Only One Kiss (Only One 1)

I look back down at Ariella, who holds her hands together while she squeals at me. “Did you party all night long?” I ask her, ignoring the sudden feeling that I’m being watched. I look over my shoulder at the picture of Cassie as I feel her eyes on me. I look back at Ariella, who kicks her feet. “How much did you drink?” I ask her as I unsnap her buttons and her feet come free as she brings them straight to her mouth. “I wish I could bend like that,” I say, grabbing a diaper from the side of the table and opening the wipes container seeing that it’s heated.

“Hey.” I hear Ralph say from the doorway. “Do you mind if I jump in the shower?” I look over at him as he stands there leaning against the doorframe. “It’s fine if you don’t feel comfortable.”

I avoid his eyes. “I think she’ll be okay,” I say. “Do you change her pjs in the morning?” I ask him and finally look over my shoulder at him.

“I do,” he says. “But you don’t have to if you don’t want. The stuff is in the first drawer.” He points at the bureau. “If not, there is something in the walk-in closet.” He points at the door on the other side of the room. “But she hates being dressed up.”

“For now,” I say. “I’ll give her the bottle when I’m done in here,” I say, and he nods at me and turns to walk away, showing me that his ass is perfect.

“Your dad is too hot for his own good,” I say to Ariella. “He is the whole package.” Opening the drawer and grabbing a pair of white pants and the matching gray shirt with hearts all over them, I spot the headband folded with it. I picture him folding her small items. “He also has a big package.” I bend down and kiss her stomach. “You are so pretty,” I say, and she kicks her feet and tries to turn over. I stop her and dress her as fast as I can, and when I walk out of the room, I turn back and grab three diapers just in case I have to change her before Ralph gets out of the shower. I definitely don’t want to come back into this room. I walk with her into the living room, grabbing the bottle. After putting the diapers on the table, I sit with her.

“There we go,” I say to her as she drinks her bottle. I burp her as soon as she finishes and then get up with her, looking for a chair and spotting her bouncer. “Do you want to come cook with me?” I ask, and she just drools on my arm. Picking up the bouncer, I carry it into the kitchen area where I can put her in it but still see.

She smiles at me while I turn and walk into the kitchen and start searching for the things I need in order to cook. She starts babbling, and I look around, going to my phone and putting on the nursery rhymes playlist I made for when Zoey was with me in the car. “Do you want to sing, Ariella?” She looks at me as I start singing to her as I cut up the food. I wash my hands and then go and pick her up as we dance to Baa, Baa, Black Sheep. She laughs at me as I sing and make funny faces at her.

“What is going on in here?” Ralph asks, and I stop moving and then look over. He just got out of the shower because his hair is still wet. He wears another pair of black shorts, but he must be wearing boxers because I don’t see anything, and I was totally looking, with a Dallas shirt with his number on it.

“We,” I say, looking down at Ariella. “We are having a dance party,” I say and then walk over to him, handing Ariella to him. “I started cooking, but I felt guilty that she was just sitting in the chair.” I turn and walk back to the kitchen, where I start to prepare the food now.

“She loves that chair,” he says and looks at her outfit. “Did Candace dress you up?”

“I found that outfit in the drawer,” I say. “And it’s cute.”

Laughing, he comes into the kitchen, carrying her facing outward. “So this is going to be a bit awkward.” He starts to talk, and I don’t know if I even want to know what he is going to say. “There is a baby monitor in her room,” he starts and my heart sinks and I’m sure my face turns beet red. My mouth opens as I try to say something. “I didn’t want to hear, but I kinda did.”