Chapter 14
Odette
After saying my goodbyes to the rest of the staff, I found myself heading to Murphy’s. I wondered if I should stop and find something else to wear but thought better of it. What’s wrong with my scrubs? Luckily for me, there had been no incidents today, so they were relatively clean.
The drive passed by quickly, and I found myself once again sitting in the driveway of my old home. I couldn't help but sit and stare at the old house and allowed myself to remember some good memories.
We had just purchased the house with the help of Murphy's parents. It was way out of our budget, but they loaned him the money for the down payment. We both knew the second we stepped inside that it was perfect for us. We were cutting it close to Lux's due date, but we didn't mind. It was the one.
Murphy, his brother, and his dad were bringing in the last of the boxes while Susan and I were making some lemonade in the kitchen.
I felt a twinge in my lower abdomen but figured it was just from what little I did.
After fifteen minutes of random pain, I felt pressure down below and then a wet sensation.
"Uh...Susan?" I mumbled while still looking at the puddle on my new kitchen floor.
"Yes, dear? Can I grab you something?" She was still facing away from me, putting away cups and plates from the boxes the boys had brought in.
"I think my water just broke."
It was chaos of the best kind after that. Susan hollered for the boys, and Murphy made a beeline for me.
"It's time, baby; she's coming." He smiled at me, and I could see the love and devotion on his face.
"It's time." I smiled back at him, knowing that this point in time would always be one of my favorites.
The knocking on my car window jolted me back to reality. I felt my face flush, a little rattled from being jostled from my memories. Murphy was looking at me with a rather intense look coating his face. I opened my door a little haphazardly, which caused him to take a step back so I could get out.
"Sorry, I just...well, I got lost in some old memories." I shrugged. The intense look Murphy was giving me never faltered, but I heard giggling and little footsteps pattering my way.
"Mommmmmyyyyy!" Lux ran from the backyard toward me with the biggest smile on her face, and I couldn't help the one that overtook mine. Without breaking her speed, she took a leap when she was close enough, and luckily for me, I caught her just in time.
She wrapped her arms around me, and I couldn't help but bury my face in her neck. I loved the way she smelled, like strawberries and happiness. My entire world in one little human.
"Hey, kiddo, you seem to be feeling better." I tickled her sides, and she let out a gleeful giggle that caused my already full heart to feel like it was ready to burst.
"Daddy took good care of me. He let me eat as many popsicles as I wanted, and that helped." She bobbed her head as if to convince me that was what had cured her.
"Oh, is that so, little miss?" I tickled her again just to hear her laugh, which I could never seem to get enough of.
"It is! It is!" She detangled herself from me.
"Let's go, Momma! I'm starving." She tore off through the backyard. It never ceased to amaze me how quickly kids could bounce back from being sick. I tore my gaze away from Lux and met Murphy’s eyes for the first time since being here.
His eyes were like a blazing inferno taking me in, almost like he was taking his time memorizing every detail of me.
I could feel my blood pressure rise, and even though it was a pleasant day outside, I was suddenly feeling entirely too hot.
Breaking the tension, Murphy finally spoke. "We should follow our girl, huh? Make sure she doesn't get herself into too much trouble." He grinned while staring off after where Lux had disappeared with so much love in his eyes.
"Yeah, we should." It took us both a few seconds to start walking, almost like we didn't want to break the moment we found ourselves in.
"Why don't you stay in the main house anymore, Murphy?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The second his name left my lips, I felt the spread of heat rise to my cheeks. I really need to figure out a way to stop that from happening so much when I’m around him.
His head swiveled toward mine the second that his name left my lips, and his breathing was ragged, almost as if he were in some sort of pain. This time, he couldn't bring his eyes to meet mine.
"You aren't ready for that answer, Odette." He kept his gaze to the ground, and luckily for him, he was saved by the bell when Lux came tearing through the gate, which was only a few feet from us.
"Come on, you slowpokes!" She only popped through long enough to tell us to hurry up before she was gone in a flash of golden-brown hair and giggles. Murphy seemed to grab hold of the distraction and tore off after our daughter, matching her giggles with his own laugh.
I followed behind them at my own pace, just taking in the backyard.
A part of my soul felt oddly at ease back here, like a piece of me was coming home.
As much as I wasn't expecting to feel that way, instead of it being an uncomfortable feeling, I felt at peace.
I took my time, running my fingers through the different types of flowers that all appeared to be in amazingly good shape and condition.
Next to the mini house I knew Lux and Murphy were in, there was a tiny little metal archway with a wooden sign that read "Butterfly Garden.
" Before I could venture off into that section of the yard, Lux threw open the door of their house and hollered for me once again. "Come on, Mom!"
Throwing my hands up in surrender, I pivoted on my heel and walked the short distance to the entrance.