The Journey Home

I shook my head. I put my finger up to my lips and whispered, “No, Dada.”

She giggled. “Mama…Mama…Mamamama.” I picked her up and smiled.

“Dada,” I whispered.

She looked over my shoulder and I sucked a breath as I watched her smile. I swear, her eyes filled with something I’d never seen before.

“Mama!” she said.

I turned to see Maddie standing there. Tears were sliding down her beautiful cheeks. She placed her hand over her mouth and cried harder. I pulled her to me, and the three of us stood there together. Our little family.

Maddie sniffled and pulled back as she wiped her nose with her robe. “Cale?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Do you realize that you’re holding our daughter…and you’re naked?”

I looked down and then looked back up. I handed Lily to Maddie and ran back down stairs to get dressed.

Maddie walked into the kitchen with Lily and laughed. I poured both of us a cup of coffee and shook my head as I set Maddie’s cup of coffee down on the table. “Thank God she’s still too young to be affected by her father walking around butt-ass naked.

Maddie laughed harder and set Lily down in her highchair, then kissed me. “Thank you,” she whispered against my lips.

“For?”

“Loving me,” she said. “I think the greatest gift I’ve ever received is you and Lily.”

I swallowed hard and shook my head. “Do you know what I want more than anything, though?”

I pulled her closer. She raised her eyebrow at my hard-on pressing into her.

Chuckling, she asked, “What do you want more than anything?”

I locked eyes with her. “I love Lily with my whole heart. You are both my whole world. But I want to see your stomach growing with our child, Maddie. I want to have a baby, you and me.”

Maddie sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly, trying not to cry. She closed her eyes and whispered, “Cale…”

I placed my finger under her chin and lifted her face so I could search her eyes. “The only thing our little family is missing,” I said, “is a piece of me and you.”

Maddie placed her hand behind my neck and pulled me to her. We lost ourselves in the kiss. Before I knew it, I was taking Maddie right there on the kitchen floor.

“Yes. Cale. Oh God, yes,” Maddie panted as I pounded her. What started out as a sweet and tender moment had quickly turned into heated passion. Maddie called out my name as I released myself into her.

I buried my face in her neck and controlled my breathing. “Maddie,” I whispered as I felt my dick twitching inside of her. “I love you so much.”

She was about to say something when I heard one of the kitchen chairs being pulled out. Maddie and I both stood and saw Monica sitting and pulling Lily’s high chair over to her. “Oh, peanut. Are these nasty adults teaching you about sex?”

I quickly pulled up my pants as Maddie dropped to the floor and grabbed her panties.

“Jesus, Monica. Did you just walk in here?” I asked. Maddie pulled her robe tighter and turned to Monica. Next thing I knew, Jack was walking into the kitchen.

Jack kissed Maddie on the cheek and then turned to me. “Damn! When you gave us a key to your place, I didn’t think we would be getting porn with the deal.”

Maddie swatted at Jack. “I’m gonna go get dressed,” she told me. “Please strip Jack and Monica of our house key.” Her cheeks were beautifully flushed, and I winked at her.

Maddie made her way out of the kitchen, and I glared at Monica and Jack. “Really, you guys? You couldn’t have made yourself known when you let yourselves in?”

Jack laughed. “Sorry dude, we rang the doorbell and figured y’all were outside.”

“Dadadada…”

Jack jumped and Monica gasped.

“Holy shit! She talked!” Monica yelled. “She talked!”

I chuckled. “She’s sitting up on her own, too.”

Jack gave me a shocked look. “What? No way.”

I nodded and took a sip of coffee. “You want coffee?” I asked.

“Nah, we had Starbucks on our way over.” Jack said as he watched Monica.

She was trying to get Lily to say, “Monica.” In this moment, I could see it in Jack's eyes—he was ready for a baby.

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!” Maddie shouted as she came running into the kitchen clapping her hands. Lily jumped around in her high chair, excited.

I had to adjust myself as I watched Maddie jumping up and down. I couldn’t believe my guy was at attention already.

“What the hell are you freaking about over there? Late orgasm?” Monica asked.

Maddie stopped and glared at Monica. “Don’t talk like that in front of Lily.”

Monica laughed. “Excuse me! You were just having sex in front of her.”

Maddie rolled her eyes and turned to me. “Cereal!”

“Oh my gosh!” I said. “Cereal?”

Maddie grabbed my hands and jumped again. She threw herself into my arms. “Cereal!”

I spun her around and set her down. “I’ll get out the formula and you get the bowl.”

She skipped a little and squeaked as she said, “I’m on it.”

AS I RAN by Jack and Monica, I couldn’t help but notice how they were looking between Cale and me.

“Is there some new cereal out that we should know about it?” Jack asked.

I grabbed the bowl and a small baby spoon, then hurried back over to Cale.

Monica laughed and then she jumped up. “Oh my God! Cereal? It’s time for cereal?”

I looked at her and nodded as we both started jumping in our excitement.

Jack’s mouth gaped. “Will someone please tell me about this amazing cereal?”

“It’s for Lily, Jack. She’s old enough to have cereal now,” I said as I stood there and watched Cale mix the cereal with Lily’s formula.

Monica grabbed my arm and said, “This. Is. So. Exciting!”

“Why?”

r /> We all turned and looked at Jack. I shook my head and said, “Don’t you get it, Jack? Lily is having solid food…for the first time. Ever.”

“And…this is why we are all acting like lunatics?” Jack asked. “No, wait—you’re the ones acting like lunatics.”

Monica grunted and said, “Don’t pay attention to him. He doesn’t get it. I thought y’all were going to give her some cereal in her formula last month when she wasn’t sleeping very good.”

Cale shook his head. “Nah, she ended up sleeping fine and Maddie and I decided to wait until she was five months. I can’t believe we totally forgot!”

I sighed. “Epic failure moment as parents.”

Cale held out the bowl of cereal and smiled. “Are we ready?”

I skipped and squeaked a little, making Lily squeal and giggle. “Yes!” I said. “Let’s do this!”

Cale and I sat on either side of Lily. I pulled her highchair back out so the others could watch. Jack went to leave when all three of us asked, “Where are you going?”

He seemed to be able to read all of our faces before he slowly sat down and said, “Um…nowhere.”

Cale took in a deep breath and said, “Okay, Princess. Here is your first bite of cereal.”

Lily was doing her favorite thing—making spit bubbles. My hands shook as I recorded Lily eating cereal for the first time on my phone. I held my breath as the spoon went in. Lily made a funny face and tried pushing the cereal out with her tongue.

“Smart kid. Tastes like shit and she knows it.” Jack mumbled.

I glared at Jack as Monica smacked him. “Don’t say that in front of her.”

“Jack’s mouth dropped open. “Holy crap…they were just fucking in front of her and I can’t say the word shit?”

Cale shot Jack a dirty look before giving Lily another bite. This time she took it.

“Look at her little tongue! She doesn’t know what to think.” I said, giggling.