"Oh shit...your face!" he gasped for breath before losing it again. "The look on your face," he laughed some more. Allie and her mom were leaning on each other for support, laughing uncontrollably, and I thought I heard Colleen say "he's gonna make me pee my pants". My head kept swiveling back and forth between the three of them, and I knew I had to look like a fucking moron.
"You called...you called me...Sir. Twice!" Steve choked out between guffaws, slapping me on the back. That brought me out of my stupor, and I lost it. I leaned against my car and laughed until my sides hurt. If any of the neighbors saw us, I'm sure they thought we'd lost our fucking minds.
Once we composed ourselves, Steve threw an arm around Colleen's shoulder and guided her inside. I snickered when I heard him ask, "Wanna make out in the car later, darlin'?" as they headed into the kitchen. Colleen giggled and shushed him, and I took that moment to grab Allie and pulled her into the hallway.
"Thought that was funny did you, Sunshine?" I asked with a smirk.
She grinned at me and snickered. "As a matter of fact, I did. I only wish we had caught it on video."
"Payback is a bitch, sweetheart, just remember that," I warned, swatting her on the ass as she turned and walked toward the kitchen.
We decided to order a pizza, and after we ate, I helped Allie get Gracie her bath and ready for bed. I'd helped with the bedtime routine many times before, so I knew what to do. After we got her tucked in, Allie and I sat on either side of herand snuggled with her while we told her about moving. Allie explained that we were a couple now, and we would all be living together from now on.
"So is Uncle Nico your boyfriend now?" she asked, looking from her mom to me, then back to her mom.
Allie glanced at me, and I smiled. "Yes, he's my boyfriend now."
"Are you gonna get to dec'rate your own room at Uncle Nico's like I did, Mommy? You're gonna hav'ta move your desk and everything."
My eyes shifted to meet Allie's, and she looked a little anxious.
"No, princess, your Mommy needs to keep her office just the way it is so she can do her work. She's going to share a room with me. Maybe you can help her if she decides she wants to redecorate it, though."
"You're gonna have sleepovers in your room?" she asked me.
I shot a wicked grin at Allie, who blushed and looked away. "Sort of. It won't be a sleepover like you have at Grandma’s since you guys will be living there all the time. But your mommy and I will be sharing a room, so that will become her bedroom too."
"Oh, like Grandma and Grandpa do."
"Yes," agreed Allie. Like Grandma and Grandpa, and Uncle Dean and Aunt Hannah, Uncle Scott, and Aunt Emma. They all share a bedroom."
Gracie turned her eyes on me. "Do you snore? Cuz Grandpa snores sometimes, and Grandma makes him sleep in the other bedroom."
I choked on a laugh. "Uh, no I don't think I snore, so it will be OK."
"OK then. Will we bring all of my toys? And my purses, and my books and my-"
"We'll bring all of your stuff, Gracie-girl, I promise. Don't worry. Now, why don't you go to sleep. We'll have a busy day tomorrow if we're going to get ready to move."
I leaned over to kiss her forehead and give her a hug. "Goodnight, princess. I love you. Sweet dreams."
"G'night, Uncle Nico," she said, giving me a smacking kiss on the cheek. I waited in the hallway while Annie hugged her and told her goodnight. I heard them whispering for a few minutes, and then Gracie giggled before Allie turned off the light and came out, closing the door gently behind her.
"Everything OK?" I took her hand and guided her down the stairs to the living room. Steve and Colleen were relaxing out on the deck, so Allie and I had some privacy inside. I sat on the sofa and pulled her down to sit next to me. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder and drew her head down to rest on my chest.
"Yeah, she's fine. She just had a few more questions. She wanted to make sure we bring all of her cereal with us, and her hair bows."
"Well, as long as she has her priorities straight. A princess must have her hair bows, after all."
We sat there in silence for a few minutes before I kissed her temple and said, "I love sitting with you like this. I can't wait to have quiet moments together like this for the rest of our lives."
Allie slid her hand across my stomach and around my waist, curling her body into mine in a hug. "I love you so much, Nico. I can't believe I get to spend my life with you."
"I wish we were at our house tonight, love. I'm half afraid to touch you in case your dad pulls his drill-sergeant routine again." She giggled softly, and I huffed. "It's not funny, Sunshine. He scared the shit out of me for a minute. I thought he was fucking serious!"
"Premarital relations are not permitted!" she growled in a surprisingly good imitation of her father.
I laughed. "Believe me, I'm gonna remember this when Gracie brings home a man. I learned from the best today, and I will pay it forward."
