She brushes me off with a wave of her hand. “I’m good.”
I don’t believe her for a second, but I don’t want to push her either. I’m learning to curb my desires to know every tiny thing that’s going on in her mind just to ease my own thoughts. It’s hard, but I have faith she’ll talk to me when she’s ready.
“I have another surprise. One for you this time,” I tell her sheepishly, my cheeks burning red.
“Theo, you didn’t have to do anything for me,” she admonishes gently. “I have everything I need.”
“Well, no, I didn’t, but I wanted to,” I reply, retaking her hand and leading her to my bedroom. I shove the door open to reveal what I’ve done.
“This isn’t how your room looked before,” she murmurs, glancing around.
I rub the back of my neck. “Nope. I had new additions made… for you.”
Blake moves around the room, and I have no idea what the fuck to think. I changed the furniture from a masculine vibe to a more feminine one, added another wardrobe and a chest of drawers, and set up a vanity in the corner by the window.
Walking up behind her, I wrap my arms around her waist. “This is for you. So you can stay here too.”
“Are you asking us to move in with you?” she asks, but I can hear the smile in her tone.
“Yeah, I am. I don’t want you guys away from me anymore. We can figure out everything as we go along.”
She sighs, and the panic sets in. “My job, Theo. We won’t be able to hide it from them if we’re living with you. Please don’t make me choose.”
“I’m never going to ask you to choose, firefly. Just trust me that it’s all coming together, and you won’t have to worry about it anymore,” I reply, pleading with her.
I really need to get that other surprise sorted sooner rather than later.
Blake turns in my arms, looking at me with hesitation. “I’ll tell you what, when whatever it is that’s come together has come together, we’ll move in with you. I care about you, Theo, but I will not risk my career.”
It hurts to hear her say it but knowing her past leaves no doubt in my mind that she deserves the absolute best, and I’m going to make sure she gets it.
“Deal,” I say before lowering my head and kissing her softly.
“Erm, Dad? Why are you hugging Mom like that?”
Oh, shit.
“I-I—” Blake begins, but I interrupt.
“May I?”
“Sure,” she says, but I can see the panic in her eyes. I know we were meant to do this together, but I’d like to talk to my son, man to man.
I pull away from her and squeeze her hand before slinging an arm around Oscar's shoulders. “Come on, little dude. Let’s go have a chat.”
I lead us out of my—our room and head for his, wanting to give him a safe place to talk. He sits down on his bed, looking at me expectantly.
I begin pacing, a hand in my hair as I try to think of what the fuck to say.
“Are you and Mom together?” he asks quietly.
I turn around, my face softening. “Would that be okay?”
Oscar ponders my question for a moment, and I breathe through it, trying to calm the anxious thoughts because I’m not sure what I’ll do if he says no.
“So we’d live together? Here?”
“That’s the plan, little dude,” I reply, walking toward him and sitting down on the bed next to him. “I love you, and I love your mom. I want us to be a proper family.”
