, tears in his eyes, the biggest damn smile on his face. Lily calls out, “Roly, you hafta look at the camera!”
Roly complies, giving her another squeal-inducing face while Molly starts one of her silly dances as she’s hopping on the bed.
Later, Lily and I are in the living room, watching the social media likes roll in as Roly, Luna, and Molly zoom around the yard with Sasha and the weiners in tow.
“I always get more likes if I take videos of Roly. Good job, Dad, he’s really cute. I’m going to be internet famous before the end of it.”
“Hashtag priorities, Lily. And thanks for helping me to convince Roly to move in with us.”
“It didn’t take much convincing—he has half of his clothes in the closet already. Also, I had an ulterior motive.”
“Oh yeah?” I ask, not sure if I should be worried or proud.
“Audrey is going to be mine, Roly just doesn’t know it yet. So, you’ve got to keep him really happy. That way he doesn’t notice I’ve stolen his dog.”
I nod, entirely on board with this request. “How do you suggest I do that?”
She shrugs. “You could marry him.”
I look outside and verify that Roly is preoccupied with the rest of our hoard, and I walk over to one of the built-in cabinets, unlocking with the key that only I have. I know that she can keep a secret, so I let her take a quick peek. She sees the little box and lets out a squeal that has Roly’s head turning in our direction.
“Remember, you can’t tell him, because first I’ve got to get him used to living with the whole mess of us before I can lock it down. And don’t tell the younger two—they’re the worst at keeping secrets.”
Lily makes a zipping motion across her mouth and drops the imaginary key in my hand. She then gives me the kind of smile that had almost gone silent when she was dealing with the bullies at school. I open my arms, and she tucks in for a hug, laying her head on my shoulder. “He’s so perfect for us, Dad. I love Roly.”
I catch Roly’s eye, and we smile at each other. “I do too, baby. I do, too.”
