I feel his smile wide against my mouth, and it sends that sweet flutter I’ve been missing unfurling through my chest and ribs. It’s warm, and tender, and safe. It feels like coming home after a long journey. Like love. Like something worth fighting for.
Chapter forty-three
Steven
Now We Keep Going
“Wecan’tplayanythingelse?”
“Sorry, man, I’ve tried everything.”
I pat Daniels on the shoulder as “Baby Shark”begins to blare from his phone.
“You’ll do great,” I promise, smoothing out my hair in the entryway mirror.
“How long will this last?” he asks, grimacing at the lyrics, readjusting Josie on his hip. She’s thrilled and oblivious to his pain as she claps offbeat to the music, still wearing her birthday crown.
“They say it’s just a phase.” I shrug, mildly terrified this particular phase might last forever. The Baby Shark birthday decorations loom around us like a flashy, colorful omen.
Daniels gives me one last desperate look before he accepts his fate and shuffles into the living room. He sets Josie down, casts his phone to the TV, and suddenly, “Baby Shark: EDM Edition” is rattling the walls. Josie, full of excitement and toddler energy, waddles straight for the balloon arch, which has already surrendered to gravity.
“Boys, come eat!” Emma calls from the kitchen.
Easton and Sawyer thunder down the steps, zooming past us, and disappear into the kitchen. The smell of garlic and pizza crust wafts through theliving room, and I hear Daniels’ stomach growl. He chuckles and follows them just as the doorbell rings.
“Okay, Rob,” I hear Emma say. “Here are the phone numbers and the diner we’ll be at…”
Her voice fades as I swing open the front door, only to be met with a full-scale invasion.
Kate barrels in first. “We don’t have all day!”
She’s dressed in a yellow romper and her pink high tops. Malcolm, wearing a plain white t-shirt and jeans, follows with a helpless shrug.
“We have time,” Benny calls after Kate, shaking my hand as he steps inside. He reaches for Ellie, whose arms are piled with kid-friendly snacks.
“What is all that?” I groan.
“Insurance,” she says brightly. “No excuses for tonight ending early.”
“I tried to stop her,” Benny whispers with a small, apologetic smile.
I don’t even try to argue. I just wave them inside, clocking their matching navy-blue colors—his polo and her dress. When I go to close the door, another person standing on the porch startles me.
“Mackenzie?” I gasp. “I didn’t see you.”
“Sorry.” She smiles. “I thought I could help with the kids.”
“Yeah. Absolutely,” I say eagerly. This eases the brick of tension in my shoulders I didn’t realize was there. I trust Daniels, sure, but not enough to know we won’t get a hundred phone calls while we’re gone.
I gesture for her to follow me inside, and she finds her way to the kitchen. She immediately helps Daniels get the boys settled with food. He fumbles with Josie in his arms, and Mackenze repositions him into a more natural holding position. Josie melts against him, cooing. They both laugh, already absorbed in their babysitting rhythm.
“They’re cute,” Kate whispers.
Malcolm scowls at the interaction, calculative fury growing in his eyes. “I don’t like it,” he grumbles, moving toward the kitchen.
Ellie catches his arm and yanks him back. “We don’t have time for this. We just survived the one-year-old’s party. We’re leaving.” She pushes as many of us toward the door as she can and shouts, “Emma, let’s go!”
“Coming!” Emma calls, and I hear her hopping into her heels at the bottom of the stairs.
