When our boy started racing around in circles again, mumbling about our new home, a treehouse, how he can walk to Gramps’s, and everything under the sun, I turned to my wife.
“So…” I grabbed her hips and pulled her closer to me. “What do you say? Want to build a home with me?”
“I’m not going to cry,” she whispered. “I cry too much already, and now these damn pregnancy hormones just make it worse.”
All that laughter that had been building up while I was listening to Champ exploded from me in an instant when she said “damn” in the most annoyed tone and blew out a frustrated breath.
“Don’t laugh at me, you jerk.”
“I can’t help it.” I moved my hands around to her lower back, bringing her in even more, our noses basically touching at that point. “Your potty mouth is funny.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, but they didn’t hold any heat. That was until I quietly said, so Griffin couldn’t hear, “And it’s such a turn-on.”
There were no tears then in existence. Fire lit her eyes, small gold flecks sparking in the midst of her deep brown orbs. Fuck, I wanted to get her alone, but that wasn’t possible with our son and a party feet away.
“Hold that thought,” I told her.
Patience licked her lips. “What thought?”
I brought a hand up to her face and traced her mouth. “You know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Her body swayed a bit, but I held tight. I needed to get the moment under control—only until we got home.So, I asked again.
“A home? What do you say? Me, you, Griffin… and this little peanut?” I asked as I slid my hands from her face down to her belly and rested them there.
“Peanut?”
“Yeah, for now. Now stop stalling, woman. Put me out of my misery and tell me you want this with me.”
Love glistened in her eyes, sucking me into their depths and holding me there when she said, “You’re my home. Wherever we live is just where we lay our heads together. But I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited about making that place together with you and our children.”
My wife laid her hand over mine where it rested on her tummy.
“I take it that’s a yes?” I asked her teasingly as I tried to get my crazed emotions under control after her admission—her words touched my soul.
Laughter danced in her eyes. “I’d say that’s an H-E-double-L yes, but that would be two bad words in one day. So?—”
Not able to handle it another minute—because fuck shewas adorable—I took her mouth with mine and poured all my happiness into the kiss. One that was interrupted way too soon but also welcomed, since I loved the remarkable little man yanking on our hands.
“How long before we can move in?”
My wife’s and my combined laughter broke from deep within us as we released one another’s lips and looked down at Griffin.
Moving my hand to his head, I ruffled his slightly shaggy brown hair. “Well, I have some plans I wanted to show you guys to see what you think so we can get started.”
“You do?”
Turning my gaze to my girl, I looked into her amazed expression. “Yeah. I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, so I have different plan options so there are choices. I want you guys to love the place.”
“Can I see them now?” Champ inquired excitedly.
“How long is a long time?”
My head swiveled back and forth at their questions. First, I answered Griffin. If I didn’t, he would keep asking as wound up as he was. “They’re at Gramps’s. We can look at them after the party. Okay?”
His face fell in disappointment for a second, but then he gave the ground a small kick with the toe of his shoe before saying, “Yeah, okay.”
Even when he was mad, upset, or disappointed, our son was respectful and such a good child. Patience had done an amazing job raising him while I’d been gone most of the time. Thankfully, Champ and I still found a bond that seemed to be as unbreakable as the one I had with my wife.
