Chapter 23
Cleo POV
It's been three weeks. Three weeks since the night Gabe told me he loved me, since I kissed him on my porch.
Three weeks since my life had somehow shifted into something I never thought I'd have again, not a dramatic change overnight, just slowly. Steadily, like we'd both stopped fighting what had been building between us for months, now we simply together. It was strange, wonderful, terrifying and surprisingly normal.
"Mom." I looked up from the book in my lap, Tommy stood in the middle of the living room wearing dinosaur pajamas. "It started." I blinked. "What started?"
"Mom," he said with all the patience a six-year-old could muster, "the sleepover. I immediately looked toward the couch. Gabe glanced up from where he was helping Skylar with a puzzle. The traitor had the audacity to grin., and Tommy pointed dramatically.
"Captain is sleeping over." Skylar rolled her eyes. "It's not a sleepover."
"It is." Tommy throw his hands up, and Skylar shouted , "It isn't."
"Tommy." Skylar looked at him with her hands on her hips. "What?" He mirrored her actions. Skylar sighed. The sigh of an exhausted older sister. "You're impossible."
"I know." He grinned. The child sounded proud of it, and I bit back a laugh because honestly? This had become normal, movie nights, dinner together, homework at the kitchen table.
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Later Tommy started falling asleep halfway through every film. Skylar showing Gabe every drawing she completed and occasionally, Gabe falling asleep on the couch when the evening ran later than planned, not because he had to, but because none of us seemed particularly eager for him to leave.
Something warm settled in my chest, watching him laugh with the kids, Tommy climbing all over him, and Skylar seek him out whenever she wanted to show someone a new sketch. The relationship between Gabe and me wasn't what worried me anymore.
It wasn't the children's reaction that worried me, I didn't think they'd react badly. I just wanted to do this the right way.
They deserved that, so did Wade. If we were going to take this next step, I wanted everyone to take it together.
*****
Mom found me on my porch the following afternoon. She claimed she wasn't looking for me, I didn't believe her.
She sat down beside me ,"You've got your thinking face on." I groaned, "I hate that you know that." She smiled. "It's a gift." I mock glared at her, "It isn't." I laughed, then sighed because she already knew something was bothering me.
"It absolutely is. What is it, sweetheart?" I stared out across the yard. Thinking. "I think it's time." Mom nodded immediately, like she'd already known.
"The kids." A soft smile crossed her face. "Yeah." Tears stung my eyes and Mom noticed, she lent over and squeezed my arm. "You're worried." I nodded, "Of course I'm worried."
The answer came quickly because I was, not about Gabe. Never about Gabe, it is about making sure Tommy and Skylar felt safe, heard, they are important. Mom squeezed my hand firm, "Then tell them together." I glanced at her. "Together?" Mom smiled. "You and Gabe." The answer made immediate sense. "They already trust him."
I knew she was right, that wasn't the problem. The problem was me, the fear of getting something wrong, hurting them, moving too fast.
Mom seemed to read every thought crossing my face. "As long as they know nobody is replacing Wade, you'll be fine."
My throat tightened because she was right about that too. Wade would always be part of our family. Nothing would ever change that and Gabe understood that better than anyone.
*****
That evening, I asked Gabe to stay for dinner, he immediately noticed something was different, of course he did, by now he knew me far too well. Gabe turned towards me, slipping an arm around my shoulders as though it was the most natural thing in the world. The quiet gesture settled some of the nerves churning inside me before he even spoke. "You nervous?"
I looked up into his deep brown eyes and managed a small smile. "A little." His expression softened. "Want to tell me why?"
I looked toward the kitchen, where Tommy and Skylar were arguing over dessert, then back at him. "I think it's time we talk to them."
For a moment, Gabe didn't speak, then he nodded. "Okay."
No hesitation. No questions. Just support, like always. Somehow, that made me love him a little more.
Dinner passed more easily than I'd expected. Once the dishes were cleared away, the four of us settled into the living room. Tommy's eyes immediately narrowed. "Why are we all sitting in here?"
I looked at Gabe, he looked at me, and neither of us seemed particularly eager to start Apparently grown adults could face down bikers and grief but struggled to talk to children.
Good to know. Skylar looked between us, then sighed. "Oh my God." Tommy frowned, "What?" She looked at me, then at Gabe, and then back at me and said, "You and Captain are together."
