“Why not?” He shrugged. “And the living room needs something, right?” He ambled across the carpet, sweeping his gaze over the walls. “The bookcases in your hallway would be good right here, don’t you think?”
“Really?” I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall.
“And the spare room upstairs, you could use that as an office. I work out of the basement.”
I let my eyes sink shut for a moment before I padded across the carpet over to Jesse.
“I know I’ve been here more than at my own place lately, but it’s too soon to be here permanently.” I held up my hand. “Before you panic, I love you. I love Maddie. And I love being here with both of you. But it’s not the time to talk about aunts or closet space or where bookcases will go yet. I love the enthusiasm.” I clutched the back of his head. “But we need to dial it down a notch. Yes, we were together twenty years ago, but not really again until a couple of weeks ago.”
“I count when you kissed me the night you took me home as being back together. Or the start of it.”
I groaned at his raised brow.
“If you want to start the clock then, fine. But that’s only weeks ago. Still too soon.”
He gave me a reluctant nod.
“I guess since we wasted all that time apart, I didn’t want to waste anymore.”
“We aren’t wasting anything. I’m here. You’re here. We’ll both be naked again in a few hours. Most likely.”
“Most definitely.” He cupped my ass and yanked me flush to his body.
“But we need to get to sleep earlier. I promised my mother I’d spend the morning with her, and I have a manuscript to work on in the afternoon. I need to be alert enough to read the words.”
“So, you’re not going home tonight?”
“No. I’m going home tomorrow. But I’ll come back. How’s that?”
He lifted a shoulder, running his bottom lip across my cheek. “As long as you always come back, I’ll take it.”
Maddie came back down for ice cream, but she didn’t say much to either of us before she went to bed. She’d eyed Jesse as he left her room as if she wanted to tell him something, but she still insisted she was fine when he asked what was wrong.
We’d managed to fall asleep earlier but woke up to Maddie’s loud sobs. We both shot out of bed, Jesse jogging ahead of me into her room.
“Maddie? What’s wrong?” Jesse asked as he flicked on the light and raced to her bed.
“I had a bad dream,” she said through sniffles. I lingered by the door, not wanting to intrude. Yes, I’d gotten much closer to her since becoming her coach, but Jesse was still her parent.
“What was the dream? Don’t cry, baby. You can tell me.”
“You were sick. Just like Mom. You’re always tired like she was.”
He flinched back. “I’m not always tired.”
“Yes, you are. You yawn all day, just like Mom did at first. I’ve never seen you that tired. And she was never tired either, until one day, that’s all she was.” She dropped her head into her hands, hiccupping as her shoulders shook.
“Maddie, no. Come here.” He drew her into his arms, his eyes wet as if he was about to sob himself. “I’m not sick, sweetheart. I was just staying up too late every night, and it made me sleepy. I’m fine.” He eased her back, swiping his thumbs along her cheeks. “I know it must’ve been scary to see your mom get sick. It was scary for me too. But when you’re afraid of something, you have to tell me.”
She nodded, the tears dripping down her face slowing as she lay back down.
“Want me to stay here until you go back to sleep?”
She whispered a “Yes.” Jesse shot me a sad smile as he climbed in next to her.
“I’m sorry you had a bad dream.” I crept over to her side of the bed and kissed her forehead. After a soccer season of watching Maddie being a regular kid, it was easy to almost forget how much she’d gone through in her eight years.
“Can you stay too?” she asked, her red and swollen eyes fixed on mine.
