Lily

Lily woke up early the next morning to the sound of birds at her window. When she opened her eyes, she squinted against the sunshine that poured across her face.

It's late, she thought. I must have slept in.

It was nearly eight in the morning, much later than she'd been sleeping lately. She had been up late, though. After making out with Wyatt and nearly having sex with him, he was all that she could think about. He was in every one of her dreams and on her mind. She had tossed and turned all night. Finally, though, at around three in the morning, she managed to fall asleep.

What a weird night, she thought to herself, kicking the covers off.

She stretched her hands over her head and yawned, then walked to the closet to find something to wear. She decided on a pair of jeans and a dark blue blouse. Normally, she would have showered in the morning, but figured since she would be headed home in the next hour or so that she might as well do it there.

“I guess I should pack,” she said, glancing at the closet that she'd claimed as her own for the past week.

It almost felt like she really lived there now, though. She had shoes and clothes in the closet. Her makeup, brush and hair straightener was on the bathroom counter. She even had her own alarm clock on the stand next to the bed.

It had only been a week, but Lily had definitely made herself at home. The thought of packing it all up to leave kind of hurt her heart a little bit. It felt like the end of an amazing vacation. She didn't want to go back to her regular life.

Of course, the fact that Wyatt was offering to let her work there on weekends was really nice. Still, that felt different to her. That felt like just coming in for a couple of days to watch Maggie. This previous week had been a taste of what real life with the family could have been like and she really loved how it felt.

Oh well, she thought. I guess all good things come to an end.

Lily heard Maggie's laughter. It was faint and she could tell that it was coming from downstairs.

I'll pack up my things and then go have breakfast with them, she thought. I'm dreading saying goodbye to Maggie, but at least she'll know I'll be coming back next weekend. Hopefully anyway. I guess it all depends on whether or not Mildred wants to take the weekends off.

She pulled her clothes down off of their hangars and walked them over to the bed. Then she gathered everything from the bathroom and the dresser drawers. With her two big suitcases opened up on the floor, she tossed everything inside. It was mostly dirty laundry anyway, so she didn't care if it got wrinkled or not. She decided she'd just go through it all and get organized when she was back at home.

I guess this is it, she thought. Maybe Wyatt will let me take this room if I come to work on the weekends. For now, though, time to say goodbye.

Lily heaved her luffed bag over her shoulder and then pulled the second suitcase behind her. She stepped out into the hallway and was immediately greeted by the smell of cooking bacon coming from the kitchen.

She headed downstairs and to the front area of the house, where she set her bags down by the door. Then she went to the kitchen, where she saw Wyatt and Maggie sitting at the nearby table. They were busy building a small Lego set together. In the center of the table was what looked like a feast. There were stacks of pancakes, piles of scrambled eggs and a ton of bacon.

“Somebody was busy this morning,” Lily said.

Wyatt and Maggie both looked over.

“There she is,” Wyatt said. “Maggie and I made breakfast for you.”

“All of this is for me?” Lily asked.

“Well no,” Wyatt replied, with a laugh. “It's for all of us. We didn't want to wake you up, but we weren't about to eat breakfast without you.”

“You didn't have to wait for me,” Lily said. “That's really sweet, though. Thanks, you two.”

“You're welcome,” Wyatt said, as he reached into the air and let out a big yawn.

There was something strange in the air as Lily sat down at the table, though. There was a kind of tension between Wyatt and herself. It was obviously caused from the events the evening before, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It was almost like both of them were having to force themselves to act like everything was normal and that nothing had changed.

“So, shall we eat?” Lily asked.

Maggie nodded eagerly. “I'm starving.”

Wyatt laughed. “Yeah, I'm pretty hungry myself.”

He put dished portions out to everyone and then filled some glasses with orange juice. Lily watched him and her heart sank a little further. Every moment that passed by was another moment closer to when she would have to head home.

“What time did you say Mildred comes home?” she asked. “This afternoon, right?”

“No, actually, it'll be within the next hour or so,” Wyatt said. “She's getting back a little earlier than I expected.”

Lily forced a smile, then took a bite of her food. She didn't want Mildred to come back. It wasn't anything against the old lady either. It was just that, her return meant Lily's departure.

“Aunt Wiwee, do you have to go home today?” Maggie asked.

“Yes, sweetie,” Lily said. “I do have to head back, but I don't want you to be sad about it. You know why?”

“Why?”

“Because even though I'm going home, it doesn't mean that I won't get to see you again,” she said. “It's not like I'm moving away.”

Lily almost told Maggie that she would get to see her on weekends, but was able to stop herself. She didn't want Maggie to get her hopes up about that, just in case Mildred decided she didn't want Saturday and Sunday off of work.

“I know, but I'm still sad,” Maggie said. “I'll miss you.”

Lily's heart melted in her chest and her eyes filled with tears. “I'll miss you, too, Mags. Like I said, though, I'll still see you a lot.” She then turned toward Wyatt. “Do you think I could take Maggie to the zoo some time next week? I mean if Mildred doesn't already have any plans with her?”

