When we heard the toy bucket tip over, something that made me groan, I looked at Mom waiting for the lecture I knew was coming.
“Come on then? I still have to get Cassie dressed, and Jake will be here in like fifteen minutes.”
“Kellie, you’ve already changed Cassie’s outfit three times this morning.”
“She spilled her water on it!” I defended. I mean, Mom wasn’t wrong, but I’d had my reasons.
“The first one, okay. What was wrong with the second?” Mom folded her arms over her chest and watched me, knowing she’d caught me out.
“I thought she’d look better in a dress,” I answered quietly.
“Sweetheart,” Mom softened, moving toward me before rubbing her hands up and down my arms. “Jake’s going to love her no matter what she’s wearing. She could be wearing a paper bag or her favorite party dress, and he won’t care,” Mom attempted to convince me.
“I just don't want him to think…”
“What? That you’re a bad mom? That you can’t look after your daughter? Come on, Kellie, I raised a smart girl. Where is she?”
“Curled up under the covers, hiding until this all goes away?” I suggested only to earn me a look I’d seen a million times before. It was Mom’s don’t-bullshit-with-me look.
“I just… I don’t want him to judge me.”
“You know Jake. He’s not going to judge you. Now, go find Cassie some shoes that match and change her into her black shirt with the sparkly unicorn, a pair of black tights, and her pink tutu.”
“Really?” I questioned Mom’s fashion sense.
“Really. It’s practical, cute, and the black will hide any accidents. Besides, weren’t you going to take her to the park? Tights are a much better idea for that terror down there.”
Fine. Mom made a good point. Cass was certainly no little lady. Taking her to the park in a dress pretty much guaranteed everyone there would know if she had butterflies or Minnie Mouse on her underwear by the time we went home.
Leaving Mom standing in the hall looking smug, I stepped into Cass’s room and gasped. I’d left her alone for two minutes, and the tornado terror she was had upended the dolls’ clothes basket, emptied the dress-up box, and was currently pulling all the hair ties, ribbons, and clips out of the box.
“Who made this mess?” I asked Cass from the doorway, my hands on my hips.
“Selina,” Cass answered quickly.
“Who’s Selina?” I asked, confused, having never heard of her before.
“She’s my new friend.”
A knock at the door made me freeze and forget my words.
“I've got it,” Mom called out, and I heard the screen door squeak.
I tried to ignore the swarm of butterflies in my stomach as they took flight. They were making me crazy, or maybe I was already crazy and was only now realizing it. I could hear Jake’s voice drifting down the hall, the deep timbre sound causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand on end. Trying not to get ahead of myself, I took a deep breath and focused on getting Cassie ready.
“Why can’t I wear my Elsa dress?” she pouted, hugging it to her chest and stomping her tiny foot.
My daughter was so full of sass, and I wished there was someone I could blame for her attitude, but I knew the apple hadn’t fallen far from the tree with this one.
“Because I said so,” I told her, using my best mom voice and hoping she didn’t decide to throw a tantrum. I mean, it’d be my luck that she would, so I crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. “Now, hurry up, and let’s get you dressed. Remember you’re meeting my friend, Jake, this morning,” I reminded her.
Thankfully, Cassie helped me, and a minute later, with her hand in mine, we walked down the hall toward the man who could upend our lives as we knew them.
With my heart pounding in my chest and the blood roaring through my veins, my palms were sweaty, and I dropped Cass’s hand to wipe them on the butt of my jeans. I hated that I was nervous. It was ridiculous, but with Cassie standing there looking up at me with the same wide eyes as her daddy, I knew I was doing the right thing. As hard as it may be and as much as it might be making me crazy and causing me sleepless nights, it was the right thing for Cassie, and that’s something I promised I’d do from the moment that pregnancy test told me I was going to be a momma. Cassie’s needs would always come first.
Reaching for her hand again, we stepped into the living area, and my heart skipped a beat.
Standing there, looking like the boy I’d fallen in love with, was Jake. My Jake. It was impossible to see him as anything else. The only thing stopping me from running across the room and throwing myself into his arms was the little girl who was squeezing my fingers.