Silence, complete silence. My mouth fell open, beside me, Gabe looked equally shocked. Tommy blinked, and looked at me and Gabe, then shrugged. "Yeah."
I stared. "You knew?" Skylar looked genuinely confused. "Mom." I closed my eyes and when I reopened them, Tommy sat there nodding, "You hold hands." Skylar rolled her eyes. "You look at each other."
Another excellent point, neither child appeared remotely surprised, which somehow made the entire conversation feel ridiculous.
I started laughing, a second later Gabe joined me because apparently we'd spent days worrying over a conversation the children had already had without us. Eventually I managed to pull myself together. "Okay."
Tommy immediately sat up straighter, serious now. "We wanted to talk to you both because..." I glanced at Gabe, his hand found mine. Steady and comforting because he always seemed to know exactly when I needed it.
" Yes, Gabe and I are together." Tommy grinned. "We know." Skylar nodded. "We know."
Children, honestly. I shook my head., then continued. "But we also wanted you to know something else."
The room quieted. I felt Gabe shift slightly beside me, then he spoke. "No one is replacing your dad."
The words landed softly, gently but they mattered. I saw it immediately, especially in Skylar. "Nobody ever will," Gabe continued. "Your dad will always be your dad." The emotion in his voice made my chest tighten.
"You can talk about him, remember him, tell stories about him." Gabe paused. "Nothing about that changes."
Skylar's eyes filled slightly, and Tommy looked thoughtful, then Gabe smiled softly. "I could never be upset about that." The room stayed quiet, then he added: "Your dad helped make you who you are." His gaze settled on both children. "Why would I ever want you to forget him?"
My eyes immediately burned because there it was, the thing I'd known for months, reason I trusted him, and the reason I loved him. He wasn't trying to erase Wade, he never had been.
Skylar stood suddenly, she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around Gabe. For a second, he froze, then immediately hugged her back, careful, gentle, and protective. "Thank you."
His voice softened. "For what, sweetheart?" Skylar looked up at him. "Thank you for loving Mom." The room went completely silent, a tear slipped down my cheek. Then she added: "And us."
Gabe swallowed hard, I saw it, the emotion, love, and overwhelming gratitude. Skylar smiled, small but sincere. "And for not getting weird when we talk about Dad."
A laugh escaped me because honestly? That sounded exactly like Skylar. Gabe smiled too. "I promise I never will." She nodded, satisfied.
Then added: "Also, Captain is a terrible nickname." Tommy gasped. "It isn't!" Skylar laughed, Gabe groaned and somehow the tension shattered completely.
A moment later Tommy launched himself into the group hug, then me, and suddenly all four of us were tangled together, laughing, crying happy tears, and holding on and for the first time since Wade died. The future didn't feel uncertain, it felt possible.
*****
The next morning was Saturday, the children were eating breakfast at Mom and Dad's when I finally worked up the courage. Mom looked suspicious immediately, which was annoying. "Why are you smiling like that?" I pointed my fork at her. "Stop that."
"Stop what?" She smirked at me. "You know exactly what." Dad looked between us, then slowly lowered his newspaper. "Oh."
Mom immediately looked delighted, and dad looked amused. I regretted everything. "What?" Mom's grin widened. "You have plans." I groaned, dad laughed, actually laughed.
The traitor.
I worked up the courage and took a deep breath, "Can you two take the kids tonight?" Mom's eyes lit up. "Oh." Dad nearly choked on his coffee, I covered my face, knowing my face was beet red.
"This was a mistake." Mom patted my hand. "We'd love to."
Of course they would.
*****
Later that evening I stood in my kitchen holding a glass of wine, feeling nervous, which felt ridiculous. I'd survived foster care, single motherhood, and grief. Yet somehow inviting Gabe over for dinner had me pacing.
Headlights appeared outside, my heart immediately sped up. The familiar bike pulled into the driveway, and a moment later there was a knock at the door. I opened it and there he was.
Gabe, his eyes met mine, then softened, like they always did and for a moment neither of us spoke because something had shifted, not dramatically. A little more trust, more certainty, and a step towards the future.
His gaze drifted briefly over my shoulder, toward the candlelit table, then back to me. A slow smile appeared and suddenly I wasn't nervous anymore. "Hi." I smiled up at him. His smile widened. "Hi, sweetheart."
For the first time in a very long time, Cleo Hart was ready for whatever came next.
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