“Mom, it’s so important to get my costume now. If I wait too long and they have no Elsa, I will die.” Holy shit. Apparently, costume shopping is a life or death situation to a kid.
“Bella, why don’t you wait to decide what you want to be for Halloween? We still have six weeks and you might change your mind.”
Bella huffs, clearly not happy with her mother’s answer, but chooses not to argue either. Oh man, I haven’t lived with a woman in years, and now I’m living with two. This should be interesting.
After popping some popcorn and ordering a pizza, we all get comfortable. Liz is snuggled up to me with her head resting just under my chin and Bella is spread out on the floor using the pillows from the couches as a makeshift bed. She looks so adorable lying on her belly with her hands under her chin. I should probably be focusing on the movie, but I can’t stop watching my girls. My girls. I had no idea I even wanted any of this, and now, sitting here with them, my heart feels so full.
The pizza arrives and we eat in front of the television still watching the movie. Bella gets up every time a song comes on and dances across the room belting out all the words. She has an awesome personality. When the guy kisses the girl, Bella looks back and gives her mom and me a knowing look. I laugh softly at that and give Liz a kiss on her forehead. She looks up at me and smiles contently.
The movie ends and Liz announces to Bella it’s time for bed. She groans and begs for ten more minutes, but Liz isn’t having it. I wonder if she’s thinking about what I mentioned earlier.
Bella says, “Fine,” then stomps up the stairs to her room, Liz following behind her. I’m not sure what my role in all this is, since we still haven’t told her I’m her dad, so I hang back and wait to see what Liz wants me to do. A few minutes later I hear Bella scream my name from upstairs and I head up there to make sure everything is okay.
“Hey princess, you okay?” I ask as I walk into her room. She’s wearing one of the nightgowns I picked out. It’s pink with ruffles and has a picture of a princess on the front. She’s rummaging through her bag, until she finds what she’s looking for.
“A-ha! Got it. I found my favorite book. Will you read it to me?” She hands me the book and climbs into bed.
I look at Liz to make sure it’s okay and she nods her head that it is. I walk over to the bed unsure of where to sit when Bella looks up at me smiling and pats her hand on the bed next to her. Damn, this little girl has officially stolen my heart.
Sitting awkwardly on the bed next to her, I read the title. “The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.” I open to the first page and begin reading. At first, Bella is sitting up, her body not touching mine, but eventually she snuggles up next to me to see the pictures while I continue to read. The pages and images are in black and white but that doesn’t stop her from enjoying this book. Several times I hear her recite the words along with me. I don’t think she can read yet, but she must have heard this book so many times she has the words memorized.
About fifteen minutes later I hear a light snore and glance down to find her fast asleep. I look over at Liz smiling. “She sounds just like you the nights we spent together five years ago. You snore the same.”
She narrows her eyes at me, clearly not taking my comment as a compliment. I laugh as I set the book down and gently move Bella’s head off my side, slowly moving off the bed.
Liz kisses Bella on her forehead, then turns the light off. The night-light spreads a soft glow over the room, and I take a moment to watch my little girl sleep.
“C’mon, Coop,” Liz whispers. “It’s bedtime.”
Once we’re in my room, I jump in the shower to wash the day off me. Definitely not expecting her to join, I’m pleasantly surprised when she enters the bathroom right after me.
Twenty-Three
Liz
I swear my ovaries just about burst as I watched Cooper read our daughter a bedtime story. After she falls asleep and we head to our room. He goes straight to the bathroom and a few minutes later the water turns on. Flashbacks of our first time at the resort in Miami, up against the shower wall, surface, sending shivers down my spine.
I don’t know what’s come over me, but without even thinking, I brazenly enter the bathroom, remove my clothes, and join him in the shower. He turns around, his eyes slowly running down my body, assessing me. Feeling suddenly shy, I cast my eyes down, only to find his erection growing.