“Yes, it does,” I reply, mindful that while I can start a new relationship, they can never have another daughter. “But it’s important to us to honor the past while we plan the future. I hope you know that.”
“We do,” Mimi says. “Of course we do.” She stands and leans in to hug Gage. “Let’s go to bed, Stan, and give these young people some time alone.”
“Good night,” Iris says. “And thank you again for a lovely week.”
“It was entirely our pleasure, sweetheart,” Mimi says. “We’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll put the fire out,” I tell Stan.
“Thank you. Good night.”
“Night,” Iris says.
“Alone at last,” I whisper as I give her hand a tug to bring her from her chair onto my lap. “I have to remind myself all day every day not to pat you on the ass in front of the kids or anything that would start a scandal.”
She laughs. “They’re getting used to us holding hands and being gross, as Tyler put it.”
“It’s weird to be in this new relationship with little ones watching our every move.”
“I know! And PS, you said the R-word.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did!” In a singsong voice, she says, “Gage is in arelationship.”
I kiss her. “Only because you made it impossible for him to resist you.”
She shrugs. “What can I say? I’m irresistible.”
“You certainly are. Let me put this fire out and get to bed. I’ve been dying for you all day.”
“You had me this morning.”
“That was a long-ass time ago.” I’d forgotten the heady feeling of new love, the excitement of knowing you’ve found someone who brings you joy and the overwhelming desire to be alone together as often as possible. That last one is a challenge with three kids underfoot, and we’ve had some late nights this week that we paid for the next day. But every second with her is worth going without sleep.
With the fire out and the doors locked, we head to bed, laughing softly as we pull at clothes as we go. We’re both so primed that we fall onto the bed, and I’m inside her in a matter of seconds. “Yes,” I whisper. “That’s what I’ve wanted every second since the last time.”
“Me, too,” she says. “Every second.”
We go at it like we haven’t done it in ages, when we’ve done it more times than I can count this week. I cup her breast and tease her nipple with my thumb. Wait. What the hell was that? I move my thumb over the spot again and go cold all over when I realize there’s a lump under her skin.
“Gage?”
“What’s this?”
“What’s what?”
“This.” I bring her hand to the spot in question and show her what I’m talking about. “Do you feel that?”
“I get weird bumps around my time of the month sometimes. They usually go away afterward. That’s probably all it is.”
“Are you sure?”
“Well, no, but there’s nothing we can do about it now, so don’t worry.”
With the moment lost, I withdraw from her and hold myself over her, staring at the spot on her breast.
“Gage… It’s nothing. I’m sure of it.”