Wow, I’ve been waiting for this sign, but now that it’shere, I feel nervous. That takes me off guard but in a good way.
“Okay. How do you want to do this?”
Her hand escapes my palms, and she begins to draw her finger in circles on the back of my hand. In a soothing way. “There is no better time than now. I thought about talking alone with him about it, but last night when I let him stay up late to watch your game, I realized we should do it together. You’re already embedded in our life.”
I love hearing this. My heart is bursting, and I’m a version of myself that I don’t quite recognize.
My other hand cups her cheek, and I press my thumb near the corner of her mouth. Her eyes delicate and face soft. “I love you,” I whisper. Maybe it was in the back of my head to say, but right now it spilled out of my mouth because it’s a moment that needs truth.
Lainey has a radiant glow, with her wry grin. “I love you too.”
We meet halfway when we slowly kiss. Our confirmation of us.
Our mouths part, and my lips trace hers. My breath is warm and my body in bliss.
This woman has the power to make me the opposite of everything I am on the ice. Luckily, I can compartmentalize a little. But off the ice, I’m a goner. A man my father raised and the man that I’m proud of when I look in the mirror because I recognize that my special someone has entered my life, and I won’t let her go.
“It’s done,” Enzo interrupts us, giving us just enough time to create space between one another.
Lainey abandons me on the couch and waves to Enzo, indicating that he needs to sit down on the loungechair. He doesn’t seem fazed and obeys. She then joins him and sits on the arm of the chair.
“Maybe we should wait until after pizza, but I’m going to share something with you now,” she tells him. I stay in my spot and let her lead. “Tyler and I, we’re more than friends.” Enzo doesn’t quite understand, it’s apparent on his face. “As in the whole boyfriend and girlfriend thing that you hear about from movies and your friends.”
“Ohhh.” A light clicks on his head. The widest ear-to-ear grin that I’ve seen in a long time appears, with his missing tooth in full show. “I kind of thought so. This is super cool. Now we can go to games, right? Like, get the cool snacks and shirts.”
I try to hide my chuckle because this is a lot easier than I expected, and his concern is food. Lainey’s face is priceless, as if she is disappointed that her son just gave her an out for a conversation that she’s probably been nervous about.
“Any questions?” Lainey says flatly, as she is still in awe.
Enzo shakes his head. “No.”
“Really?” Should I be doubting his confidence in his answers? Is this all a cover to prank me later because he hates the idea of his mom and me together?
“Yeah. Hey, Mom, do I still have to clean up in the living room? Or can I do it tomorrow morning?”
Whoa, the kid is treating this conversation easy as a breeze.
“Ha. Fat chance,” Lainey responds, and she seems to be following his signals of keeping this conversation simple. “How about grabbing some plates for me?”
“Fine,” he moans and mopes away. “But the cheese pizza is mine.”
Lainey gives him a little curtsy that he doesn’t see. “Yes, your majesty.”
She stretches her neck to watch for him to be out of earshot, and the moment he is, her eyes blaze open, and she looks at me with an ear-to-ear smile. “Sometimes it’s better not to make a big deal out of something.”
“Oh, because this isn’t a big deal,” I say, flippant.
She pads over on the balls of her feet to me. “Like I said, you’ve already been part of our lives, so I guess that doesn’t change. We might want to work our way into the whole kissing in front of him or sleepovers. But we no longer need to sneak around.”
I yank on her wrist, and she falls straight onto my lap and loops her arms around my neck. “Okay, I can do that. G-rated cuddle time during movie night. Arm around your shoulders while thinking about my hand on your thigh under the blanket.”
That sultry look of her comes out to taunt me. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“I need examples,” I urge.
Her fingers begin to play with the hairs on the back of my neck. “My mouth enjoys being stuffed,” she whispers against my cheek before kissing the corner of my mouth.
My hands frame her hips to keep her on top of me. “Inappropriate. It’s almost pizza time, and you’re trying to make me suffer,” I tut.
