“You sure we weren’t invited to play wingmen and distract their kid so they could get laid?” Ben quips in a conspiratorial whisper.
“I mean, would you blame them if they did?” I point out.
“Probably not.” Juggling Sadie in his arms, his voice softens. “Hey, baby girl. Remember me? This ugly mug is the first thing you saw when you were born. Although birth isn’t exactly a walk in the park, so I understand if you blocked out the whole thing.” I snort as he continues, “How’ve you been handling the outside world? Has your daddy shown you mandarin oranges yet?”
Sadie is way too young to talk, but she coos right back at him with a giant grin that’s sporting two baby teeth on the bottom and two on top.
“Don’t worry. I got your back, baby girl.” Dropping a kiss to her chubby cheek, he adds with a whisper, “I’ll show ya the ropes as soon as your parents leave.”
My ovaries are practically bursting as I watch their exchange before footsteps echo down the hall, and Dylan and Grady appear.
“Sorry, this dang zipper is stubborn,” Dylan explains, pointing to her gorgeous black dress.
“Dude, you look hot!” I fan myself.
Grinning shamelessly, Grady interjects, “Don’t worry, she’s married to a fireman. I’m more than happy to keep an eye on her, but I might have to make her combust later tonight.”
Dylan rolls her eyes, though I can see the love shining through them as she grabs his hand.
“Thank you, Marcy,” she emphasizes my name while ignoring Grady’s amusement beside her. “I’ve been working out like crazy to get the extra baby weight off, but it’s been an uphill battle––”
“Dyl,” Grady admonishes. “If you don’t stop trying to get rid of those curves, I might have to book another boudoir session with Marcy for you so that you can see what I see.”
“Do you see who I have to deal with every day?” Her voice is teasing as Grady slips his arm behind her back and pulls her into his side before kissing her cheek.
“And you love every damn minute of it.”
She gives him another eye roll that’s filled with absolute joy no matter how much she tries to conceal it with annoyance. “Thanks for watching Sadie, guys. We appreciate it.”
“Anytime,” I answer her. “Have fun on your date.”
“There’s a bottle in the fridge, and she should be hungry in a couple hours. I also have some baby food in there, and some little snacks are in the pantry. If she gets fussy, you can put her down for a nap between now and her next feeding, but she’ll probably go right back to bed after eating since it’s getting late. Her diapers are in her room, along with her jammies. And…I think that’s it?” She turns to Grady, and he nods in agreement.
“Yeah. You have our numbers. We’ll be home in a few hours.”
Ben raises his chin in acknowledgment. “Take your time. I know a night out is a rare occasion when you have kids.”
“You have no idea,” Grady grunts before leaning forward and planting a quick peck against Sadie’s forehead. “It’s a good thing you’re cute. Ready to go, Dyl?”
“Yup. See you guys later!”
They disappear out the front door as a wet snout rubs up against Ben’s leg.
“What the hell?” he mutters before looking down at the culprit.
“Petunia!” I squeal, squatting as low as I can before throwing in the towel and plopping onto my butt next to the front door.
Petunia grunts, grunts, grunts, then lays down right next to me, and I give her a good belly rub.
“That’s Petunia?” Ben looks down at me like I’m a crazy person.
“The one and only.”
“She’s a pig.”
“Yup. A cute one, I might add. Will you judge me if I tell you I secretly want one?”
Amused, Ben takes a seat beside me on the hardwood floor and sets Sadie in his lap before reaching over and petting Petunia.
“She is pretty cute,” he grudgingly agrees after less than a minute.
“Yup. Dylan still gushes every once in a while at how lucky she is to have wound up in Sunnyville, and I don’t blame her. She’s living the dream.”
With hesitant curiosity, Ben’s gaze meets mine. “Speaking of dreams…what are yours?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your dreams. When you look at your life in five years, how would you want it to be if it checked off all the boxes? The realistic boxes,” he clarifies with a warm smile.
“Honestly?”
“Yeah. I want to hear it.”
“Married to the love of my life with a few more lenses in my camera bag, a baby of my own, and possibly a pig, but I’d accept a dog if the previously mentioned love of my life wasn’t into owning one of Petunia’s relatives. How ‘bout you? What’s your dream?”
Ben stays silent, looking down at the baby in his arms. His hand practically engulfs Sadie’s stomach and chest as she leans her back against him and plays with his wristwatch.
When I realize the minefield I just inadvertently stepped into, an apology tumbles out of me. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean––”
“It’s fine.” He glances up at me, and his gaze warms. “I was just thinking about my life, and the whirlwind it’s been. How five-year plans can change in an instant. But it’s how we respond to those changes that can make or break the next five years and the ten after that. Your dream sounds pretty damn great though, Marcy. I think I could even get on board with the pig part too.”
My face splits into a grin, my heart brimming with happiness. Before I can stop myself, I lean forward and plant a quick peck on his cheek as Sadie slobbers all over the sleeve of Ben’s olive green Henley. When I pull away, I see the contentment in his eyes. The peace. The acceptance that life might not always turn out the way we expect it to, but that it’s okay.
“Can I ask you something?” I ask.
“What’s that?”
“What was she like? Kate.”
“Kate was….” He hesitates and tilts his head to the side. “Are you sure you want to hear about this?”
We haven’t broached this subject yet because it’s been too explosive of one until recently. But I want to know about his life. And she was his life.
“Yeah,” I answer him. “I want to know all about her.”
A soft smile touches his lips. “She was incredible. Don’t get me wrong. She had her flaws like the rest of us, but she was just…genuine. Kind of like you,” he adds with a smirk. “She was feisty, bull-headed, loving, kind, and stood up for others. She was the whole package.”
My jealousy doesn’t spike the way I expect that it would. Instead, I’m overcome with a sorrow that’s so deep I want to cry. Life is so fragile. So delicate. And if I’ve learned anything from my moments with Ben, it’s not to squander them.
“I’m really sorry for your loss,” I murmur, hating the way my eyes fill with tears. I can’t imagine losing Ben, and I’ve known him for less than a year. How painful would it have been for him to lose Kate? The idea of losing Ben nearly breaks me. It’s…unbearable.