Chapter Seventeen
Caelum
Star and I spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s together, basking in love and the holiday bliss.
We got into a routine of sorts and, while I knew that would end, it gave me and especially Star some consistency and normalcy.
That was good for him. We baked cookies and by the time New Year’s came around, I knew what I had to do.
I wanted my home to be our home.
So, when our lips touched as the fireworks boomed and popped around us, signifying a new year, I asked the love of my life to move in with me.
“Are you okay?” Star asked, laughing at me. I realized I was standing there, box in my hand, staring into space, thinking about him and how we came back together and how my life had changed, for the better, of course.
“Yes. Yes. I was thinking. Wrapping my head around some things.”
Star had enlisted a moving company to bring the things he wanted to my house and entrusted his assistant to sell the rest and give the proceeds to charity.
Because he was good like that. Even though he had a moving company, I picked up a few boxes, wanting to be involved.
He would still need to spend time in Hollywood, but his work had been taking him to so many different places, he didn’t need a full-time base of operations there anymore.
“In a good way?” His face paled. “You’re not having second thoughts about asking me to move in, are you?”
“Never,” I said, moving to put the box in our bedroom.
Star said he didn’t want to redecorate anything, that he liked my house as it was, but I had made a change to my office he didn’t know about.
I rarely used the home office and now that my partner was here with me, I intended on not using it at all.
When I was home, I was not working. All my focus would be on him.
“As soon as the movers leave, I have a surprise for you.”
Star waggled his eyebrows. “A good one?”
“I hope you like it. I think you will. I’ve been working on it while you were gone. Working my butt off, actually.”
“Really? You’ve been working on a surprise for me? What did I ever do to deserve you?”
“Just being yourself, sweetness.”
It took under an hour for the moving company to finish up. Star sighed at the number of things he needed to unpack but there was no rush. He’d been storing his clothes at my house for weeks and had enough to wear for now.
We ate pizza and drank sodas since we were pooped out from all the helping and the stress of the day.
But now it was official. Star lived with me now. We lived together. And if I had my way, we would never live apart. I wanted him and everything that came with him for the rest of my life.
“You’re killing me,” he grumbled, tossing the last pizza crust aside.
“What did I do?” I asked, knowing good and well that my love didn’t like surprises. In fact, he loathed them. He had enough unknown in his life from day to day without throwing any more wrenches into the machine.
“Can I please, please see my surprise, Daddy?” he asked, pouting out his bottom lip.
“Now, that’s not fair, sweet one. But okay. I suppose you can see it now. And before we see it, please know that my feelings won’t be hurt if you want to change anything or anything needs to be returned. I guessed on most things, but your desires and wants are the most important.”
“That’s not weird at all,” he laughed. “Please, show me.”
“All right. Come on.” I got up and took his hand in mine. My stomach was balled in nerves, hoping he liked the paint color I chose and the furnishings. I wanted my little to be pleased and to have a retreat from this world and his job and the stress he seemed to be constantly under.
A place to go.
A vacation right here in our home.
“Here we go. I hope you love it.”
He walked in first and I flipped on the lights.
The room was painted in pale blue and white stripes and everything was purchased to match those colors.
His toys were stacked and organized in a manner that he seemed to like with his other things.
Orderly. Neat. Clean. Each cubby had a theme.
Trucks in one. Cars in another. Blocks and puzzles.
I’d bought a small bookshelf and a reading tent, like a teepee, lit up with tiny little lights.
He had a brick-building table, and it converted to a flat table so he could do puzzles or work on crafts.
I’d spent weeks scouring Pinterest for ideas and as I looked around, I prayed I didn’t forget anything.
I’d even bought some privacy film for his window so that he could see out but others couldn’t see in, retaining his safety.
For a few minutes, he said nothing. He walked around the room, touching things. He crouched down to look into the tent and fingered the bindings of the books. Star stood in the middle of the room, not speaking.
Scaring the life out of me.
“You did all this for me, Daddy?” he asked in his little voice, the cutest damned thing in the world.
“I did.”
“This used to be your office.”
I walked over to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I don’t need a home office anymore. I want my time at home to be with you.”
“How long did this take you?”
Shrugging, I kissed his neck. “A week or so?”
He still hadn’t said if he liked it or not, and I was about to burst.
“You are so damned good to me.” Star turned around and wrapped his arms around my neck.
“But do you like it? I guessed about the colors and the toys and everything. I didn’t know…”
“Caelum, it’s absolutely perfect. I couldn’t ask for a better nursery.”
“The closet and dressers are full of things for you as well. You didn’t even look at those.” I chuckled.
“It doesn’t matter. Everything you chose is amazing. What a lucky little I am.”
“What a lucky daddy I am,” I replied and kissed him on the lips. “Should I leave you to play for a while?”
Star nodded. “I’d like to explore more on my own for a while if that’s okay. Then maybe you can come in with me.”
“That sounds amazing, Star. Welcome home.”
For the rest of the night, Star played until he was tuckered out. He took a long bath, playing with some of his new tub toys and bath crayons and then was happy to get into his jammies and go straight to sleep, even before a story.
I cleaned up the kitchen and picked up some things in his nursery before going to bed myself. Star was dead asleep, knees curled up to his chest.
Every day I swore was the best day ever, but today was one for the books. I finally had my love, and this time, I would never let him go.