"It's not a date. It's a... friendly invitation."
"Sure it is."
We spend the next two hours talking and laughing, and by the time I leave, I feel grounded. Centered.
Ready to see Tyler.
He opens the door before I even knock.
"Hey, sweetheart."
"Hey, Daddy."
He pulls me inside and into his arms. "I missed you."
"I missed you too. How are you doing?"
"Better now that you're here." He guides me to the couch. "Saying goodbye is always hard. But it helps knowing I'll see them again soon."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Maybe later. Right now I just want to hold you."
We curl up together, and I let him hold me while he processes his emotions.
This is what partnership looks like. Not just the fun parts. The hard parts too.
And I'm exactly where I need to be.
With exactly who I need to be with.
EPILOGUE
Friday evening, one week after Tyler's kids visited, I'm curled up on his couch watching some action movie he picked.
Actually, I'm not really watching. I'm more focused on the way Tyler's hand is tracing lazy patterns on my back, occasionally dipping under the hem of my shirt to touch bare skin.
"You're not paying attention," he observes.
"Sure I am. Things are exploding."
"Things were exploding ten minutes ago. Now they're having an emotional conversation about trust."
"I'm paying attention to other things."
"Like?"
"Like how good your hands feel. Like how safe I am here. Like how much I love you."
He shifts so I'm straddling his lap. "I love you too, baby girl. This week has been good, hasn't it?"
"Really good."
"Emma texted me today," Tyler says. "She wants to know when she can meet you."
"Really?"
"Really. Apparently she's been telling all her friends about Daddy's girlfriend." His smile is soft. "Jackson asked if you could come to his birthday party next month."
