Chapter 18 #2
“You good, love. No need to ever thank me. That pretty ass smile is thanks enough.” He pecks my lips then unlocks the doors. “You ready to wake them up?”
“Yeah.”
I lean back and gently shake their legs. Averi budges first, then Romi, and they both stretch. Romi’s inquisitive and bright eyes roam our surroundings first.
“We here?” she questions.
“We’re at the mountain but we are going inside first. Xai got us this cabin,” I explain.
“We’re spending the night here?” Averi asks excitedly as she sits up to see out of the window clearly.
“Yep. Y’all ready to go inside so we can see it?”
“Yes!” they exclaim.
Xai closes the trunk, opens the back door, then mine. Xai gives Avery the keycard and they rush to the door. Xai and I intentionally take our time walking behind them. I want to give them the joy of opening the door and entering first.
“Come on!” Averi yells and she and Romi rush to the stairs right as Xai and I enter.
The cabin is beautiful. The open floor concept gives me a full view. There’s a small foyer, beautiful living room, small dining room, state of the art kitchen with a SubZero and double stove, and a bedroom.
“There’s a balcony outside of that bedroom,” he says.
“Then the loft is definitely for the girls,” I say playfully. “I’ve always wanted to have sex on a balcony.”
“Well, shit,” he groans in my ear. “That’s how we’re spending the whole damn night then.”
“I’m down.”
“Mommie! You see me!” Romi yells from the loft. She’s standing in front of the loft’s floor to ceiling high wooden beams. Her hands grip two sides and her face is pressed against the tiny opening.
“I see you. Hold on, I’m coming up.” After pecking Xai’s lips, I rush up the stairs and dive on the bed. Giggling, they jump on it too then start jumping all around me. When they plop down, we all laugh. “Xai, baby, come on,” I call.
“Y’all got that,” he says with a laugh. “Plus, I’ll break the bed.”
“You’re not big,” Romi says with a titter. “Come,” she says and he actually ascends the stairs and dives on the bottom of the bed.
Her small grin morphs into laughter, and like a ripple effect, we all laugh, lying on the bed together. The moment is beyond perfect. It’s transcendent. After all we’ve been through, I’m blessed to have this, the loves of my life filling my ears with laughter.
Nothing is better than this.
“Mommie, You got my swimming cap?” Averi asks.
“I sure do. I have everything in the bags downstairs. Y’all ready to go?”
“Yes,” Romi answers, followed by her sister.
“I am too. We walking or driving?” Averi asks.
“There’s a shuttle. I need to put our cabin on the list.”
“Can you grab the black bag so I can get them ready? And you can schedule the shuttle? The first available is fine. I just need to put their gear on,” I say, then glance at his jeans and shirt. “Unless you need time to put on your speedo,” I tease.
“You got jokes. I’m good.”
“You are not swimming in jeans. You better have shorts,” I scoff.
“Calm down. I got shorts.”
After kissing me, he eases off the bed and the girls and I sit up.
Since this cabin was a total surprise, the girls and I already have on our swimsuits under our shorts and shirts.
I just need to secure their braids under the caps and attach their floaties and swim trainers.
Splash Mountain has a kiddie area, and the water isn’t too deep, but I don’t take any unnecessary risks.
Besides, there’s a lazy river too and they love it.
When Xai returns with the bag, he informs me that the shuttle will arrive in twenty, so I have the girls use the bathroom then I get them ready.
Xai has changed and is dressed in basketball shorts and a tee when we descend the stairs.
I check on our lunch and snacks in the cooler then we head out to the partially filled shuttle.
“You know how to swim, Xai?” Romi asks as soon as we are seated.
“No. I can’t swim,” he says, to my surprise. Before I can answer or comment, Averi does.
“We can. We took lessons. You don’t want to know how?” she asks.
“I mean I can. I just never been around water. I’ve been working since I was little and never had time for stuff like that,” he admits.
“It’s okay. Mommie can show you how to float. She taught me,” Averi assures him.
“You gon’ teach me?” he asks with a tender smile. There’s a spark in his eyes, making him look younger, almost juvenile, but in a cute way.
“I got you, baby,” I tell him.
When we make it to the actual park, the girls make a dash for the kiddie area.
We spend the majority of the time there until we get hungry.
After we break for lunch in our cabana, we venture to the pool and Xai actually allows me to teach him how to float.
The girls cheer him on and we have a blast. Our water day ends in the lazy river.
Both Averi and Romi fall asleep on the short ten-minute shuttle ride back to the cabin.
Xai carries them inside up to the loft. I hate to wake them but showers are a must after today.
I get them up and into the bathroom. Once they are clean and in the clothes I had in our “beach bag”, they climb into bed and I let them nap.
I snuggle on the sofa under Xai, placing a grocery delivery order for dinner tonight and breakfast.
“Thanks again baby, for this,” I tell him.
His hand grazes the bottom of my chin then his thumb runs across my lips. “This. Your pretty ass smile and the look on their faces is all I need. If y’all are happy, I’m always straight,” he says with so much sincerity I can feel his words.
“They’re crazy about you,” I admit, because Averi and Romi are.
My normally shy girls have completely warmed up to him and they love when he’s around.
He’s thoughtful and attentive with them, and from the beginning, he was careful.
I observed and appreciated how he sets boundaries without me even having to communicate them.
Every action, every gesture, he’s mindful of them and their feelings and that means the entire universe to me.
“I’m crazy about them too. All three of you are a part of my life now and I’ll move mountains for y’all.”
“I’m cool if you just love us.”
“Already done.”