Page 45 of Tailored for You

Serena

Monday mornings were always the hardest day of the week. I woke up half an hour earlier, showered, and got ready.

Harper hated waking up on a great day. She hid under the blanket, threw temper tantrums, and went as far as faking sick with the worst fake cough I had ever heard to get out of leaving the bed in the morning.

After the fun weekend she had, it was going to be a nightmare getting her out of bed.

Psyching myself up to take on my four-year-old, I went to her room.

She wasn’t there. I walked to the bed, lifted the blanket and... she wasn’t there. I checked around the room, but she was nowhere to be found.

Then I heard her tinkling laughter.

I checked the time on my watch as I followed the sound. It was 7:05 am. Thirty-five minutes earlier than I typically start to try and wake her up.

I headed downstairs, following the noise toward the kitchen, and stopped.

Harper had a spoonful of mac and cheese suspended in the air, laughing hysterically. Her hair was in a lopsided ponytail; her shoes were on the wrong feet, but she was wearing her uniform.

Enzo was at the stove, dressed in a suit I had made, shaking his head. Harper’s laughter filled the air, echoing down the hallway where I stood. Whatever I had walked in on, I didn’t want to interrupt.

The two of them, enjoying their moment in the morning, tugged at my heart

I knew magic when I saw it.

Harper made a face and started laughing again. Enzo whipped around, waving the spatula in his hand like a wand. With a flourish that was more akin to a Broadway show. He walked over, carrying two plates, placed them next to her, and sat down beside her.

I did my best to stay unnoticed as Harper reached over with her fork and stabbed it into the food. It was a piece of pancake, a food item I had yet to get her to like.

She shoved it in her mouth fast, chewing as she giggled. Enzo pushed his plate closer, and she had another bite. Then another.

I wanted to pump my fist in the air. For a year and a half, I’d tried every healthy breakfast I could think of, and she rejected every single one. She couldn’t live off mac and cheese and dino nuggets forever.

The longer we spent here, the better everything got. Harper was waking up more easily, eating without a fight, and I had a studio again.

I cleared my throat, hating to interrupt their moment, but having no other choice.

“What’s for breakfast?” I asked and walked to the fridge.

“Mommy, I went to wake you up, but Enso caught me. He said if I got ready really quietly, I could make my own lunch,” she said and pointed to the brand-new cartoon lunch box on the counter.

I smiled at her mispronunciation of Enzo’s name and opened the lunch box, almost afraid to see what she put in there. Surprisingly, not every container had mac and cheese. There were a variety of items, some that she had never tried before. I only had to pull out one thing because of the nuts.

“I have to be with her for drop-off. None of you or your men are on the approved drop-off or pick-up list.” I forgot that there was a drop-off approval list for her daycare last night.

“Okay. How long does it take to add me?” Enzo said as he cleared his and Harper’s plates.

“Oh, uhm, easy. It’s just a form I have to submit,” I said. With hesitancy, I asked, “Do you envision doing drop-offs often?”

“Yes.” Enzo was in front of me. “I do. I’ll take her every morning unless there is a reason I shouldn’t.” He stepped closer. “You’re not alone in doing anything anymore.”

He pushed a cup into my hands, our fingers touching. It was early, I hadn’t had a sip of coffee, and yet one touch had me more awake than I’d been in years.

“Did you sleep well, amore mio?” he asked, leaning down. I nodded, unable to talk, and drank the coffee he handed me.

A blend of vanilla and cinnamon deliciousness filled me, and I sighed, closing my eyes.

“Thank you,” I whispered, holding the cup close to my chest.