“Whoa, look at all the superheroes!” Cal yells. “You guys look great!”
“Cal, stand in the middle with all the kids. Let me get a picture of you all together.”
I hold out my phone as he stands behind the boys, wrapping his arms around all of them, as Emily stands in front of everyone.
“Say cheese!”
“Cheese!”
After several more pictures, with me in them, Calvin took a selfie of the two of us. “To the start of hopefully many good memories,” he says.
I’m not sure why that touches my heart and soul so much. The words don’t seem that big of a deal, but to me, they mean everything. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. “We’ll have many of them.”
“We will, Tiger. That’s a promise.”
We gave the kids a safety lecture and headed out to get some treats. I let Emily run with her brothers until she got tired after about twenty minutes. Calvin took her in his arms, where she crashed hard.
He and I hold hands as he carries her with his free arm. He’s really fitting into fatherhood well. It makes me fall for him that much harder, and Ihavebeen falling for him, especially after that night Braeden ran off.
He’d told me what had happened between them and Brae’s worries. He jumped in, dealt with the bullies, and helped Braeden get back on track at school. All the while, he’s working full time and dealing with his mother’s funeral and house. To say I’m impressed that this avowed bachelor did a one-eighty is an understatement. It’s fine to be a bachelor. I never faulted him for that, but if he wants to be a part of my life, I come with a huge package.
I haven’t just fallen, but I’ve crashed and burned in the best way possible. It’s nice to be in love again. I didn’t think it was possible after Malcolm. And I’m sure Calvin didn’t believe it was possible to find it after Grant, either. I don’t know if he’s in love, but he’s committed to me. That’s big in itself. Regardless, it’s fast for me. My heart doesn’t seem to care, though.
“I feel like a kid again,” Calvin says. “When’s the last time I dressed up? College, I think, but that was for drinking and partying.” He lets go of my hand and shifts Emily to his other arm. “How does this tiny ankle biter weigh so much?”
“Dead weight can be heavy. Do you want me to hold her for a while?”
“I’ve got her, Tiger.”
He leans close to myear and says, “Next year, I expect you to dress up as a tiger. I mean, I dressed up as the Joker. It’s the least you could do.”
All I hear in my head is, ‘I love you. I love you.’
I look ahead at the boys, who stop at a house covered in Halloween decorations, waiting for their turn to fill up their buckets.
Calvin and I stand and wait, but now I’m looking at him, filled with nerves and a gut doing somersaults. “I love you,” I blurt, but then I’m instantly hit with regret and embarrassment. I’m sure I’ve singed my ears from the heat. It’s too early for love. We’ve only been dating for over a month. “Shit, it’s too early. Ignore me.”
He stands in front of me, shifts my daughter in his arms again. I look away, but he gently pinches my chin to force me to look at him. “Thank you for telling me that.”
“God, that’s even worse than you not saying it back.”
He grins, leans in, and pecks my lips. “But it’s no less true. I love that you’re brave enough to tell me, and Iamready to spend my life with you.”
“I know it’s a risk that the other person may not feel the same. Seeing you holding my girl, and your growing connection to the kids and me… I just…”
“You don’t need to explain why you feel the way you do, baby. I’m a little slower because life was utter chaos there for a while. My head was in many different places. I’ll get there. I know it. My feelings for you grow every day.”
“Thanks for saying that.”
Calvin wraps an arm around me as we head toward the next house.
“Finish to the end of the street, then we need to go home. It’s a school night,” I call out.
The boys moan but don’t otherwise complain.
Calvin pulls me tighter against him and kisses the top of my head. “I adore you, Seth Griffin.”
I smile at him and snuggle into his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. I’ll take it.
