Smiling, Tessa sat on the coffee table, drew out her phone, and snapped a picture of the two together.
Zach’s lashes fluttered, and Tessa put a hand on his free arm, whispering, “I’m home.”
His eyes opened, and it took him a second to place himself, then he immediately looked down at Sophia. When he saw she was fine, he relaxed again and lifted his free arm to rub at his eyes. “What time is it?”
Tessa glanced at her phone. “Ten.”
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “They’re still working at four in the freaking morning? That’s insane.”
“I’ve seen people on the Hill work forty-eight hours straight before on nothing but a cat nap and caffeine. They’re passionate people who do what needs to be done.”
He sighed and dropped his hand. “That’s just backward.”
“It shouldn’t sound so foreign,” she said with a smile. “You’re just as passionate and dedicated.” When he just gave her a confused stare, she stood and reached for Sophia. “I’ll put her to bed.”
He unlocked his arm from around her waist and his expression changed. “Uh-oh.”
“What?”
“You might need to change her first.”
“Why?” But she didn’t need an answer. As soon as she started to lift Sophia, Tessa saw the stain darkening Zach’s shirt. And she started laughing, then tried to squelch it. “I’m sorry.”
&nb
sp; “Oh, well,” Zach said, pulling his shirt away from his body. “A little pee never hurt anyone.”
Tessa let Sophia rest her head on her shoulder but held the lower part of her body away from her suit.
“Mommy?” Sophia’s sleepy voice touched her ear. “You’re home.”
“I’m home, baby.” She pressed a kiss to her hair. “I always come home. You know that.”
“I cried.”
“I can tell.”
“I lost Pegsis, Mommy,” she said, on the verge of tears again.
“No, you didn’t.” Tessa lifted the stuffed animal and pressed it to Sophia’s chest. “She just wanted to come to work with me tonight.”
“Pegsis.” Sophia pressed her face against the horse, then turned her head and rested it against the fur. “I not good for Daddy.”
Zach stood and rubbed her back. “Shh, honey. You were perfect for me. Can I get a kiss good night?”
Sophia lifted her head and smacked a kiss to Zach’s lips, making him smile. “Night, baby.”
“Night-night.” But instead of dropping her head back to Tessa’s shoulder, Sophia frowned and looked down. “Oh no. Mommy, I pee my pants.”
“It’s okay, honey. We’ll get you all cleaned up and tuck you in.”
She whimpered a little.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” she told Zach.
He nodded and ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at his wet T-shirt.
In the bathroom, Tessa set Sophia on her feet and stripped off her underwear. She let Sophia sit on the area rug while Tessa wet a washcloth with soap and warm water.