I walk to the front door, opening it up for Lola, Trey, and Sophie to come inside. “Hey.” Trey kisses my cheek and takes off after Sophie who’s run off into the house in search of the kids. I close the door and turn to Lola who hands me a bottle of champagne. “Oh, yum. Thank you,” I say as I give her a hug.
“How’re things going?” she asks.
It’s been a little over a week since I went to see Leo at work and things have only gotten better. “Good.” I give her a genuine smile. “I think I need a holiday from all the make-up sex, though.” I fan myself, and Lola laughs.
“You’ve got loads of time to make up for, so saddle up, sweetheart.” She nudges me as we walk down the hallway.
Don’t I know it. We had a pretty healthy sex life before everything took a turn for the worse. It’s Leo, after all. The man used to need a fix at least once a day—which you’d never catch me complaining about. But now, I kind of miss having a full night’s sleep as some nights, he wakes me up in the most amazing of ways—which I love—but shit, the lack of sleep is starting to catch up with me. I don’t know how it’s not affecting him. Not to mention if he lets me sleep through the night then he’ll likely wake me up early in the morning for it before he leaves for work.
“Any news on the lady of horror?” Lola asks quietly as I tuck the champagne into the fridge.
I shake my head. “Not really, no. Leo doesn’t seem to have anything to share on it either.” Though, I think that’s on purpose. He seems happy and back to his old self, but he hasn’t said much about it since our weekend alone. I still wish he’d agree to go see someone. The way he wants to shove it to the back of his mind like it’s something he can lock away and ignore worries me.
“He’ll be okay,” Lola says, looking out the kitchen window to where the guys are talking on the back deck. “He looks … like that light has come back into his eyes.”
“Quit checking out my husband.” I snicker, grabbing the tray of fruit from the fridge that I’d prepared earlier.
She laughs. “Shut it. You can’t marry a man like that and get mad when other women look.”
“You know I’m joking. Look all you want, but you’ve got your own to ogle.” Trey is very easy on the eyes—tall, broad with brown hair and a ruggedly handsome face.
“True,” she murmurs, waving at who I’m guessing is Trey out the window and giving him a sultry wink.
She turns around, giggling and coming over to help me carry some of the food outside. “So Charlie’s having his birthday here?”
I nod, thanking Trey when he slides the door open for us and we step outside, placing the trays down on the table. It’s his tenth birthday right before Halloween in just a few weeks’ time. “He said he wants to go see that new Transformers movie that’s coming out with Leo, Sophie, and the twins.”
I walk back inside, needing to grab the chips, veggies, and dip from the kitchen. Lola follows, speaking quietly. “He’s cool with that? Leo, hanging around her kids?”
“He insists that he is. He knows it’s got nothing to do with them. But I’m going to tag along and do some shopping while they’re in there anyway.” I wink at her.
“So he still talks to Dylan then?” Lola tucks some hair behind her ear, leaning against the counter.
“Yeah, I know they’ve spoken a few times. He hasn’t said anything bad about him. In fact, I’ve even heard them laughing on the phone together sometimes.”
She smiles. “That’s so good. Man, what a blow. To find out your wife is some kind of creepy psycho who—”
“Shhh.” I glance around. “You don’t want any of the kids to hear.”
“Crap, my bad.” Her eyes widen as she checks that no one is floating around outside the kitchen.
I pull the cling wrap off the dip. “Yeah. When I saw him at the grocery store, before he told me, he seemed to be keeping it together, but who really knows?”
She hums. “Right. Maybe I should ask Trey.”
I grin down at the dip. “Great idea then be sure to tell me. I probably won’t be seeing him until Charlie’s birthday. Not that he’d be honest with me anyway.” Shrugging, I say, “He might’ve been more forthcoming with the guys, though.”
Lola nabs a piece of carrot, taking a bite. “Very true. I wonder if she’s still in the bay.”
Something curdles in my gut at the thought. “I fucking hope not.”
“Hello!”
Lola backs out of the kitchen, craning her neck and looking down the hall at the sound of Taylor’s voice.
“Quit blocking the doorway and get inside,” my mom says.
Smiling, I pour the chips into a bowl and put them on the island with the dip and vegetables before joining Lola in the hall.
