I turned the stove off so I could give them some privacy.
“Stay where you are, Freckles. Iris, we can have this discussion here, or we don’t have it at all. Harley is and will be in my life. My finances are her concern. You know I won’t have my daughter living any kind of way. So, just tell me how much you need,” he said sharply.
“You never told me you guys were together,” she answered.
“My personal life isn’t your business. Harley and I are officially together. She’ll be spending time with Violet. We’ll need to be on the same page for Violet’s sake. Now that you’re up to speed, will everything be cool?” he asked.
Iris sucked her teeth. “Yes, everything is cool,” she spoke under her breath.
“Cool. I don’t mind helping where you need, but let’s not make this a habit. If you aren’t comfortable speaking in front of Harley, just text me what you need,” he offered.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. I’ll leave you guys to your breakfast,” she replied as she left the house.
Once she was gone, I turned the stove back on. Micah went back over to the espresso machine to finish making our drinks. Once breakfast was on the table, we sat down to eat.
“I’m sorry you had to be here for all of that. Iris can be a handful,” Micah explained.
“Does she come over here unannounced often?” I asked.
“She has in the past, but it’s not a habitual thing. I will make sure she knows not to do it again—unless there’s an emergency, of course. It’s important to me you’re comfortable here.”
“I appreciate that. Now, try your pancakes,” I coaxed.
Micah drizzled syrup over the pancakes before taking a bite. His expression was hard to read at first, then he burst out in laughter. “I was trying to fake like they weren’t good, but I couldn’t hold my laugh in. You should see your face!” he hollered.
His laughter caused me to laugh. “That’s not even funny,” I complained.
“You know the food is good, Harley. Why are you looking all scary?” he questioned.
Micah and I continued to laugh all through breakfast. I was worried that Iris and her little outburst would put a damper on our time together. It made me feel good that he made Iris aware that I would be around her daughter. This relationship with Micah was a surprise, but he was exactly what I needed.
A Few Weeks Later…
Since the first time I spent the night at Micah’s, we had become closer. When our schedules allowed, I stayed at his place. Being with Micah so often made me think of having my own space, along with me frequently seeing my house sit empty. I still had some reservations about the house. For the time being, going back and forth to Micah’s would have to do.
The previous weekend, we told the girls we were in a relationship. Apparently, all they heard was that they could spend more time together. Because we told them, it removed the guilt of having to leave Reign with my grandparents. That weekend would be the first one Reign and I spent at Micah’s place. The girls were so excited to have a sleepover.
Reign was in her room packing her bag, while I did the same.
“Reign, are you almost finished?” I asked. A minute later, I heard her dragging her suitcase toward my room.
“All ready,” she said as she stood in my doorway.
“Did you grab your toothbrush and bath soap from the bathroom?” I inquired.
A sly grin came across her face as she made her way toward the bathroom. I shook my head and giggled. By the time she returned, I’d closed my bag. She put her toothbrush and soap inside, and once it was closed, I grabbed everything as we headed downstairs. I opened the front door for Reign since she wasn’t allowed to open it for herself. We got into the car and got situated. When I looked back at Reign, the smile on her face warmed my heart. I loved that she and Violet had gotten so close.
After a twenty-minute ride, we pulled up in front of Micah’s place. Before we could get out of the car, Violet came bursting through the front door to greet us.
“Reign, I can’t wait to play,” Violet said, full of excitement.
Micah came out of the house and walked over to the trunk to grab our bags. Reign got out of the car and hugged Violet. Those two acted like they didn’t just see each other at school the day before. They walked into the house giggling while Micah and I looked on.
“I guess they missed each other,” Micah said.
“Real bad. Just like I missed you,” I replied as I kissed his lips.
“I missed you, too, Freckles. What’s on the agenda for this weekend?” he asked as we made our way inside the house.
