Chapter 26
Jeremiah
Being greeted by the sound of music and giggles coming from the kitchen when I returned home had to be my new favorite thing.
I rounded the corner and smiled at the sight of Zoe and Charlie making my mom’s special popcorn in their matching aprons Zoe had gotten them.
They didn’t notice me, too caught up in their little dance break, so I took the opportunity to sneak a quick video of them.
Moments like these were ones I’d dreamed about when Sadie had first told me she was pregnant. While it looked different than we’d imagined, it still turned my insides to goo. Seeing my daughter this happy was all I could ever dream of. And Zoe? She just made that dream all the more beautiful.
Tucking my phone away, I finally stepped fully into the kitchen.
“Pizza delivery!” I announced, finding an empty space on the counter to place the box.
Charlie bounced over to me. “With extra pepperoni?” she asked hopefully.
I bent down to place a kiss to the top of her head.
“You know it, Tot.”
I reached Zoe in just two strides, pulling her against me with an arm around her lower back, and kissed her softly. All of the feelings swelling in my chest needed an outlet or I would surely burst.
She giggled against my lips. “Well, hi.”
“Hi,” I murmured, sneaking one more peck. Then I looked to the small disaster zone that used to be my kitchen island. “How goes the popcorn?”
“Well…” Zoe trailed off only for Charlie to pop up on the stool beside us.
“We decided to add some sprinkles. It wasn’t colorful enough,” she reasoned. “The marshmallows melted perfectly, though.”
“It looks great, Tot. My girls did a good job.”
All I could think about, though, was the inevitable messy, sticky fingers and cheeks. It was times like these when I wish I still had baby wipes on hand. Paper towels would just have to do.
Charlie insisted on carrying the bowl of popcorn into the living room by herself. The Minnesota Vortex were playing tonight, and Charlie had become a die-hard fan thanks to Carter and all her kindness. We didn’t miss a game if we could help it.
Determined to have my daughter eat more than just overly sweet popcorn tonight, I began plating the pizza slices. However, I was easily distracted when Zoe sidled up next to me.
“So, I um… I made a decision,” she started.
I looked at her curiously as she leaned against the counter, her eyes trained on her feet. “About?”
When she lifted her head, there was that determined look in her eyes that I loved so much.
“I’m going to play in the rec league.”
The words didn’t register at first. When Zoe had so whole-heartedly shut down my suggestion of captaining a team, I’d dropped the idea of her playing altogether. Especially after she shared her history with me and I saw how much merely attending a women’s hockey game shook her up.
But I’d also noticed how much lighter she’d seemed since the game. As if the giant boulder she’d been carrying around had turned into a rock small enough she could fit it in her pocket. A much more manageable weight.
“Seriously? Zo, that’s great!”
She bit her bottom lip so hard it turned white. Even through all that determination, there was still a hint of apprehension. Just because she had decided to play again, didn’t mean it was going to be easy.
I quickly pulled her into my arms once more, stroking a hand reassuringly along her back. She relaxed into me, nuzzling her face into the fabric of my hoodie.
“I’m proud of you, Cupcake,” I mumbled into her hair.
She let out a deep breath, sinking even further as she murmured, “Me, too.”
“Game is starting!” Charlie called from the living room.
Zoe pulled back to glance through the doorway and then up at me.
“We better get in there before she gets tired of waiting and just eats all of the popcorn herself.”
I was glad to see a grin back on her face.
She wasn’t wrong, though. I could only imagine how much Charlie had already snuck, and before she’d even had dinner.
I kissed Zoe’s forehead and then released her to grab mine and Charlie’s plates.
Following Zoe into the living room, I was very surprised to find the popcorn bowl sitting on the coffee table, seemingly just as full as it had been when it left the kitchen.
“Zoe can sit in the middle,” Charlie announced, patting the couch cushion beside her. “I’ll share her tonight.”
I raised a brow as I handed her pizza to her. “Oh, you’ll share her, huh?”
Zoe bit her lip to hide her grin as she took the middle seat, but I knew she was eating it up. Taking advantage of Charlie’s generosity, I all too eagerly plopped down on the couch next to Zoe and draped an arm along the back of it behind her. I only needed one hand to eat pizza.
The game had gone into double overtime and way past Charlie’s bedtime. When I glanced over at her, she’d tucked herself under Zoe’s arm, chocolatey cheeks smushed and eyes barely open. It’d be a miracle if she made it to her bed on her own.
With the game over, I removed my arm from around Zoe and pushed myself up off the couch.
“All right, Tot. Come here.”
I held my arms out, and when it became apparent that she wouldn’t be moving anytime soon, I reached down to scoop her up.