“Of course,” Wyatt said. “Yeah, definitely. I don't see a problem with that. I'll mention it to Mildred when she gets back and we'll go from there.”

“See, Maggie, you and I might be able to go to the zoo next week,” Lily said. “How does that sound?”

“We can see the lions and bears?” Maggie asked, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

“Yes, we can see all of the animals,” Lily said.

Maggie's face relaxed once again and a smile crossed her lips. “Okay.”

God, I really hope Mildred is okay with me taking her to the zoo, Lily thought. I mean there's no way I can back out on this now.

Lily picked at her food, just taking a little nibble of everything. She was too sad about having to leave. Her appetite just wasn't there. So she sipped her orange juice and watched everyone else finish their plates.

When they were done, there was a few seconds of awkward silence between Wyatt and herself. He looked at her, pausing his gaze for a moment. She immediately felt the same attraction that she had the night before. It tingled inside of her, making her wish they'd been able to finish what they had started. She knew that wasn't going to happen, though. Wyatt was too broken about Caroline to open himself up to her.

“You hardly ate a thing,” he said, looking down toward her plate.

“I know.” Lily took another sip of orange juice. “I guess I'm not hungry quite yet. I'll take some food to go, though. I don't have anything in my house and I don't really feel like going to the grocery store today.”

“I'll box it up for you.” Wyatt took Lily's plate and then got up from his seat. He headed over to the kitchen and pulled some plastic containers from a drawer, filling them up with her uneaten breakfast.

“Thanks, Wyatt,” she said, before turning toward Maggie. “I've got to get going, kiddo. Will you give me a hug and a kiss before I leave?”

“Yeah,” Maggie said, her voice so sweet that it made Lily's heart hurt.

Lily stood up and walked over toward Wyatt. She spoke softly so that Maggie wouldn't be able to hear. “Can we talk for a second before I leave?”

Wyatt nodded. “Yeah, of course.” He then looked past Lily toward where his daughter was seated at the table. “Maggie, can you run downstairs and get that thing you made for Aunt Lily? She's going to be leaving in a few minutes and I don't want you to forget it.”

“Okay!” Maggie hopped out of her chair and scurried across the floor toward the basement door.

“She made something for me?” Lily asked.

“Yeah, she worked hard on it, too,” Wyatt said. “It's pretty cool. I think you'll like it.”

He paused and there was another moment of awkward silence.

“About last night,” he finally said, making Lily feel relieved by the fact that she didn't have to bring it up.

“Yeah, about that,” Lily said. “Look, I'm sorry about what happened. It was a mistake and it was my fault. I'm the one who made you dance with me and that started it all. I guess I was just in the moment. Maybe I had too much wine. Maybe I was just sad about the fact that I had to leave today. I don't know, it's just...”

Wyatt place a hand onto her shoulder and cut her short. “Lily, please, stop. It wasn't a mistake. We wouldn't have done it if either of us thought it was actually wrong. I guess I'm just not ready for it, that's all.”

“I understand,” Lily said.

“For what it's worth, I want you to know that I don't regret what happened last night,” Wyatt said, his eyes locked with Lily's. “Not even in the slightest.”

“Really?” she replied, feeling a bit of weight lift off of her shoulders.

“Really.” Wyatt nodded affirmatively.

Lily knew that he was being honest. If he didn't regret what had happened, then she didn't have to either. That alone made her feel much better about the situation as a whole.

They turned toward the basement door as they heard Maggie's little footsteps ascending the stairs.

“Here you go, Aunt Wiwee! Maggie said, as she appeared at the top of the stairs.

Lily couldn't quite make out what she was holding, but it looked like two necklaces of some sort.

“What did you make, sweetheart?” Lily walked toward her and squatted down so that she was at the same level as Maggie.

“Friendship necklaces,” Maggie said, proudly handing one of the beaded necklaces to Lily.

Lily tried to hold back the emotion. She had told herself over and over that she wasn't going to cry that morning. But as she gazed at the hand-crafted necklace, which was as brightly colored as Maggie's favorite outfits, she couldn't help but to let a few tears out.

“This is the sweetest gift I've ever gotten,” Lily said.

“Yours and mine are the same,” Maggie said. “That way we can think of each other whenever we wear it.”

That was it. That was all Lily needed to hear. The emotional dam had been blown up and she started crying hard.

“Do you not like it?” Maggie asked, confused by Lily's tears.

“No, no.” Lily pulled Maggie close for a hug. “I love it, Mags. I'm just crying because I'm happy. Not all tears are sad tears.”

“You really like it then?” Maggie asked.

“I love it more than anything else I've ever been given.” Lily pulled away from the hug and placed her hands onto Maggie's shoulders. She looked her square in the eye. “I mean it. I'm going to put this on and never take it off. What do you think?”

Maggie's eyes lit up and she smiled so wide that it almost looked painful. “I'll do it, too! I'll put it on and keep it on forever.”

Wyatt stepped up and sat down on the floor beside them. Lily noticed that he looked a little teary eyed himself. She didn't say anything, because she didn't want to embarrass him. It was cute, though. The big, strong, unstoppable Wyatt obviously had a soft spot that extended beyond the pain of losing his wife.

