A few days later. It was already Christmas time, and I couldn’t believe how much time had passed.

I was in bed with Lydia. I’d spent so much time and effort fixing up my place, and I felt like a lot of it was something of a waste, because since Lydia and I had declared our feelings to each other, I’d only been back there twice to get some clothes.

“Mom! Mom, get up, it’s Christmas morning!”

Lydia, body pressed against me, squirmed in protest at the sound, burying her face further into my chest. I chuckled, guessing what would come next. The door to the bedroom burst open, and Bryson came in and jumped on the bed.

On the same day we’d made up our minds, Lydia had brought him home to explain the situation to him. I’d stuck with her for moral support, not that there was much I could have said without making the situation even more awkward. She had to explain to her son why she would have another man in the house, in her bed, when his dad was back in town. He didn’t even seem surprised his dad was back, just took it in his stride. As for our relationship…

“It’s like getting another dad, right? And Ken will still teach me boxing?”

Just like that, it had been resolved. And I’d practically moved in with them. He was happy to see his dad, and he didn’t mind me staying with his mom. He was a wonderful kid, better than I was at his age.

But because he knew and he was around us more, we were more cautious. We’d made love every night we spent in the same bed, but we’d take a shower and put on night clothes before going to sleep, just in case. Besides, the weather was getting pretty cold, so a pair of cotton tracks and a t-shirt were a must.

“Mom!” Bryson whined loudly, shaking Lydia, who only groaned louder. “Come on! You promised you’d get up early! We have to start preparing for tonight!”

“Can't you give me a few more minutes, honey?” Lydia asked for understanding, her voice muffled under the covers.

“No,” was the immediate, stubborn response.

I laughed and sat up. “Come on, Lydia. The little man has spoken. Let’s get down and get breakfast started.”

“I’ll be waiting for you downstairs,” Bryson declared, sliding off the bed. He pointed a finger at me. “Have her down in five minutes, or I will come back up here.”

I had to bite my cheek to hold myself from laughing. The boy was just too cute. I gave him a mock salute and grinned.

“Yes, sir,” I said seriously.

He returned my grin, then ran out of the room.

“Come on, Lydia,” I coaxed, shaking her a bit gentler than Bryson had been doing. “We need to get up. Can’t have your son waiting, you know?”

She grumbled as she pulled the covers off her head and glared up at me.

“Whose fault do you think it is that I’m this tired?”

I just smirked, remembering how she’d clung to me last night. “You didn’t exactly complain, Lydia.”

She couldn’t say anything to that, but she still grumbled as she left the bed.

I was out of clothes, so I had to go back to my place after lunch to get more. At some point, I’d have to start doing laundry. Probably over at Lydia’s house instead of mine. I also had some things to do for the studio. It was locked up over Christmas, but I’d decided my one employee needed a bonus for his part in helping me get my head out of my ass before I lost Lydia. I didn’t have to go there personally since I’d left him to take care of it the past few days, so I just called him and set it up. Reopening wouldn’t be until after New Year’s and Bryson’s break was over.

In the afternoon, I went back. I got there, around the same time Mike did, and we met at the door.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hi,” I said back.

We stood for an awkward moment, neither of us making a move to knock on the door.

He and I didn’t hate each other. I’d thought I would hate him, but watching him with Bryson, it was hard to. He might have made some bad choices, but he was a really good father to his son. And now that he was back, he was doing his best to be there for him as much as possible. He’d even bought a house in the neighborhood, though thankfully far from Lydia’s and mine.

“I wanted to apologize,” I said, clearing my throat. He arched an eyebrow at me. “Um, that day I punched you. I’m sorry, that was out of line. I knew nothing, and yet…”

He sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and ducking his head down. “No, you don’t need to apologize about that. I should thank you for that punch in the face. I deserved it for what I did to Lydia. I walked out. What right did I have to come back and try to give her problems? She deserves better.”

There was another lengthy silence. I almost felt sorry for him. Not enough to give Lydia up to him, though.

“I’m not going to apologize that she chose me,” I told him, just to clarify.

He looked up at me with a smile. “I wouldn’t expect you to apologize for that,” he reassured me. “Besides, it’s my fault. I went about things the wrong way, and I hurt her. And… I’ve seen how she is with you, and she’s happy. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for her. How could I complain? It’ll take some time to adjust, but I promise I won’t make things any more awkward for you.”

