Pop is going to love this. I look down and wiggle my toes. I have pink toenails. “They’re almost as pretty as Sally’s,” I say.

Trixie smiles up at me from her perch by my feet.

“I can’t believe you let her do that,” Alex taunts.

Neither can I.

Alex stands across from us, tossing the ball. It’s ten o’clock at night, and I’m pretty sure the kids are usually in bed by now, but their mom is still asleep in my bed. The oldest is curled up on the couch reading a book. “What time do you guys usually go to bed?” I ask.

“Whenever we get tired,” Alex says. He tosses the ball into the air again.

I immediately want to blurt out the word bullshit, but Trixie giggles, Alex chuckles, and Gabby rolls her eyes every time I say a curse word, so I’m trying to watch my language.

Gabby lays her book down on the arm of the couch and stands. “Liar,” she says to Alex. She motions toward both of the younger kids, in a mother-hen shooing motion. “Time for bed, you two.”

With some moaning and groaning, they walk toward the bedroom, and I hear them shuffling around as Gabby gets them into their pajamas. She comes out a few minutes later. Trixie is right behind her, and she has a book stuck under her arm. She’s wearing pajamas with little fairies on them, and she has on fuzzy, colorful socks that don’t match. “Will you read me a book?” she asks me, standing beside the arm of the chair where I’m sitting.

Gabby motions Trixie toward her. “Bring it here,” she says. “I’ll do it.”

“I want Jake to do it,” Trixie says quietly. She steps over Sally to get closer to me. Then she climbs into my lap, all elbows and knees, and settles with her back against my chest.

Well, okay…

I take the book from her and open it up.

“She knows it by heart,” Gabby says. “Mom reads it every night.”

Trixie turns the page to the beginning of the story.

“I’ve never read this book,” I tell her.

She looks up at me with her bright blue eyes so clear and trusting. “You’ll love it. It’s a really good book.”

“I’m sure I will.” I kiss her on the forehead, just because it’s there, and she settles deeper against me. Then I start to read. I read until she goes soft against me and stops turning pages. I read long after I think she’s asleep, just to be sure she is.

“She’s out,” Gabby says quietly. She gets up and opens her arms. “I’ll take her to bed.”

“I can do it.” I stand up, hoisting Trixie gently in my arms.

“Bottom bunk,” Gabby says.

I take the limp bundle in my arms to the bed, pull the covers back, and settle her. She turns to face the wall, and rests her hands beneath her face. I cover her up, tucking the blankets around her. Then something pushes against my leg. I look down and find Sally with one paw on the bed, like he’s waiting for me to move. I step back and he hoists himself up, spins around once, and settles down beside Trixie. He lifts his head long enough to give me a look like “I got this.” Then he heaves out a huge sigh and closes his eyes.

I look up and find Alex already asleep. His left foot is hanging off the edge of the top bunk, so I poke him gently until he rolls over, pulling his foot with him.

When I go back out to the living room, Gabby has pulled out the sofa bed and she’s already in it. That takes up all the space in the room. I look around, and finally go into the kitchen and fall into a chair. I drum my fingertips on the table, looking at my watch.

I left a note for Katie telling her to sleep as long as she wanted, that I would take care of the kids. Does that mean she’s going to stay until morning?

Gabby pads into the room on socked, whispering feet. “Are you spending the night?” she asks.

I shrug. “Just until your mom gets back, I guess.”

“You can go. I can watch the kids.”

I shake my head. Not after that note I saw on Katie’s computer–the one she never did explain to me. “I’m going to stay.”

“You should go sleep in her room, then. No one is using it.” She gets a drink of water and goes back into the other room.

She’s right. There’s no reason not to go lie down. “Are the little kids going to be okay if I go to sleep?”

She laughs. “You don’t think Mom stays awake twenty-four/seven to watch them sleep, do you?”

I scratch my head. “I guess not.”

“I’ll hear them if they wake up,” Gabby says. “Go ahead.”

“I’ll listen out for them,” I say.

“Mm-hmm,” she hums. But she’s already lying back down.

I turn to walk toward Katie’s room and Gabby calls out, “Hey Jake.”

I spin back around. “Yeah?”

“Thanks for staying,” she says. Then she closes her eyes.

I lie down on Katie’s bed and close my eyes.

It seems like only moments later when the bed dips under the weight of another person. “Jake,” someone whispers.

“Hm?” I ask, but my eyes don’t want to open.

“Jake,” someone says again. Finally, I force my eyes open. I find Katie looking down at me. “I’m home.”

“Good,” I say, and I close my eyes again. “I missed you.”

She laughs, and I feel the covers rustle. “Why are you on top of the covers?”

“It’s not my bed,” I reply.

She touches my arm. “You’re cold.”

“A little.” I rub my face, trying to wake up. “Are the kids okay?”

“I just checked on them. They’re fine.”

“I should go,” I say.

There’s a beat of silence. “Or you could stay,” she says.

My heart stutters. “I could stay,” I whisper.

“It’s late,” she whispers back, and she rolls me over so she can tug the covers from beneath me. Then she covers me with them. The warmth of her next to me seeps into me all over. “You’re so cold,” she says. She rolls over and tugs my arm around her. “Is this okay?”

I pull her back against me, with my hand on her hip. “Yeah,” I whisper. “It’s nice.” I press a kiss to her shoulder. “It’s perfect.”

She wiggles her bottom in my lap and then gets still.

“Thanks for letting me take a nap, Jake,” she says.

I brush her hair down between us and take in the scent that’s all Katie. “You’re welcome.” I kiss her shoulder again.

There’s not one tiny part of me that feels like this is wrong. Not the least little bit. It’s right. It’s Katie. It’s me. It’s me and Katie, and her kids are in the rooms adjacent to this one. I’ll have to wake up early and get out of here before they wake up. That’s a good plan.

I tuck Katie closer to me and close my eyes.