Chapter 20
Jaxon
Thehouseisquiet when I arrive home. I had a late meeting that turned into dinner with the client. Thankfully, Kate said it wasn’t an issue to stay later with Andy tonight. She’s been watching him all week.
I look around the living room and see there’s not one thing out of place—was the house this clean when I left earlier?
I make my way to the kitchen and stop in my tracks just in front of the fridge. I reach down and take Andy’s latest artwork that Kate must have hung up there. The picture is a drawing of a little boy in the middle. On one side, a man holds one hand while a woman holds the one on the right. The woman has pink lines in her hair, so I assume that’s Kate.
Speaking of Kate… I assumed she would have heard me come in. Where is she?
After sticking the drawing back to the fridge with the magnet, I make my way up the stairs to search for her. Andy should be long asleep by this time, but there’s no sign of Kate anywhere.
I stop in the doorway of Andy’s room, and my heart catches in my throat. I find Kate sound asleep beside Andy. She has him wrapped up in her arms, and his arm is draped over her. There is a book over her lap, so I assume she hadn’t intended to fall asleep.
I watch them for a few moments, not wanting to disturb them. If I wake Kate up, she might stir and wake Andy, so I let them be.
I couldn’t do this without her, honestly. We may have started off on the wrong foot and have been at each other’s throats since then, but lately, she has been the rock holding me together. She didn’t have to agree to help with Andy, but she stepped up. For the first time since Courtney passed, the house feels like home, and I feel at peace. Slowly, the guilt that threatened to pull me under many times has calmed.
I feel like I’m living someone else’s life. A month ago, just kissing Kate sent me running for the hills, and now, seeing the bond that she has formed with my son, all I can think about is having her here every night, having dinner with us, helping with baths and bedtime, and permanently in my bed. Having those thoughts doesn’t terrify me—in fact, it makes me want more.
After a quick rinse in the shower, I make my way back to Andy’s room. I softly pad my way as quietly as I can to Kate’s side and am at a crossroads—I could wake her up and send her home, or… I pick option number two and carefully remove the book from her and set it on the nightstand. I grab the blanket at the edge of the bed and pull it up, covering them both.
There is just enough room on the edge of the bed for me to slide up next to Andy. I watch them sleep for a few minutes, their chests rising and falling in unison. It’s not long before my eyes grow heavy, and I drift off to sleep, feeling complete peace.