And for me.
“I think the cupcake is on the verge of toppling over,” Emily said to him. “Before the frosting makes it too heavy to stand, how about we move on to the next one?”
“I’m gonna eat it all!”
“I have no doubt you will.” She laughed. “Now we’re on to Dad’s cupcake.” She glanced at me. “With a strawberry base. His absolute favorite.”
“You meanyourfavorite.” I winked.
She smirked. “No, I mean, yournewfavorite.”
“We’ll see about that,” I teased.
“Come on, you’re going to love it.” She held the strawberry base in front of Ben.
“Dad getsallllthe frosting too!”
“How about you give Dad just a little bit,” I requested.
“You’re no fun.” He stuck his tongue out at me.
Ben quickly finished my cupcake and Emily’s, and she placed the bowls in front of him. “I want you to decorate the cupcakes however you want to.”
“I get to sprinkle all of them?” His mouth dropped open. “With all this stuff?”
“Of course you do. This is your dessert. You’re the chef. We’re going to eat whatever you make us, so you can place the sprinkles however you like them.”
“I love this so much!”
Emily laughed, and as Ben got to work, she took out her phone. “I’m going to snap some pics of the chef, is that okay?”
“Yep!” Ben, with sprinkles covering his hand, put his fingers on Emily’s arm and leaned in to look at her phone. “I know that picture!”
She tilted her phone toward him. “Yes, you do.”
“I drew it!”
Emily nodded as she looked at me. “Yes, you did.”
He . . . drew it?
“Hold on a second.” I took a deep breath as I stared at my girl. “The picture Ben drew you is the wallpaper on your phone?”
She scrunched her face, her expression adorable. “It’s hanging on the wall in my bedroom, but since I’m hardly home, I thoughtmaking it my wallpaper would mean I’d get to see it more often.” She bit her lip. “The only thing missing in the drawing is you.” She put her hand on Ben’s head, roughing up his dark, overgrown locks. “Ben, you might need to draw me another picture soon, and this time, include your dad.”
“Okay! But cupcake first.Mmm.”
In that moment I knew, without a doubt in my mind, I fucking loved her.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Emily
Gavin:Have a good time with Maya tonight.
Me:You’re hanging out with Jordan, right?
Gavin:I am.
