Left (Left 1)

“Was kissing me so bad, Liv?” Pain clouds his penetrating gray-blue orbs.

“No, that’s the problem. It was too good.” I owe him honesty.

He blinks. “What?”

“There’s something between us. I can admit that. It’s potent and unexplored. I think it should stay that way.”

“Why?” he asks in an exasperated tone.

“What we have is so good, so precious. I don’t want to put it in jeopardy. Other than my father. You’ve been the only man whose proved I can trust them.”

“You think I’d cheat?” His sounded wounded.

“No. It’s not about that. What if it didn’t work out? Where would we be then?”

“Daddy who’s at the door?” Echo calls.

He sighs. “You staying or going?”

“Staying.”

“It’s Livy.”

“Yay!” the excited chorus tugs at my heart strings.

“This isn’t over.”

I sigh. “I know. Are you going to give me a pass for now?”

“If you promise not to run away after we put them down for the night.”

“Promise.”

“Alright.” He steps back and lets me inside. The intense relief hits me like a wave. I wrap my hands around his waist and hug him tight.

“Are we okay?” I whisper.

He kisses my forehead. “We’re okay, Livy.”

The kids are sitting on the couch, watching a cartoon.

“We were just getting ready for bath and bed time,” Houston says.

“Bubble bath?” Echo asks.

“No, goo bath. It’s my turn,” Phoenix says. I've missed these fights both bubbles versus the magic powder that turns the bath water to a water bead like substance makes my heart sing.

“Since I’m here, how about both?” I ask looking at Houston.

“Normally I’d make you guys work it out and take a vote, but today we’ll do both,” Houston says.

We split up. I run a bubble bath for the girls, and he takes Phoenix. I see the best parts of Rain in the girls. Their sweetness, curiosity, and facial features are from their mother. I’ll never understand how she could leave something so precious behind. Rain and I met in high school when we both held down jobs at the local whippy dip stand and hit it off. She was a breath of fresh air with her quirky personality and different beliefs.

We remained close through the years. I considered her family. As I sit back and let the girls play with their rubber duckies, I’m reminded that you never know what a person is going to do until they do it. This is why Houston and I need to nip this thing in the bud. An hour and two Fancy Nancy books later, I’m parked on the couch waiting for Houston to finish up with Phoenix.

“Are the girls sleeping?” He asks as he sits beside me.

“Almost there.”