Becca soon returns, wearing an irritated look on her soft features. Her brows are drooping and her cheeks are red, and not just from the breezy weather.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
She scoffs. “I’m screwed. I left the key under the mat on the porch so my grandma could get in and grab a few things for her little overnight trip to the casino. Well, she accidentally took the key with her, and she’s already left. She won’t be home until tomorrow.”
Becca rubs the back of her neck as she looks over at Damian, who is oblivious to what’s going on as he eats another bite of lunch.
“I don’t know what to do. Maybe I can break in through one of the windows…”
“Nonsense.” I cut her off. “You guys can just come stay with me tonight.”
Becca’s stance straightens, and she looks at me hesitantly. “Listen. I know it’s sudden, but it’s only for tonight. Tell him it’s a sleepover or something. I have the extra room, and I can’t even picture you trying to break into that house.”
She softens with a subtle laugh, and she looks down at Damian. “Hey, bud. Want to have a fun sleepover at Steven’s?”
His eyes suddenly widen. “Yes! We can build a fort and we can make popcorn, and…”
“Whoa,” she says, interrupting his spiraling words. “I guess that’s a yes from him. Thank you so much. For everything today.”
I shake my head. “It’s no trouble at all. I wanted to come see you guys. It’s just a bonus that I get to see you for longer.”
Once Damian finishes his slice of cheese pizza, we load up into our cars, and Becca follows me to my house. Surprisingly, Damian didn’t throw a fit like a few of the other children did in the parking lot after learning they had to leave.
He’s definitely more mature than others his age, and it shows even when he’s speaking.
By the time we reach my house, it’s already late afternoon, nearing dinnertime. The moment the door opens, Damian rushes past us both and begins scanning through each room. Becca tries to call after him, but I assure her that he’s fine.
“Wow, Mom!” Damian exclaims as he enters the living room again. “This place is huge. But he doesn’t have any toys.”
Her face grows red, and she shoots me an apologetic look. “That’s because he doesn’t have any kids living here. I brought your tablet, remember?”
She pulls it out of her bag, and he finds a comfortable spot at the end of the couch as he starts up one of his games.
“I’m sorry,” she says lowly as we walk to the kitchen.
“Don’t worry about it. Don’t be sorry.” Looking out to see if Damian is occupied, I kiss her soft lips. It’s a reminder that even though there’s been hardship between us, I’m lucky that she’s back in my life. It’s just a bonus that she now has Damian.
“I do have a closet full of extra pillows and blankets from when my brother and his friends show up drunk periodically and need a place to crash.” Walking over, I open the door, and Damian rushes over, admiring the amount.
“We can make a big fort out of all these.”
Laughing, I begin grabbing them all, tossing a few onto Damian, causing him to laugh. “Alright, then I guess we should get started.”
Using various table chairs and even a broom, we finally have one of the most impressive forts I’ve ever seen directly in front of the television. The house fills with the smell of butter as Becca pops a few bags of popcorn, adding them all into a large, metal mixing bowl I have in my cupboard.
I turn on the fireplace to get things warm as Damian flips through the streaming apps I have and picks out a movie.
Once everything is finished, we all find our spots inside the fort with Damian in between the two of us, holding the popcorn.
The theme music begins toFrosty the Snowman, and he covers himself up with one of the extra blankets. Fitting movie since it matches his partially faded face paint.
Having the two of them here feels…right. It’s as if it was always supposed to be this way. My house hasn’t truly felt like a home until tonight, and I have them both to thank for that.
“I’m really impressed,” Becca chimes in as the movie starts to play. “You two killed it.”
It doesn’t take long for Damian to fall asleep between us as we talk about anything and everything under the sun. I avoid any touchy subjects, due to not wanting the moment to be ruined, and having little listening ears.
I’ve missed how well Becca and I genuinely get along, how easy it all feels with her. She’s becoming my best friend again.
After checking to make sure he’s really asleep, I turn to face Becca as she does the same. “Hey, you don’t have to say anything, and I really don’t want this to ruin such a great day, but I can’t keep it inside anymore.”
Her face shifts, expecting me to lay a bombshell down. “Becca, I love you. Honestly, I haven’t stopped loving you since the day you left five years ago. And now that you’re back…I don’t know.”
My eyes drop as I suddenly lose my courage mid-sentence. I can’t hide it from her any longer. I am madly in love with this woman, and at this point in my life, I don’t care who knows it.
Becca remains quiet for a moment, and I can’t get a read on her. Suddenly, her eyes soften and she smiles at me, allowing the knots in my stomach to loosen.
“I love you too, Steven.”
