It’s early, I just worked three extremely long twelves, and I didn’t get home till late, and now someone is knocking on my door. Ugh. I’m going to kill whoever is standing on the other side if they wake Maddy up.
I squint from the early morning sunshine as I swing the door open. “Oh, hi.” It’s Ryan.
He grins. “Morning to you too. Can I come in?” I open the door the rest of the way, and he follows me to the couch.
“You know they make these devices called cell phones. You should use one.”
He ignores my smartass attitude. “You should go get dressed. Have something I want to show you.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “Show me what?”
“Come on, it’s a surprise. Give me this one.”
Right on time, Maddy cries out from her crib, letting me know she’s awake. I groan, so tired.
“Good morning, sweet girl.” Most days she’ll get in the bed with me and go back to sleep, but seeing as we have company this morning, that won’t be happening.
I head straight for the kitchen, bypassing Ryan. Maddy lights up when she sees him, but alas, her baba trumps everyone who isn’t me. I set her in her high chair while I make her bottle and cut her banana up.
“I know how to cut a banana too, you know.” He’s standing in the doorframe, arms above his head, exposing his stomach just above his jeans, showcasing that damn grin on his face. “Go shower. Take your time. I got this.” He pushes off the door and waltzes over to Maddy. She’s grinning so hard, showing off her two little bottom teeth, feet just a swingin’ away.
“Ryan, I’m so tired.” I pause and watch them together. He’s good with her. They’ve slowly formed this bond that I’m grateful for her to have. His face falters at my rejection, and I feel bad for him. He’s really trying here. “What should I wear?”
“Anything. Something comfortable.” He turns back around to tend to Maddy, and off I go.
An hour later, I’m freshly showered, my hair is dry, and I have my face on. It’s rare that I get to do that in peace these days, so it was much appreciated. Showering woke me up too; I feel refreshed.
Maddy’s squeals can be heard by the neighbors, I’m sure. Ryan’s sprawled out on his back on the couch, Maddy sitting on his chest while he blows raspberries on her belly. He then balances her up in the air by her chubby legs, and she can’t stop giggling.
“You look pretty, Ley.”
“Thanks…,” I say. I’m not good at this “friends” thing. I can be a good friend, but friends with Ryan, who has overstepped the friend boundary many times, it’s confusing.
“You ready?”
“Since her car seat is already in my car, do you want me to just follow you?”
He’s frowning already. “No, I’ll put her seat in the truck.” He hands her over to me, and she starts crying, trying to wiggle her way to him and away from me. Little traitor.
“Maddilyn, stop. It’s okay, we’re going with him.” She’s fighting me still while he gets her seat ready. When he’s finished, he swoops her up, ceasing her cry and making her laugh all in the same breath.
“We should get another one of these to keep in here, so we don’t have to do this all the time,” he says, nodding toward her seat.
I can’t help but look out the window and smile. That sounds really good to me.
Thirty minutes later, we’re driving into a secluded subdivision on the outskirts of Frisco. It’s all upcoming and new development around here. There’s not much out this way just yet, but Ryan says they have it in the plans to build all around here. Apparently, he’s done his homework.
We drive up the driveway of an immaculate two-story house that I’m immediately in love with. It has a freaking turret between the front door and the garage.
Confused, I ask, “What are we doing here?”
Ryan unbuckles and gets out, taking Maddy with him. “Come on, you have to see the inside.” It doesn’t go unnoticed that Ryan unlocks the door. With a key. That he had in his pocket.
What is going on?
Maddy squeals, pulling me out of my daydream. They are already inside, way ahead of me. “Wow, it’s gorgeous in here.” I can’t stop touching everything. The marble. Real marble. And wood. And stainless steel.
Ryan wears a know-it-all smirk and continues down the hall. He comes to a stop in front of what I’m assuming is a bedroom; I can’t tell with the door closed. He waves his hand toward the door for me to open it.
I don’t know why I’m so nervous. I feel like the doorknob is a lump of hot coal and it’s going to burn me when I touch it, but I open it anyway.
I’m speechless.
Ryan sets Maddy down on a fluffy gray rug and encourages her to play with the toys set out in front of her.
“Did you do this?” My heart is pounding in my chest, threatening to break free of its chambers. It’s the perfect room for a little girl. My little girl. I don’t know what this means. My hands are sweating profusely, and I can’t stop wiping them on my pants.
He grabs hold of my hand to stop my fidgeting. “I can’t just be friends. I can’t keep doing what we’re doing.” He stares at me, and I stare back like the idiot that I am, with no words. “Babe, do you like this house?”
“I love it. It’s gorgeous… but I don’t get why I’m looking at it. Or what I’m looking at,” I say, motioning to the pretty pink room I’m standing in.
He brings my sweaty hands to his lips and kisses them in the gentle way he does so well. “It’s yours,” he says, looking to me to get a read of my face, “if you want it. If you want me.”
“You want me to move in with you?”
“Took you longer than I thought to catch on.” He laughs.
“You did all of this for me?”
Ryan pulls me into his chest and cups his hands at the top of either side of my neck, our lips touching together. “I did it for all of us. You, me, and Maddy. I want us all to have a fresh start. Together.” We stand silently embraced while Maddy bangs away at her toys. “Do you need some time to think about it? I can wait. I don’t want to rush you. I just need to know that we can be something more. What we used to be, but the very best version of that.”
I squeeze him tighter and whisper, “I do want that. So much.”
“It’s ours, Ley. I spent all last month trying to get everything ready. Even had the help of that redhead you like so much.”
“Are you serious? How did you bribe her to keep this a secret?”
“I have my ways.”
“Oh God. What does that even mean?”
He kisses me on the head and picks Maddy up, throwing her up over his head, making her giggle. “Come on, you have to see the pool.”
I swear, Erin and I are going to have some major words after this.