“It’s probably time to get them home,” I tell her.
She laughs and nods.
“What?”
“She’s already asleep,” Jane tells me.
“Mom, can I get another ice cream?” Tanner asks.
“Sure, but to go. We are going home now.”
He nods, running off to the kitchen.
“I’ll take her to the car. Meet you there?” I ask her.
She nods.
I take my time getting Emily all buckled into the car seat before I turn and wait for Jane. She comes out minutes later with a smiling Tanner next to her. It feels good to see the boy showing an emotion other than fear.
He climbs in, buckling himself in as Jane steps into my arms, hugging me freely.
“Thank you for today. It was fun.”
“It sounds like you are saying goodbye. I’m going to follow you home,” I tell her.
“What?” She pulls back. “Why?”
I brush a piece of hair away from her face.
“I want to make sure you are safe. Besides, with you gone, I won’t have any fun.”
She sucks in a breath as she stares up at me. Then she nods.
“Okay.”
She drives carefully back to her house. Instead of pulling into my driveway, I pull behind her car.
I smile when I see that both kids are knocked out.
“Let me grab Tanner first. I’ll come back for Emily,” I tell her.
“No, I can grab Emily if you are sure you have him.”
I nod, picking Tanner up. He turns into me, trusting me to hold his weight in his sleep.
I wait as Jane unlocks the door. As we head down the hall, she points toward Tanner’s room. I lay him down, tucking him in after I take off his shoes.
“Good night, bud.”
I press a soft kiss to his forehead before I go down the hall. I find Jane tucking Emily in, doing the same as I did.
When she steps out, she leads me to the living room.
“Thank you for following us. If you aren’t ready to go home, you could hang out for a bit,” she tells me.
Then she yawns.
As much as I want to stay with her, she needs her rest too. Reaching out, I cup her cheek.
