“Jesse, wanna come for pizza?” The voice of the sweetest little girl I knew shouted through my door and my heart melted. Honest to God melted.
“Hurry up, Jesse. I’m starving!” The not so sweet voice of her mother waded into the conversation making me snicker.
I debated making them wait a bit longer but then the pounding started up on my door so making them wait wasn't an option anymore.
“Can I help you?” I declared as I opened the door to find not only Kaylee and her gorgeous mother waiting for me but the little dude, Nate, too had made an appearance.
“Hey, my man.” I fist bumped him in greeting. “Was beginning to think you had some kind of condition where you could only come out of your room during certain times. Oh wait, that sounds more like jail than any medical condition I’m aware of.” I joked with him making him laugh along with me. Meeting Willow’s eyes I saw that making him laugh had made her smile too. I vowed then and there to try my hardest to get them all to smile more every time I was around them.
“Who's paying for this pizza then?” I asked as we climbed into Willow’s tiny ass car. I felt like I could rest my chin on my knees I was that squashed.
“You!” Kaylee retorted from the backseat. “Plus ice cream!” she added on as an afterthought.
“Well consider me told!” I exclaimed as Willow drove us to the local pizza parlor. I’d pay for anything and everything as long as it meant I got to spend time with these three who'd become the three most important people in my life.
The meal went down a treat, a lot of laughter was shared between the four of us and I’d loved it. I was also gentlemanly enough to pay for Betty’s pizza. She’d done me a favor earlier today and I owed her one.
“Right, you two, it's late. Go get ready for bed.” She told Nate and Kaylee as soon as we got back to her house.
“Awww, Mom but I’m not even tired,” grumbled Nate. “Can I watch some TV?”
“Only for an hour,” Willow replied as she followed them both up the stairs.
“I’ll just go give this to Betty. She must be hungry by now.” I indicated to the pizza that was in my left hand. Ham and mushroom with extra cheese, just liked she'd requested.
“Famished!” she called out over the noise from a television show she’d been watching.
“That woman has the hearing of a bat,” Willow pointed out matter-of-factly as she reached the top of the stairs. “I won't be long, make yourself at home,” she called down to me.
“Will do, sweetheart,” I responded but before I got chance to make it more than two steps toward the living room the stampede of little feet had me pausing. Kaylee shot toward me. “Hey, pumpkin. Everything ok?” I was worried that something had upset her to come barreling down the stairs like that.
“I just wanted to say goodnight,” she said sweetly, her head ducking shyly at her admission.
“Ah, that's mighty nice of you, Kaylee. Hold there just a sec.” I ran into the lounge and all but threw the pizza box in Betty's lap.
“What in God’s name are you doing, child?” she said puzzled by my behavior. “Never mind. It’s pizza time!” I was quickly dismissed as she tucked into her beloved ham and mushroom pizza. That woman baffled me more than anyone I knew.
Returning back into the hallway I saw Kaylee still standing where I left her. “Sorry, pumpkin. Your nana gets mean when she's hungry! She was gonna bite my hand off!” She giggled at my attempt to joke around with her. “So you wanna say goodnight?” I dropped down onto one knee so I was level with her. I opened my arms to her. “Come give me a cuddle, pumpkin. That would be the best goodnight I’ve ever received.”
She was back to acting shy but she took those few steps forward and put her arms around my waist, holding on tightly. My heart was so full of love for this little girl I felt like it would split right open. I never thought I would love this hard and this fast but I’m happy that I have.
I enveloped her in my embrace, smelling the shampoo on the blonde curls. I vowed there and then to protect her at all costs; to hurt anyone that dared hurt my pumpkin.
“Come on, baby. It's getting late,” Willow shouted down, breaking our little spell.
“Goodnight, Jesse,” she said as she pulled away from me. I instantly missed her. She, like her mom, now owned me and I loved every minute I got to spend with them. Some people might call me a fool for falling this quick and this hard for someone like Willow, who came with children and a douchebag soon to be ex-husband, but I say it’s fate. They were meant for me. I knew it, I felt it.
“Goodnight, my pumpkin. Sweet dreams, baby girl.” I kissed the top of her head as I returned back to standing.
“Thank you for making Mama smile tonight. After Daddy spoke to her on the phone earlier she seemed sad but Nate and I knew you’d make her smile again. She smiles a lot when you're here.”
“You three make me smile too, Kaylee. A hell of a lot, now scoot. I don't want your mom coming down here and busting us both for talking when you're meant to be in bed.”
“I’m going, I’m going. Jeez,” she sassed me as she took off running up the stairs once more.
What was it with the women in this family? It's like they didn't have any control over what came out of their mouths and I wouldn't have it any other fucking way. Now to wait for my girl so we could discuss what Kaylee had said about speaking to Rob. I hoped he hasn’t done anything too bad. I really didn't want to have to go see him again. I’d much rather spend my time with this crazy lot.