“This is absolutely adorable,” he said, moving his gaze between Maggie and Lily. “I need to take a picture of this.”

“Oh, no,” Lily said. “I haven't showered and my hair is a mess.”

Wyatt chuckled and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “You look great, Lily. Trust me.” He flashed a wink and then lifted his phone up. “Okay, say 'cheese'.”

Lily and Maggie looked at the camera and leaned toward each other, pressing the sides of their faces together.

“Cheese!” they both said in unison.

Wyatt took a few pictures and then his eyes widened. “You know what? Let's take one with all three of us. What do you say?”

“Yeah!” Maggie jumped up and down.

Lily shrugged. “Sure, why not? Who will hold the camera?”

“I'll take a selfie,” Wyatt said. “Lily, why don't you sit on one side of me and Maggie, you sit on the other?”

Maggie crawled up beside Wyatt and sat down on his right side. Lily did the same, taking a seat on the floor to the left of Wyatt. She scooted up close him until her side collided with his. As soon as their bodies touched, the familiar tingling of attraction washed through her. It reminded her of the night before. Not even twelve hours ago, they were kissing and enjoying some of the most sensual and erotic foreplay that Lily had experienced in a long time. It was difficult not to think about all of this.

Wyatt held the camera out in front of him, flipping the image around so that he could take a selfie. “You guys have to get closer.”

Maggie leaned in and pressed her face against Wyatt's. Lily scooted a little closer, but still didn't want to make Wyatt feel uncomfortable.

“Come on, Lily,” he said. “You've got to get in the picture.”

She scooted closer still, then leaned toward him, bringing her chin so that it practically rested on Wyatt's shoulder. His cologne, combined with the scent of his natural musk, wafted into her nose. It turned her on a bit, but she forced herself to focus on something else. Anything else.

“Alright, smile,” Wyatt said.

All three of them smiled wide and Wyatt snapped the picture.

“Perfect,” he said, holding the phone out so that everybody could see the image he had just taken.

“That's really cute,” Lily said, admiring the photo.

Wyatt slipped his phone back into his pocket and got up from the floor. He held out a hand to each of the girls and assisted them to a standing position.

“Just so you know, Lily, there's no rush for you to leave this morning,” Wyatt said.

“Mildred will be back soon, though,” Lily replied.

“I know, but it doesn't mean you need to leave right away.” Wyatt took a seat onto the couch as he spoke. “Mildred would probably like to see you.”

Lily shook her head. “Maybe, but I'm sure she's going to want to tell you guys all about her trip. I don't want to intrude. Plus, I should get back and get my apartment in order. It was kind of a mess when I left it.”

“Alright, well then, I guess I'll give you a call in a few days,” Wyatt said, standing right back up from his position on the couch. He approached Lily with open arms. “Sound good?”

Lily stepped forward and embraced him, letting her body relax into his chest. “Yeah, that sounds great. Thank you again for everything. This was honestly one of the best weeks I've ever had.”

“I agree,” Wyatt said, squeezing her tight. “I'll miss having you around. Hopefully, though, Mildred will be on board with that weekend arrangement we were talking about.”

“Yeah, I hope so,” Lily said.

Wyatt released her from the hug, but Lily didn't want to let go. She kept her arms around his back as long she could, then finally pulled away. Her eyes were now shrink-wrapped in tears. She managed to keep them from falling down her cheeks again, though.

She turned around toward Maggie, who already looked like she was about to cry. Her lower lip was trembling and it was clear that she was trying her hardest to hold it back.

“Can I get a hug?” Lily asked, squatting down to Maggie's level.

Maggie didn't hesitant. Not for a moment. She came sprinting up to Lily, wrapping her arms around her neck. She began to sob, which of course, made Lily sob as well. The two ladies cried for a few moments, then Lily broke the hug.

“I'll miss you, Aunt Wiwee,” Maggie said, through sniffles.

Lily wiped the tears off of Maggie's cheek. “I'll see you soon, okay? I promise. I swear on our friendship necklaces that I'll come by and see you next week, no matter what.”

“Okay,” Maggie said, before pouting out her lower lip.

Lily stood up and let out a long sigh. She glanced back toward Wyatt. He flashed a warm smile at her and nodded. “See you soon.”

“Yeah,” Lily said. “Definitely.”

Gravity tugged on her heart, making it difficult to move toward the front door. It was like every single part of her just wanted to stay and live there, but she knew that wasn't exactly an option. She had to start her regular life again. She had to move forward, with the knowledge that maybe some things just weren't meant to be. Maybe, just maybe, everything actually had happened for a reason and she was only ever supposed to be Aunt Lily, never Mom.

Lily didn't say another word. She knew that if she tried, she'd just choke up and start crying again. So she turned and walked toward the front door. When she got there, she picked up her duffel bag and suitcase and headed outside. Her old, raggedy Honda Civic was out front right where she had parked it over a week before. Her stomach sank as she tossed her bags into the back and slid into the driver's seat. It was time to head home and face reality again.