“Hello, my lovely.” Taylor engulfs me in a hug before getting nudged aside by my mother who picks up my hair, inspecting it before patting my cheeks. “Beautiful. Are you pregnant again? You’ve got that whole glowing thing going on.” She kisses my head and steps back when we hear Leo coughing from behind us.
Turning around, I find a weak smile on his face as he looks from my stomach up to my face. More of a grimace, really. Walking over to him, I whisper into his ear, “Do the math, honey. You’re fine.” I pat his shoulder and grab the food from the kitchen to take outside. Besides, he knows I’m on the pill. I place the bowls down on the table and look over into the yard where the kids are playing. Or rather Sophie and Greta are playing while Charlie sits on the grass and watches them.
“He’s a good egg, sitting out so that Greta can be included for once,” Lola says as she stops beside me.
“He’s doing much better. Still a bit moody, though.”
Lola snorts. “I’m sorry to point out the obvious here, but that kid is exactly like his dad. He’s always been a bit moody.” She uses air quotation marks.
“You’re right.” I smirk, shaking my head. We move over to take a seat at the table when everyone else comes outside.
“I’m telling you, they were green, Renee. Green.” Taylor scowls at my mom as they walk out onto the deck.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, they were blue. We’re taking you to get your eyes tested again.”
My head tilts back to look at Leo when he grabs my shoulders from behind and gently rubs them. “What are they talking about?” I mouth.
He shrugs, leaning down to kiss me quickly before walking over to Trey who’s at the grill, preparing all the meat.
“What’s the point in getting them tested? I’ll just wear my glasses.” Taylor smirks over at my mom.
Oh, Lord.
“Jesus, you’re a nuisance. Why do I still even talk to you?” my mom mutters, picking up a glass and filling it with water.
Taylor lifts a shoulder to her ear. “You love me, and I’m fabulous.”
My mom snickers and takes a drink.
Taylor turns to Lola. “How’ve you been? Still teaching those teenage misfits?”
Lola grins. “Yep. I’ve recently invested in five cans of air freshener. My English lit class seems to be primarily boys.” Her brows rise. “Boys who haven’t learned the use of a shower or deodorant yet.”
Taylor’s eyes widen comically. “Good God. You’re kidding me? Do they pay you extra to put up with that?”
Lola shakes her head, lifting her glass of water to her mouth. “Nope, unfortunately not. But I sent home notes about personal hygiene to all the students last week. So maybe two of the fifteen will at least read it.” She takes a sip of her water while my mom laughs at Taylor’s horrified expression.
“That’s unsavory working conditions. I still remember when Leo went through puberty.” Leo turns at the sound of his name, frowning at his mom who lowers her voice to a useless whisper, “His waste basket was constantly filled with sticky tissues and dear God, the smell of his gym bag used to have me running for—”
“Mom!” Leo scolds as Lola shoots water out of her mouth back into her glass and onto her lap. Taylors eyes bug out at being caught, but she fixes an innocent look on her face as she turns to him. “Yes?”
“Could we not discuss such things? Ever?” he asks, but the firm tone of his voice means he’s not really asking.
“Oh, of course, of course.” She purses her lips for a moment. “So that means I can’t tell them about the time poor Robert found your stash of porno—”
“No.” Leo cuts her off, dragging a hand through his hair in exasperation.
My mom laughs. “Leave the poor man alone, you evil woman.”
Taylor’s shoulders sag as she turns back to us. “It’s just so fun, though, you know?” She leans in to whisper to my mom, “Robert looked like he’d seen a ghost. Even put a pair of gloves on and acted as if he were handling a piece of damning evidence for the FBI.”
My mom and Taylor fall into fits of laughter as I grab some napkins for Lola to pat the water from her lap. I see Trey nudge Leo’s arm and say something to him that has him chuckling, and my chest warms.
The guys finish cooking then bring the steaks, sausages, and shish kebabs to the table as I get up to go and grab some more drinks.
“He looks a lot happier. So do you,” Taylor remarks, coming into the kitchen and grabbing some cups from the cupboard.
I stop moving, putting the soft drinks and beer down on the island as I look at her. She laughs lightly. “You thought we didn’t know that something had been wrong all that time?” She tsks. “Come on, dear. I may have terrible eyesight, but we both have eyes.” She gives me a sad smile, looking out the window at whom I’m guessing is Leo.
“Don’t bore me with the details. It’s not my business. Just know that I’m glad, and your mother is relieved.”
