Jaylin moves through the kitchen, gathering things to cook and talking a million miles a minute. Celeste sits on her hip, holding on but grinning from ear to ear. It’s a sight I crave on the darkest of nights. When I’m doubting myself or our relationship, all I have to do is go to this mental picture of my lady holding my girl. Within seconds, I remember who I am. I’m not going to play it off that Lilly’s words from earlier aren’t fucking with me, they are, but at least I’m able to push them to the side. I’m not dwelling on them anymore. I’m able to remember who the hell I am.
Especially when Jaylin and Celeste look at me.
“She said she was scared to tell me because she was worried about my opinion of her. Can you believe that? My opinion of her? She’s the most unbelievable boss. I look up to her. I wouldn’t think any differently, despite her sexual orientation. You know?”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t see that happening. Not with how high of a pedestal you keep her on.”
“Exactly,” she agrees, coming to me and handing off Celeste. I take her with a grin, and she squeals in excitement. “Oh my. Someone is happy Daddy’s home.”
“Yeah, she is,” I agree, kissing CC hard on the cheek as she climbs up my lap, trying to get the cup on the table. I push it back. “So, lunch went well? Better than you expected?”
“So much better,” she says on an exhale as she chops some vegetables. “I wasn’t ready to defend our relationship to her yet.”
“You’re always ready to defend, sweetheart.”
She thinks that over, holding out the knife like she’s talking with it. With a grin, she agrees, “You’re right.” I scoff as she continues to cut. “I just didn’t want to.”
“Understandable. Though, I don’t know why it matters.”
She sighs heavily. “’Cause Willa has an opinion about us.”
“I wish you’d elaborate more on that so I can figure out if I need to fire her or not,” I mention since she has kept the conversation they had to herself. I know it wasn’t good because neither of them talks about the other now, but Jaylin promises me it’s nothing to worry about.
Of course, I do.
When it comes to Jaylin, I want things to be easy for her. I don’t want any challenges. She works entirely too hard, has been through enough, and I don’t want to be the cause of any bullshit.
She scoffs, pointing the knife at me. “You will not fire her. She’s a great lawyer. She just chose the wrong battle, and I had to remind her who I am.”
Fuck, her confidence is intoxicating. “Damn, you are sexy.”
She gives me a wink that awakens all the desire I’m trying really hard to hold back. Doesn’t work, though. Not when it comes to her. “Thanks. You aren’t too bad yourself. A DILF, for sure.” I snort as she flashes me a wide grin. “But yeah, it was a good lunch. Though I do think I owe it to her to tell her about us, I just don’t know when.”
“Maybe after Willa and I win?”
She considers that. “Yeah, maybe.” She continues to think for a second and then shoots me a look. “Also, we do have a small issue.”
I perk my brow. “Which is?”
“My parents want to meet you. Invited us to dinner at our earliest convenience.”
“Okay. Monday, I only have practice.”
She seems surprised. “That doesn’t freak you out? Meeting them?”
I shake my head. “Not at all. It’s a part of the progression of our relationship.” I move my hands as if I’m building something, but she doesn’t seem convinced.
Jaylin continues to eye me. “What if they don’t like you?”
I shrug. “That’s their problem. I’m with you until you don’t want me.”
Her lips quirk as she lays down the knife before coming over and taking my chin in her fingers. Celeste laughs as she smacks my face, but Jaylin’s and my eyes are locked, and nothing can break that. “I adore you. Greatly.”
My lips curve. “Adore me, huh?”
She nods. “Greatly.”
“Same, Jay. Maybe more than greatly.”
Her eyes sparkle. “Really?”
“Totally.”
She leans down, kissing my mouth, which means she gets smacked by Celeste too. We both laugh happily, and I feel so fucking complete. As she moves away, going back to the vegetables, I smack her ass, and she flashes me a cheerful grin before she starts to chop once more. “So, Monday, then?”
“Yup, if that’s good for you.”
“Fine with me. I’ll call her after dinner.”
“Awesome.” I put Celeste on the floor, making sure everything is picked up so it doesn’t end up in her mouth. She starts to scoot back to the living room, and I follow, leaning on the island so I can watch her and Jaylin at the same time. “So, you think they won’t like me?”
“My dad will,” she says immediately, not looking at me. “But my mom is dead set on me marrying a black doctor.”
“Eh, she may have to settle for a white hockey player,” I say with a wink, and she grins.
“I said pretty much the same and then tried to explain hockey. I failed, so you may need to pick up the slack on that.”
“I got you, baby,” I promise, and the grin that sits on her lips enthralls me. “I actually need to get you to come to a game. Maybe with Aviva?”
She nods. “I could do that.”
“Or we can watch hockey, and I can teach it all to you.”
“That would be fun, too.”
“Or, even better, I can take you and Celeste skating.”
She makes a face. “Um, I don’t know about that.”
I laugh loudly. “New goal. Get you on a sheet of ice.”
She doesn’t seem convinced. “I feel more confident on grass. Can we play on grass?”
I scoff. “No, ice is the best. I promise. You’ll love the smell of the ice.”
“It smells?”
I find myself grinning like a fool. I love a clean sheet of ice. It’s one of my favorite things. “Yeah, like awesomeness.”
“I’ll take your word for it, but I guess you’re right, I should give your sport a try.”
“Agreed,” I say, moving my gaze from where Celeste is playing with some squishy puck to Jaylin. “It’ll be fun, I promise.”
“I’m sure I’ll fall a lot.”
“I’ll catch you,” I say with a wink. She doesn’t seem convinced but agrees nonetheless.
“Fine, I’ll subject myself to the embarrassment as long as you tell me why your day was so shitty,” she challenges, her eyes intrusive and her expression toeing the line of going all lawyer on me.
She asked before, and I deflected easily. I don’t like admitting to anyone, especially the woman I’m with, that I struggle with anxiety. But as I told her before when I spoke about meeting her parents, it’s part of the progression of our relationship. If she is going to love me—soon, I hope—then she’s going to have to know all about me. I don’t want to give her a false impression that I have a normal chemical balance in my brain because I don’t. Nothing wrong with that, but some don’t understand it, and I want to explain myself rather than have her assume.