I nodded, feeling like we’d come to an understanding. He was going to spend Christmas with us because Bryson had insisted on it. If he wasn’t going to be any trouble, I knew we could do this. I could be a part of Lydia and Bryson’s life, and the kid didn’t have to give up his father.

The door opened, though neither of us had knocked. They must have heard us talking. It was Bryson at the door, and he squealed and attacked his dad when he saw him there.

“Daddy!”

Mike laughed at his enthusiasm, picking him up and lifting him in the air. He walked into the house, and I followed. I found Lydia in the kitchen, preparing Christmas dinner. I walked up behind her and hugged her from behind. She startled, then laughed as I placed kisses along her neck.

“Hey, there,” she said happily. “I was wondering when you’d get here.”

I hummed, placing one last kiss behind her ear, then looking over her shoulder. “Is there anything you’d like me to help you with?”

“Nah, you can just sit down and wait. Where are Bryson and Mike?”

“Not sure, but I’m sure they’ll come in here once they smell the food cooking.”

Though she hadn't said I could help, I helped anyway. And sure enough, once the other two caught the smell of food cooking, they came into the kitchen, Bryson in the lead. The little man went over to his mom and insisted on helping her out. I got out of the way so they could work together, pecking her cheek as I went to sit at the dining table. Mike was already seated there, and he nodded my way as I sat down.

“See what I mean?” he said, tilting his head toward her. “I can't remember the last time I saw her having this much fun. Before, even when she smiled, she was quiet.”

I watched, not sure what he saw that I didn’t. All I could see was the same Lydia I’d met, all happy and radiant, the woman I fell for and couldn’t wait to start a family with.

“I promise to make her as happy as I can for the rest of her life,” I said seriously.

He snorted. “You sound like you’re asking for permission or some shit.” Then he pointed a finger at me, and he reminded me of Bryson from that morning. “But you better keep that damn promise, because I will hurt you if you break her heart.”

There was no way I could ever do that without breaking my own. But he didn’t need me to say that, because he didn’t wait for my answer.

We all chipped in to help in the later stages. Then we sat down to eat, an awkward but happy family. Afterwards, Mike took Bryson home with him, to stay over until we had the party on New Years’ over at his place. The kid would stay with his dad until he had to go to school.

Lydia sighed as she watched them both go. “I miss my little guy already.”

I hugged her from behind and watched them go until they disappeared from view. Then I pecked her neck and pulled her back into the house, closing the door.

“It’s not like he’s going that far,” I soothed. “It’s less than a five-minute walk over to his place. You can go visit anytime, or he can come back.”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m so glad Mike is nice about all this. At least now, because he doesn’t have to work for a while, there’ll be someone there for Bryson when I’m too busy with work.”

“I’ll help out as much as I can, too,” I promised. “Also, I have something to give you.”

She looked at me curiously. We’d shared presents already, but I had something special I’d left in her room. I dragged her upstairs with me, then sat down on the bed and tugged her into my lap. I opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a wooden box about the size of my fist.

“What’s this?” she asked, twisting it around in her hands.

“Open it and see,” I said.

She met my eyes, then looked down at the box. She opened it slowly and smiled at what was inside. It was a wooden heart, wonderfully carved with the words, ‘Kenji loves Lydia 2017’ carved into one side of it.

“Is this…?” she asked, tracing it with a finger.

I breathed in, a little anxious. “It’s made from wood repurposed from your old fence. I figured it brought us together, so it shouldn’t go to waste. Even though it was old, it really was good wood.”

She hummed. Still, besides the small smile on her face, there was no reaction. I was waiting anxiously for her response.

After a few minutes of just staring at it and tracing the words with her fingers, she closed the box and placed it on the nightstand. Then, she shifted in my lap, so she was straddling me instead of sitting sideways. She wrapped her arms around my neck and sighed as she pressed her forehead to mine and met my gaze.

“If that was you symbolically giving me your heart, then know that you already have mine,” she said with sincerity. “For as long as you want it, Kenji.”

I smiled. I did love how she said my full name.

“I love you, Lydia,” I whispered. “So much.”

“I love you too,” she told me just as quietly. “Now shut up and make love to me.”

Our lips pressed together, and we kissed in between chuckles. I stood up and turned us around so I could lay her down on the bed, and there was no more talking or laughing that night.

Instead, we loved each other.