I grip the counter of the island as my shoulders deflate. “I’m sorry. If it’s been … weird.”
She shakes her head. “Nonsense. But I was married to his father, you know.” Her brow quirks at me. “We had our ups and downs, but we also had some really low points. And Leo … well, he’s just like his father. Stubborn as all hell. Always taking the weight of the world upon his shoulders as if it’s solely his responsibility to fix everything himself.” Walking over to me, she pats my arm. “You keep sticking by him, though. Because he is just like his father, and that means you won’t regret it.”
I give her a tear strained smile. “That’s the plan.”
She pats my cheek. “Come on. Let’s go eat then, shall we? Before your mother steals all the good food.”
We grab the drinks and glasses, heading back outside to join the others. Leo tugs my chair out for me, and I thank him, sitting down. “What’s wrong?” He wraps his arm around my shoulders and whispers into my ear.
Looking into his face when he pulls away to study mine, I lean forward, sealing my lips to his quickly before replying, “Nothing. Everything is perfect.”
He continues to stare for a beat then kisses my forehead and goes back to his food.
“Daddy, can I have a robot like Charlie’s?” Sophie asks from across the table. Trey, who’s seated next to Leo, looks at Leo in horror.
Leo shrugs. “Don’t ask me. Mother dearest bought it for him.” He gestures to Taylor with his beer bottle then places it down to cut into his steak. Trey’s eyes dart to Taylor who simply laughs, lifting a bite of salad to her mouth.
“It speaks three different languages,” Sophie informs Trey and Lola.
“That’s nice,” Trey says, looking back at his food.
Sophie’s eyes narrow. Uh-oh. “It’s my birthday in November, you know.”
“Uh-huh,” Trey mumbles around a mouthful of food as Leo snickers next to him.
“So can I have one for my birthday?” Sophie asks, her face pulling tight in frustration.
“Soph …” Lola cuts in. “We’ll discuss it later.”
Charlie snickers beside Sophie. She elbows him in the arm, causing him to drop his fork and scowl at her. “What?”
“Don’t laugh at me, butthead.”
“I was going to let you borrow mine, but I’m not now,” Charlie says, picking his fork back up and shoving a huge bite of sausage into his mouth.
Sophie’s eyes widen. “Really?”
Charlie shrugs and swallows his food. “Guess we’ll never know.”
Leo ducks his head to try to hide his laughter. I reach over and rub his back while I take a sip of water.
“What’s so good about the silly thing speaking three different languages when you can’t even understand them anyway?” Greta asks from the other side of Sophie.
Sophie and Charlie just stare down at their plates, obviously having no answer for that.
My mom laughs. “Kids. Keeping it real since the dawn of time.”
Tonight’s football game plays on the TV in our bedroom. Leo’s fingers weave through my hair as my head rests on his stomach while I read my book. To say I’m tired would be an understatement, but I’m content to stay awake a while longer. After everyone left this afternoon, Leo watched a movie with the kids in the living room while I cleaned up the last of the dishes and put the leftover food away.
Having everyone over today felt good. To have that sense of normalcy back in our lives without that sour cloud of trepidation hanging over my head. Without wondering if Leo would snub me in front of everyone, or say something—or not enough—that would send curious glances my way.
No, it felt like it used to. How it always should have been and I’m forever grateful that those days seem to be behind us.
Turning the page, I start reading the first sentence of a new chapter when Leo says something that rips me from my head.
“Will you come with me?”
“Um, where?” Surely, we’re not going anywhere now. A quick glance at the clock on the nightstand says it’s almost ten thirty at night.
“If I decide to talk to someone. Will you come with me?” he asks distractedly. As if he’s been thinking about it but doesn’t want to make a big deal out of it.
Closing my book, I put it on the other side of the bed and look up at him. His eyes move from the TV to me, and I see it again. That carefully veiled vulnerability he keeps hidden from the world. Shifting to move onto my hands and knees, I climb up his body and press my forehead to his. He blinks, still waiting for me to answer.
“You already know the answer to that,” I tell him. He exhales, and I inhale it, my lungs constricting as I wonder what I’d ever do without this. Without him. “I’d go with you anywhere,” I whisper.
His arm wraps around my waist, flattening my body against his as he holds me to him and uses the other hand to brush my hair out of my face. “Thank you,” he says to my mouth before crushing his lips to mine.