Page 91 of Meant for Mayhem

I gently shoved him into the room, Leena following behind him.

“No one is taking the couch, Mikko. We’ve already gone through this once, and we’ll make it through again.”

“How long do you think you’ll hide in the bathroom before you get into bed tonight?”

I grabbed a pillow off the bed and smacked him with it. “Husbands don’t use that kind of information against their wives. I was in crisis mode.”

A deep laugh rumbled out of him. “Oh, I see. You only call me your husband when it’s a weapon.”

“Only if you’re being an ass, husband.”

I swung to hit him with the pillow again, but he caught it before it connected. His smile was wide, blue eyes shining like I so rarely saw.

“I like hearing you say it.”

I shook my head, feeling my cheeks warm. “Don’t let it go to your head.”

“Too late.”

Leena chose that moment to climb up and flop face-first onto the mattress, arms and legs spread as wide as they could go.

“Quick. Move fast before she decides we can’t sleep here at all.”

That earned me another laugh.

While I dug out my toiletries, Mikko disappeared into the other room long enough to grab Leena’s pajamas before returning to the bedroom. Leena babbled a whole slew of sounds, then sat up when she saw her dad, arms stretched overhead in silent demand.

“Ready for bed?” he said, nice and slow like I encouraged him. “Let’s put on your pajamas.”

She turned around and waved to me, muttering what sounded like an attempt at night-night.

I smiled to myself as I folded tomorrow’s clothes over the back of the chair in the corner, trying and failing not to watch. I loved watching them together, memorizing these little moments. Mikko had only been a dad for a few months, but he was so good at it.

Every movement was instinct now. He knew exactly how she liked to be held, exactly how to encourage her to speak, exactly which stuffed animal she’d search for before bed. There wasn’t any hesitation anymore. Just quiet, uncomplicated love.

Leena yawned hard enough that her whole body shook, worn out from the excitement today and the weird nap she’d had this afternoon.

I kissed her cheek when they passed me, headed for the other room. Within ten minutes, they’d read a book, and she was tucked into the portable crib with her moose clutched against her chest, out cold. Mikko dimmed the light before turning back toward me.

“That went surprisingly well.”

He looked over his shoulder into the other room, that same smile he wore every time he looked at his daughter spreading over his face. “Hopefully it lasts. This time change is no joke for a little body.”

I walked back into the bedroom, thinking he’d follow me.

Instead, he pointed to the door. “I’m going to run downstairs.”

As if reading the confusion in my eyes, he added, “Just grabbing something, then I’ll be right back.”

With the hotel room to myself, I grabbed my toiletries and headed to the bathroom to get ready for bed. Part of me felt a little stupid for not realizing that we’d be sharing a bed on every single road trip we took this year, but the dawning reality felt a lot larger now that I was staring down my first night of many with him.

I changed into an oversized t-shirt and leggings before leaning over the bathroom counter to wash my face. My phone sat propped against the mirror while the language app I had downloaded chirped through another Finnish lesson.

Today it was adjectives.

“Sinä olet hauska,” the cartoon character said.

I rubbed moisturizer into my face, repeating it back.