Chapter 42
FORTY-TWO
Juniper
I haven’t managed to sleep much. It’s like I’m too eager to get on with my new life.
“Mommy, where are we?” Riley says, as she sits up in bed next to me. I’ve been scrolling through my phone, trying to resist Fisher, who’s in the bedroom next door.
Fisher carried a sleeping Riley back downstairs after our conversation last night, and we all went back to his place. There’s so much I need to know about his life here. I wish we didn’t have to go back to Star Falls.
“We came back to Fisher’s apartment last night,” I reply, pulling my daughter in for a hug.
Riley squeals. “Does that mean we can have pancakes?”
I check the time on my phone. “It’s six oh five. We have to leave in just over an hour to get to the airport.”
There’s a knock on the bedroom door. “Are people awake in here?”
Fisher pokes his head around the door. I can’t stop myself from smiling.
He blows us both kisses. “Anyone for pancakes? I heard someone mention something.”
“I don’t think we have time before we leave,” I say. “Our flight is at ten fifteen.”
“Do you have plans today? If I can get us all on another flight later on, would that work?”
“But we’ve paid for the flights already. We can’t change them.”
The corners of his mouth twitches. “Riley, do you want to stay in New York for pancakes and get home a little later?”
“I want to stay in New York forever! You know I’m coming to college here,” she says.
Fisher chuckles. “Well, that only gives us the next ten years to deal with.”
“What does that mean?” she says.
I need to tell Riley what’s going on. She deserves my honesty. “Sweet girl, Fisher’s probably going to be spending more time in Star Falls. With the two of us.”
“Cool!” she says, glancing down at her Vivian Cross t-shirt.
“And maybe we’ll spend some of the school vacations in New York.”
Her head snaps up, and she looks at me as if to check what she heard was correct. “Really? We get to come back to New York?”
“She’s a fan,” I tell Fisher.
“I’m glad. What about you? Do you like New York?”
“I do. Just as much as I thought I would before… before life got complicated.”
He tries to suppress a smile. It’s cute that he likes me liking his city. Just as much as I like the way he likes Star Falls.
“Are you and Fisher boyfriend and girlfriend now?” Riley asks, and my stomach dives to the floor.
“Um, I, well, I was—” I can’t get my words out.
“Is that something that you’d like?” Fisher asks, proving to be a much better parent in this moment.
“Yeah. I told Mommy that ages ago.” She shrugs like it’s no big deal.
“No one’s ever going to replace your dad, though,” I reassure her.
“I don’t really ever see my dad now anyway. So…”
“That sucks,” Fisher says.
“Yeah,” Riley replies. “But I have the best mommy, so that makes me lucky.”
“I vote pancakes,” I say.
“Maybe they’ll make one in the shape of a love heart that you and Fisher can share.”
“That’s an awesome idea,” Fisher replies. “I’m going to ask them if they’ll do that.”
Riley gets out of bed and slips her hand into Fisher’s and leads him out the bedroom door. “I think you have to give me a tour. Especially if I’m going to be staying here a lot, what with you being my mom’s boyfriend and everything.”
I scurry to the bedroom door so I can overhear their conversation.
“Sounds fair,” Fisher replies. “Maybe you could pick out one of the rooms as a bedroom, and I can get it redecorated for when you’re next here.”
“Really?” Riley asks. “I’ve always wanted a bunk bed.”
“Bunk beds are cool,” Fisher agrees.
I can do nothing but smile. If the man I love wants to spoil my daughter, who am I to stand in his way?