“I’m just making sure I enjoy my surprise purchase to the fullest. It’s not every day a girl gets surprised with a whole house.”
He parted his lips, then closed them, shaking his head as he relaxed into the chaise beside her.
“I bought a house without speaking to you first.”
She smirked. “You bought a big ass house without speaking to me first.”
He smiled coyly, the expression on his face making Rylee want to lean in and press a kiss to his lips.
Xander ran his hand over his locs and turned more to face her, taking her hands and holding them in his for a moment.
“I know we never really talked about how I went about buying the house… but I want to explain why I did it in that way.”
“Xander—”
“Nah, please,” he interjected, lifting her hands to kiss one at a time. “Let me. You deserve that.”
Rylee fixed her eyes onto him.
“Because I don’t want you thinking that your objections or feelings weren’t considered, because they were.”
Xander sighed, scooting to the edge of his seat.
“I went through the whole buying process in secret not because I’m a secretive person,” he explained. “I was just worried you’d talk yourself out of wanting more when you deserved it.”
Rylee blinked in response.
“You’re my life now, Snoop,” he told her, attention completely on her. “And I thought if I didn’t just get the process started and get it done, it might never happen. Buying the house was my way of showing you what I saw in our future.”
And somehow, even though she hadn’t seen it then, she saw it now… clearly. In every wall, every room, and every quiet moment like this.
“I know,” Rylee said, nodding. “I know that now. And I think my therapist Liz knew it too somehow, because she insisted I see the house… to see what you saw. Granted, she told my ass to wait until after Junior arrived, but you know… seems me and our baby boy being a little impulsive is something we have in common, I guess.”
Rylee winked and Xander laughed, lowering his voice when his humor echoed around them.
“I just…” Xander ran his thumb over the back of Rylee’s hand. “I want you to know that buying the house and only telling you after wasn’t just about surprising you. It wasn’t about replacing what you had, either. But you know, I also wanted to build something new for us too… and not just ask you to.”
Rylee lifted her hand to caress the side of Xander’s face. “Aww, baby.”
Xander turned his head to press a kiss to her palm, taking her hand in his again.
“But look, I promise to run everything by you before I go through with it, moving forward. Promise.”
Rylee shook her head. “Xander, that’s not necessary?—”
“It is,” he cut in. “It so is, because although I’m so grateful you’re here… that we’re here… I want you to know your voice matters. Your feelings matter, and I’m always listening.”
Xander had been true to his word. What he didn’t know is that Rylee had fallen so deeply in love with the house, she could not remember not wanting to be there.
Especially with Junior sleeping soundly just a few feet away in his bassinet… peaceful, safe.
His nursery was the most put-together room in the house, but like Nova and LJ before him, Rylee kept him close in these early months.
Some routines never change, even when everything else does.
She once heard that every pregnancy was different, and things were definitely different. From the birth to how much calmer Junior was compared to Nova and LJ.
Rylee felt more supported now than ever, having Xander around, making it a priority for her not to carry all the weight on her own.
