“But I was the one who said it first?”
I shrug and nod. Ben chortles.
“Skye, nothing has ever made me as happy as hearing you moan the word ‘Daddy’ for me.”
A giggle bubbles up from my chest. I clamp my hand over my mouth, feeling slightly embarrassed by my outburst.
“What is it?” he asks.
“I’m sorry.” I stare down at my empty plate. “Even though we’ve been together twice now, and I feel comfortable around you, I’m still kind of nervous. It’s like there’s a ball of excitement bouncing around in my stomach.”
Ben lays his hand over mine on the table.
“I feel the same way,” he says. “But as strange as it is, it feels right, too. Like something’s clicked into place.”
“Exactly.” I suppress a yawn. “Sorry. I’m pretty tired.”
“No need to apologize. It’s late. You should get ready for bed. I’ll take care of these plates.”
I’m too exhausted to argue, so I don’t. I shuffle into the bathroom to brush my teeth and then practically crash into bed. As I’m dozing between wakefulness and sleep, I feel the bed shift, and my blankets being lifted. I feel the press of a warm body against my back and sigh dreamily.
Warmth surrounds me and I snuggle into the source.
“Goodnight, Daddy,” I mumble.
Before I drift off, I feel his lips brush my shoulder.
“Sweet dreams, Baby Bird.”