“Shut up, bro. There is no fucking chance in hell I am ever doing that. Can you imagine? She will never forgive me!”
“Guys, you can all sit down,” Kayla calls from the direction of the kitchen.
“Let me go see if I can help my wife carry things through. Save our sister from those little monsters and get everyone to the table,” I tell Isaak.
Sitting around the table with Kayla at my side, the twins laughing with my brother, my sister smiling from ear to ear, and my hand, cheekily, resting on my wife’s leg…I can’t help but think that life is absolute perfect in this moment.
I want this.
I want this forever.
Chapter 20 - Kayla
This past week has been amazing. It’s easy to see how hard Josiah is trying to keep his promise to me. Every single day, I watch him as he patiently waits for me. He gives me all the space I have asked for, while still stealing cheeky moments to rest his hand on my leg or steal a tender kiss. It’s his way of letting me know he’s still here. He’s not going anywhere. And I appreciate all of it.
It’s impossible not to start opening up to him.
It’s impossible not to start feeling things and letting my heart soften towards him.
As much fear I'm still carrying, it's slowly beginning to fade with his constant reassurances.
And the girls are happier than I’ve ever seen them.
They have a full family in a beautiful home. They get smothered in attention by their parents and their aunt and uncle. I can see their confidence growing, and even Kelsey is being bolder, feeling safer to play and demand what she wants without feeling the need to wait and watch what Kira does.
I am so happy for them.
And for the first time in ages, I am starting to feel happy for myself, too.
Because the first phase of our new project at work has launched and is in testing stages, Josiah suggested I take a few days off work to spend with the girls. We have been working late and coming home with just enough time to tuck them in, and I’ve been struggling and missing them like crazy, so I jumped at the chance to spend some time at home. Of course, I can’t breaktheir routine, so they are still at preschool in the morning, and that means I also, for a change, have some free time for myself.
It’s Tuesday. I slept a whole extra hour this morning, and I feel amazing.
I’m wearing my favorite jeans and my comfortable sneakers instead of killer heels and a tight dress. Don’t get me wrong, I love dressing up for work. But it’s nice to be dressed down and relaxed.
Glancing at my watch, I see it’s almost eleven. The girls will be home at two, so I still have plenty of time to do whatever I want.
And what I want to do is surprise Josiah at work by bringing him a nice lunch.
I know he’s still working his ass off, and every night he comes home tired. So, I want to show him that I’m thinking of him, and, of course, I want to make sure he gets some decent food and doesn’t try to skip lunch like he does when he’s too caught up in everything.
That man is massive. He needs proper fuel in his body.
Following his instructions, I inform the guards that I am heading out for the morning. There are two of them waiting for me at my car when I step out of the house.
“Hi Tony, hi Lucas. I want to stop at that restaurant at the waterfront. The one that sells those giant prego steak rolls,” I inform them.
“Sergeant Salt,” Lucas says, opening the door for me.
“That’s the one!” I say, grateful he remembered the name, because I couldn’t.
I climb into the back of the car with the bodyguards in the front.
It’s strange to have to go places with two giant men following you everywhere, but after what I’ve seen in Josiah’s life, I'm not arguing, and honestly, I prefer having them around. It’s the comfort that I need.
We drive through the city, and I watch people go about their morning routines. Shopping. Dropping kids off. getting coffee. Heading to meetings. There is such a wild mix of characters in Chicago. Some people are dressed in professional suits that look more expensive than most cars, and others are wearing baggy pants that sit so low I can see their underwear and half their butt crack while they glide around the streets on a skateboard.
It makes me smile. All the different people, all the different cultures and lifestyles, and we all live here in the same beautiful city.
