Lukas is quiet as he takes it all in. “Is this…” he asks, flicking his gaze from me to my mom.
She leans against the doorframe, her smile soft and her voice gentle. “Well, I know you’ve got a home with him.” She gestures toward me. “But I figured if you ever wanted to spend the night here, you should have a place that’s all yours.”
Lukas doesn’t say anything as he walks further into the room, taking everything in. He runs his hand over the comforter. “You didn’t have to do this,” he murmurs, and I can hear the emotion thick in his voice.
“Oh, I know,” she says easily. “But I wanted to. You’ve had a lot of change over the last several months, and I’d imagine it’s hard to feel like you belong anywhere. But I want you to know that you belong here.”
He picks up the hoodie and unfolds it, a smile tugging at his mouth as he shows me the front of it. Pokémon.
“It’s probably too big,” Mom adds. “But boys your age grow like weeds, so I figure I’d gamble.”
Lukas glances at me. “Did you tell her what size I wear?”
I shake my head, biting back a smile. “Sure didn’t. Had no idea she was doin’ any of this, actually.”
Shrugging, she says, “Educated guess.”
He sets the hoodie back down carefully, and that’s when I see it. The way his eyes glisten with unshed tears. “Th-thank you,” he murmurs. “This is so… Thank you.”
My mom’s expression softens in that quiet way she has when she’s trying not to make a moment bigger than it already is. “You’re welcome, Lukas.” She smiles at him. “No pressure to use it. But if you ever wake up and decide you want French toast at my house on a Saturday morning, this room will be waitin’.”
Lukas swallows hard and nods. “Okay.”
Then she claps her hands lightly, shifting the mood on purpose. “Now,” she declares. “Who’s hungry?”
He looks at me, and I grin. “Trust me, she makes the best food.”
Lukas follows my mom down the stairs and toward the kitchen as I trail behind. His shoulders are a little less stiff than they were when we arrived. The rest of the afternoon goes smoothly, my mom and Lukas hitting it off better than I had hoped. As I watch the two of them talk and laugh, it’s like a weight I didn’t even realize was sitting on my chest disappears.
After we finish eating, I offer to clean the kitchen while they sit on the porch and eat cookies together while my mom tells him story after story about me as a teenager. I’m just about finished loading the dishwasher when I feel my phone go off. Drying my hands, I grab it out of my pocket and scan the screen. My heart races as I read the name on the text message waiting for me.
Daddy Moore: Fine. You win.
I can’t hide my smirk.
Me: What do I win?
Daddy Moore: As much as I shouldn’t, I want a repeat of that night too.
Me: Well, I already knew that *smirk emoji* What do you propose, daddy?
The text bubble pops up, then disappears for a moment before it’s back again. My skin tingles and my pulse races as I wait for what feels like forever. But boy, is it worth the wait.
Daddy Moore: One night. One night to finish what we started and get it out of our systems.
I chuckle to myself.
Me: Has the “just one night” ever worked for anyone?
Daddy Moore: I’m serious, Remington. One night and that’s it.
I don’t respond right away. Not because I don’t want to do this with him, but because Ido.Actually, I want nothing more than to do that, but it’s theone nightthat’s tripping me up. If I go there with Gentry, will I really be able to walk away after? Will he?
Shoving my phone back into my pocket, I decide to respond once I’m home and have had time to really think about it.
After I start the dishwasher, I dry my hands before walking outside to find my mom and Lukas. They both look at me as I step onto the porch, and my mom’s got that twinkle in her eye that tells me she’s excited about something.
“What’s that look for?” I ask cautiously as I take the seat beside Lukas.
