Provoke

We hung around for another half hour, making small talk to avoid the awkward silences. It was a short visit, but a step in the right direction. Considering that my relationship with my family had been less that great for the last twenty-six years of my life, it had gone well.

“Are you okay?” Leet asked. She smiled at me as we walked to her car.

“Yeah. I don’t know. I don’t want our kids to have the kind of relationship that my father and I have, you know?”

“Our kids,” Leet teased, her cheeks pink.

I flushed. “You know what I mean. Of course I see myself having kids with you. And marrying you. I see all that stuff.” I cringed. I was making such a fool of myself.

She bit her lip and smiled at me, the same way she looked at that damn cat when he did something she thought was cute.

“Come here,” I muttered. She wrapped her arms around my neck. I leaned down and kissed her, my fingers sneaking under her jacket and trailing over her warm skin. I kissed her again, my mouth searching hers.

I could stand here all day and kiss those fucking lips.

“Mace, I can’t wait to have your kids. I think—.” She stopped. “No, I know you will be an amazing father. We don’t always follow in our parents’ footsteps. You’re proof of that. Sometimes we learn from their mistakes and that makes us better, stronger.”

I grinned and kissed her again. She always knew just what to say.

“You’re pretty fucking special, Leet.”

“Yeah?” she chuckled, her mouth on mine. “Then I guess that makes you one lucky guy.”

THE END.