“Addie, are you coming home soon?” Lexi asks me on the phone. I’m at work, but I’m taking the afternoon off to register her for school. Aiden took it off, too. He wants to check out the school. Make sure its security is up to par.
We’ve been home a week and the transition has gone smoothly. Lexi loves her room. So much so, that she doesn’t have any problems sleeping in her own bed now. Except, it doesn’t resemble the Pottery Barn, picture-perfect bedroom anymore. It’s more like Disney threw up all over that picture. But she’s ecstatic about it, so that is all that matters to me.
Syd is helping me learn how to cook simple things like spaghetti, and chicken without it being dry. We’re learning as we go. And like Aiden said, she doesn’t care what I cook. Thankfully, Aiden is a better cook than I am, so when he has come over this week we have had fantastic dinners.
I put up pictures of Lexi and her family on one wall in her room. I want her to remember them, to know where she came from. It’s important to me, knowing how fast the memories will fade. She cried when she saw them, and I started to doubt if it was the right thing to do. Now, it’s her favorite place to sit and read. She talks to them frequently. Every night I have Lexi tell me something about her parents or her brother.
“Sweet girl, I’m leaving here in just a few minutes. Are you all dressed and ready to go?”
“Yes, I’m ready,” she says excitedly. “Just don’t forget to wash off the DNA from work, I don’t want to touch it.”
I laugh into the phone. “Okay, I’ll wash my hands.” It’s funny the things kids remember.
When we got back from Disney, Syd talked about getting a summer job since living in New York was so expensive. I asked her if she’d watch Lexi for me and I’d pay her. She didn’t want to at first, but I talked her into it. Actually, it didn’t take much convincing; she loves hanging out with Lexi. It’s a win-win for everyone.
“Hey, gorgeous,” I hear and look up from my computer to find Aiden leaning against my doorframe with his arms crossed. God, I love having a boyfriend. A very sexy boyfriend, with beautiful muscular arms. He flexes causing me to blush. He obviously caught me gawking at his arms.
I push my chair back and stand, grabbing my purse from my desk drawer. “Is there a reason you’re wearing your FBI shirt?” I chuckle as I push him out of my doorway so I can close it.
“I came from work,” he says, shrugging.
“Mmm-hmm.”
He shrugs. “You should wear your CSI vest,” he suggests as he grabs my hand.
I snicker, shaking my head. “And why would I do that? They are already going to know that I work for NYPD.”
“It’s about appearances. I want to make sure they know not to mess with our Lexi,” he explains. Even though I think he’s being ridiculous, my heart skips a beat when I hear our Lexi.
“She’s in kindergarten, Aiden. You think because you look like a big badass in your FBI shirt, a boy isn’t going to throw dirt at her,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“That’s what I’m hoping for,” he says confidently.
“This is where her parents wanted her to go, and Syd tells me getting into these schools is as easy as climbing Mt. Everest. So keep that macho attitude of yours in check. We need to make a good first impression,” I say, squeezing his hand. I’m scared as hell.
I’ve never felt so insecure as a person as I feel right now. What if they don’t like me? What if they use my past as a reason to not let her go there? What if being a single, foster parent reflects badly? So many what ifs flow through my mind in the cab.
“Addison.”
“What?” I look up at his soft eyes.
“Stop worrying. She’s already been accepted. We’re just going to meet the principal.”
I nod. He’s right. They won’t un-accept her because of me. Right? I stand up straighter. Well, they better not.
“I can’t believe you,” I say to Aiden after we lie Lexi down for a nap.
“What?” he says innocently. I stare at him.
“Really?” He shrugs as he sits on a barstool. “You basically threatened the principal.”
“I did no such thing,” he says with a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
“There,” I say, pointing to his mouth. “You know you did.”
“Well, that guy was a total douchebag. I mean for him to even mention that Lexi still might be in danger and he’s worried for the staff all because he’s an idiot who doesn’t already know we took care of that situation.”
My eyebrow shoots up. “We?”
“Don’t remind me,” he says, pulling me at the waist and settling me in between his legs.
“Still, you didn’t need to tell him that you knew about his cross-dressing habits.”
“What? I found that interesting tidbit when I was looking into him.” He flashes a mischievous smile. “I’m pretty sure Lexi will never be in trouble.” He winks at me before slamming his mouth to mine.