“That sounds perfect. Do you need me to pick anything up at the store?”
“Nope. We just need you.” The words are truer than I’d care to admit out loud.
Somehow, Gia has seamlessly become a part of our family, and it’s going to fucking suck when she has to leave. But I won’t ask her to stay. That’s not what we agreed to when we started this thing. We both knew going in that it would be temporary. It can’t be any more than that, as much as I’d love for it to be.
The kitchen counter digs into my back as I sip my coffee. I haven’t figured out if my chest has cracked in half yet, but I’m keeping my arms crossed just in case.
The scene in front of me has had tears burning behind my eyes for the last hour, and I can’t seem to pull myself together enough to participate.
Gia’s blonde hair is up in a clip while she colors at the table with the girls. The three of them have been busy bees since we finished dinner. We went through the boxes of decorations, and Leah and Lauren decided they needed way more paper chains. We almost had an epic freakout when the pile of pink and red colored paper began to dwindle. Gia mediated it with ease by suggesting they use purple too.
They’ve made melted wax hearts, several long chains, and Gia showed off her art skills by drawing Cupid on a folded piece of paper that, when stretched out, became a whole chain of them.
I wasn’t sure how I would feel about Gia being here while we decorate. I was prepared to be a little uncomfortable, possibly even happy that the girls are ready to share this with someone else. What I hadn’t prepared for was the fierce longing tugging at my gut. What is it about Gia that allows me to see a future with her in it?
This wasn’t what I set out to find. I knew I liked the woman. I wouldn’t have slept with her if I hadn’t been attracted to her, and I knew I’d catch some sort of feelings for her, but to want her in our lives more permanently? No. It’s not what either of us signed on for when we started this thing between us. There’s always been an end date, no matter what feelings transpired. If I change the rules, I’ll only set us both up for broken hearts.
“Daddy! We need help hanging up the chains,” Leah shouts across the room. I set my mug on the counter and meetthe girls by the windows. There are hooks already in place, so all I have to do is hang their chain exactly how they want it.
Once I’m up the ladder, I look at the three of them. Gia’s in the middle with her head tilted, Leah’s on her left with her hands on her hips, and Lauren is on Gia’s right with her finger tapping her chin. It’s a moment I wish I could take a picture of.
“I think the purple chain needs to be on the hook,” Gia says.
“Me too,” Leah agrees.
“Or the red one next to it.” Lauren shrugs.
“This one?” I ask before committing. I’ve done this enough to ask first. The number of times I’ve heard, “No, Daddy, not that one, silly goose,” has pounded that lesson into my brain.
“Yep,” the girls confirm. Following a similar process, we hang the chains around all the windows.
Leah and Lauren use a form of sticky tack to hang their creations on the walls. Hannah figured out that it preserves both the paper and the walls. She also made a gallery wall with open frames where we can showcase the girls’ art projects. They have to decide which ones they want to keep and which ones will go into a box that we sort through at the end of the school year. I take pictures and then make them throw away the ones they don’t want anymore. We’d have boxes on top of boxes of their crafts if it were left up to me.
“This one we got with Mommy at Curious Curios.” Lauren holds up a very realistic-looking squirrel wearing a top hat and holding a heart-shaped box of fake chocolates. It’s one of the ugliest decorations the girls have picked up over the years. When they brought it home, Hannah had the silliest grin on her face because she knew I’d think it was hideous, yet I wouldn’t dare say anything negative to Lauren about it.
Now, I’m getting to experience the same thing watchingGia keep a straight face. “Wow, that’s something. Where do you normally put that one?”
“Mommy lets me keep it in my room,” Lauren says proudly.
“That is the perfect spot for it.” Gia looks at me like we’re crazy.
I stick my tongue into my cheek to keep from busting out laughing. Lauren takes her squirrel upstairs with Leah following at her heels.
Gia punches me in the arm, and I lose the battle with my laughter. “You’re an asshole. I’ve never had to work so hard to keep my expression neutral.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, you aren’t,” Gia grumps.
I wrap my arm around her shoulders to pull her into me. “Not really. That was priceless.”
She melts into my chest. “I’d have nightmares if I found that thing in my room.”
“Hannah played a prank on me once and left it on my nightstand. I almost pissed myself when I woke up to those beady little eyes staring at me.”
Gia drops her head back with a laugh. “I probably would’ve done something similar.”
I lead us over to the living room and drag Gia down on the couch next to me. “Thank you for coming over tonight. The girls really wanted you to be here.”