Her head lolled against my shoulder, but she did at least manage to lazily drape her arms around my neck.
Her legs hung further down than I remembered, little feet knocking against my lower thighs as I stepped around the coffee table.
“I’ll clean up the popcorn and then meet you in there,” Zoe offered.
We both knew Charlie would be upset if Zoe didn’t join me to tuck her in. I made a pit stop at the bathroom, one-handedly wetting a washcloth and wiping away the special popcorn residue from around her mouth.
“Do I need to brush your teeth for you, too?”
Charlie giggled from the crook of my neck before lifting her head. “No. That’s silly.”
We worked together, her holding her toothbrush while I squeezed toothpaste onto it. When she was ready, I held her out over the sink for her to spit.
“Good?” she asked, baring her teeth at me.
I pretended to inspect them thoroughly before giving a satisfied nod. Zoe caught up to us just as I’d gotten Charlie into pajamas and under the covers. There wasn’t a need for a bedtime story tonight; Charlie couldn’t keep her eyes open a second longer now that she was cozy in bed.
I pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Sleep tight, Tot.”
She mumbled something along the lines of “Night, Daddy”.
Zoe stepped forward and bent down, affectionately brushing Charlie’s hair away from her forehead. “Goodnight, Charlie girl,” she whispered.
Charlie let out a deep exhale. “Night, Mommy.”
My heart hurtled up into my throat before plummeting back down to the bottom of my stomach. Zoe’s fingers had frozen on Charlie’s cheek. Okay, so she definitely said what I thought she’d said.
She’s barely even awake, I reasoned with myself. She was most likely in some half-asleep state where reality and the dream world blurred. In her mind, it could have been Sadie telling her goodnight. She probably didn’t mean to call Zoe that.
Without looking at me, Zoe stood from Charlie’s bed and headed to the door. I followed after her. If we were going to talk about this—which we definitely needed to—Charlie’s bedroom was not the place for it. Even if the little tot was knocked out now.
“I’m sorry,” Zoe blurted.
My eyebrows pinched together. “Why are you sorry? You didn’t do anything.”
“I just don’t want to confuse her or anything.”
This wasn’t a hallway conversation either.
“Come here,” I encouraged her, taking her hand and gently guiding her to my bedroom further down the hall.
I quietly closed the door behind me and then turned to face Zoe, not even giving her an opportunity to speak.
“You are not confusing her. She’s just exhausted.
I highly even doubt she knew what she was saying. ”
Zoe nodded, but she still chewed on the inside of her lip as she sat down on the edge of the bed. I joined her and instinctively reached out for her hand once more.
“Zo, really. It’s okay,” I insisted. “Was it shocking? Hell yeah. That was the last thing I expected to come out of her mouth, but I genuinely think it was subconscious.”
I stroked my thumb soothingly across her knuckles, and she seemed to relax under my touch.
When I’d decided to pursue a relationship with Zoe, I knew that someday this would happen.
The bake sale incident had shown just how different Charlie felt not having a mom.
It made sense that she’d latch onto anyone who took on a motherly role in her life.
I just hadn’t expected the ‘mommy’ term to come up so soon. Even if it was a slip up.
“I don’t want anyone thinking I’m trying to replace Sadie,” Zoe confessed, “because I know I could never do that. For either of you.”
“And I’m not looking for someone to replace her,” I jumped in. “I love you for you.”
Zoe froze for the second time that night, and so did my heart. This was not how I planned on telling her how I felt. I had half a mind to feign exhaustion as well.
But then her lips curved up into a smile.
“You what?”
I could see the hint of mischief in her eyes. Only Zoe would find entertainment in my torture.
“I’m in love with you.” I tried to sound as confident as possible, even though I was holding my breath, hoping she felt the same way, too.
Her smile widened even further, and she leaned forward to press her lips to mine, her free hand cradling my cheek.
“I love you, too, Miah.”
If she hadn’t been holding me, I would have surely floated away.
“Really?” I breathed out.
I stole a few more kisses, quick pecks from one corner of her mouth to the other that made her laugh and her shoulders scrunch up.
“Really.” She pulled back just enough so that she could look me in the eyes. “I’m all in on you and Charlie. You two mean the world to me, and I don’t ever want to let you go.”
I shifted to wrap my arms around her waist and guide her closer.
“Charlie’d never allow it. And neither would I.”
“So I’m stuck with you two?” Her eyebrows lifted.
“Mhm.” I nodded, locking my hands together behind her back. “Forever.”
She beamed up at me, and I knew I had a dopey, loved-up smile on my face as well.
“I can work with that.”