Rylee settled into her seat on the carpet and got to work, singling out one of her braids and undoing it.
She smiled as she slid her fingers down the plait, feeling it unravel beneath her touch.
Her braids were the usual feel against her hand, but life was different now… and it was starting to feel so real. Like it finally belonged to her.
She honestly couldn’t believe how hesitant she’d been about starting a life in Greene Gardens. Especially with how beautiful it was. How peaceful it was in the village.
There was something healing in moving there. Something she couldn’t deny.
She smiled at the faint sound of Nova and LJ in the other room. Their chorus of laughter wasn’t too loud, but audible enough to hear in her bedroom.
While the old her would’ve been worried about them waking the baby, she totally understood what her mother meant years ago when she told Rylee a baby should be able to sleep through an earthquake.
Xander stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.
“Got them to settle down with a few super slams.”
Xander made a flipping gesture with his arms, then held one arm up in a flex. “They knocked out for the night.”
Rylee snorted to herself.
Xander had gotten the kids into wrestling, watching old videos from the 90s when WWE was still WWF. Nova was the most obsessed and loved reenacting wrestling matches in her very spacious bedroom.
Xander approached the bassinet and leaned in to press a kiss to Junior’s forehead.
“Aht!” Rylee said softly. “You wake him up, and he’s yours for the night.”
Xander straightened, resting a hand gently against Junior’s head as he slept.
“Your pops will gladly stay up with youallnight, little guy,” he whispered, eyes locked on his son. “Ain’t that right?Mmm-hmm…”
Rylee smiled at the sight of them. Xander in dad mode would always be her favorite thing to watch.
“LJ and Nova better not look to me to do any of that wrestling stuff with them,” she joked. “I can barely carry myself with all this baby weight.”
“Aw, baby,” he said, getting on the floor in front of her and moving in for a kiss. “I love this weight on you. You look good, girl.”
She snickered, then swallowed the last of her humor in an attempt to keep it down.
Xander’s eyes moved to her braids. “What you got going on here? You should be sleeping when the baby’s sleeping, mama.”
Xander had been great and an excellent partner. Taking turns with Rylee to get up and tend to the baby at night, even after he completed 24-hour shifts in Brooklyn. He took off three weeks after the birth to be home with Rylee and Junior and was true to his word when he said this would be the easiest time for her compared to the others.
She smiled tiredly, feeling the burn in her eyes, but reasoning she’d get through it.
“I waited too long to take these out.” She shrugged, removing the braiding hair and adding it to the growing pile by her thigh. “My mama is driving out here tomorrow to do my hair and I want to be ready for her.”
He nodded. “Aight, slide over then and I’ll help you out.”
She laughed. “Baby, what you know about taking braids down?”
“Nothing.” He took a seat behind her and moved her in front of him, between his splayed legs. “But how hard can it be?” He pressed a kiss to her neck. “Plus, you know I’ll do anything for my baby.”
She giggled as she positioned herself in front of him and Xander went right to work, singling out a braid just as Rylee did, and undoing it with ease behind her.
She smiled to herself as he removed one braid, then another.
“What’s this spray bottle for?”
