LINCOLN
Ihop out of the taxi, grab my suitcase, and practically skip up the path toward my house.
Home sweet home.
Jules and Cameron are on the porch, but somehow, they don’t notice me right away. As I get closer, I see that they’re playing an intense game of Monopoly. Even from this distance, I see that my boy is currently studying the board with the same ruthless focus I apply to a hockey player’s contract negotiations. I can’t tell from here, but I just know he’s called dibs on the tiny dog. It’s his favorite. He fights tooth and nail for that piece every time we play.
He looks so content, marching his little game piece around the board as Jules watches patiently. It brings a smile to my face.
When my shoe crunches over some loose gravel, they both look up. Their eyes widen the second they notice me. My little guy nearly flips the game board over as he jumps out of his chair.
“DAD!!” He sprints down the steps and across the yard, slamming right into me. The force of Cameron’s hug knocks the suitcase out of my hand. I laugh.
“I missed yousomuch!” He squeezes harder.
“I missed you, too, buddy,” I say, chuckling and hugging my boy back.
Over the top of his head, I see Jules walking down the steps toward us, a secretive grin on her face and her eyes on me. Her midriff-baring T-shirt saysStep-Mom on Duty.I like that.
She’s paired the T-shirt with some comfy sweatpants. It’s a perfect blend of badass and softness. That’s the Jules I’ve come to know.
I catch a whiff of her signature perfume and my knees grow weak beneath me.
God, I’m so happy to be home. Those few days away felt likeweeks.
And the way Jules’s looking at me now makes the hopeful sucker inside me wonder if she feels the same. Her soft brown gaze holds a warmth that melts away the tension I've been carrying for the past 72 hours.
“Hey…” she says quietly.
“Hey…” I respond, my gaze instantly falling to her lips and wishing I had a free pass for another kiss. Giving my head a slight shake, I return my attention to my eight-year-old. “In case you didn’t miss me enough, I’ve got presents,” I sing-song.
“Presents? Yay!” Cameron starts bouncing on his feet.
Jules grins, ruffling his head. “Wow. Lucky guy!”
“For you, too.” I wink at her, and I’m pretty sure my tough girl actually blushes.
“Me?” She jabs a thumb into her chest.
I nod. “Come on. Let’s go check it out.”
When we get inside, we all head for the living room, and I start unpacking my suitcase with my eager audience of two.
First, I pull out two shirts. Different sizes. One for each of them. They’re matching, cheesy T-shirts that sayI Heart Seattle. But the way they gush over them, you’d think I came back with some kind of designer brand.
“We match!” Cameron shrieks excitedly to Jules, after they each pull their new shirts on over their clothes.
She beams. “We look great, don’t we?”
My son gasps, kneeling on the couch cushion next to her. “We can wear them when we go grocery shopping next week! We’ll be like twins!”
“Heck yeah. We just need to find you some cool biker boots like mine,” Jules adds, high-fiving Cameron as I sit back and watch.
My head shakes side to side at their shenanigans. I love how well they’re getting along. They look like they’ve been best buds for years, like they didn’t just connect a few weeks ago. Their bond is pleasantly weird to witness.
“Thanks, Dad! I like it.” Cameron beams at me.
“Wait, I have one more thing,” I dig into my luggage again.
