Chapter 1 #3
He glanced briefly at the framed photo on his desk, Kylee and the kids, all smiles from a picnic last summer.
Kylee was in a sundress, hair in a braid, holding Kayla on her hip.
He stared at it longer than he meant to.
He loved her. He did. But sometimes love felt like a weight.
He blinked, set the photo down, and turned back to his tablet. Another patient was waiting.
Jake walked in just after six.
Kylee heard the garage door hum, followed by the soft thud of the door opening. She was at the stove, stirring a pot of savory gumbo while Macy sat on the floor behind her with measuring cups, and Kayla bounced in the baby seat, babbling to herself.
Jake’s footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then he appeared, shrugging off his coat. His hair was slightly tousled from the wind, but still perfect as always.
“Mmm,” he said, stepping into the kitchen. “Smells amazing.”
“Gumbo,” Kylee replied, glancing over her shoulder. “Thought I’d go all out since Jake Jr.’s big game is tomorrow.” As she set the table, Jake Jr. came thudding down the stairs in socks, eyes bright with energy.
“Dad! Did you see my text? Coach said I might get to start tomorrow!”
Jake tousled his son’s hair. “That’s awesome, buddy. Quarterback?”
“Yup! I’ve been killing it in practice. Coach says I’m aggressive.” He puffed his chest out proudly, like a little lion.
“Just like your old man,” Jake said with a grin, sliding into his seat at the head of the table.
Kylee dished out plates, settling Macy into her booster seat and placing Kayla in her bouncer beside the table. The soft clinks of spoons and dinner conversation filled the dining room.
“So, how was work?” she asked.
Jake’s eyes lit up in a way she hadn’t seen in a while. “Honestly? It was a great day. Rachel’s catching on faster than I expected. She’s really sharp, eager to learn, and she’s got a great energy about her. The patients already love her.”
Kylee paused mid-bite. “Sounds like you’re lucky to have found her.”
“I really am,” he said, not catching the edge in her voice. “She’s organized, detail-oriented, and she doesn’t get rattled. That’s rare in someone so new.”
Midway through the meal, Jake Jr. turned to his dad, eyes wide with hope.
“You’re coming to the game tomorrow, right? Coach said it’s a big one and Mom already promised.”
The table went still for a second.
Jake looked up from his plate, lips parting slightly. “I... I’ll try, son. It’s a packed day. But if I can move a consult or two”
“But you said that last time,” Jake Jr. interrupted, his voice sharper than usual.
“Jakey,” Kylee warned gently.
“No, it’s okay,” Jake said, raising a hand. “He’s right. He deserves an answer. I’ll talk to Rachel first thing in the morning, see if I can block out that hour.”
Kylee felt the heat creeping up her neck. The same guilt, the same disappointment.
She studied her husband's perfect jawline, the slight crease between his brows when he was under pressure. He looked energized by his day. Enthusiastic about someone new.
She wondered when was the last time he had looked that energized about her.
The dishes clinked softly in the sink as Kylee scrubbed at a stubborn spot of dried gumbo. The warmth of the water soothed her hands, but not her thoughts. Behind her, Jake Jr. dried plates with a dishtowel, balancing one on the edge of the counter with careful focus.
“Be gentle with those,” she said with a smirk. “That’s our last full set. Your sister broke the others with her Barbie hammer.”
He grinned. “I remember. You looked like you were going to cry.”
“I was going to,” she said, laughing. “But then I remembered I’ve survived three C-sections and a toddler who once smeared peanut butter inside my purse. So, I powered through.”
Jake Jr. chuckled, then went quiet for a moment.
Kylee glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. “Something on your mind?”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
She turned off the faucet and gave him her full attention. “Talk to me, baby.”
He looked older in that moment not just because he actually was, but because he felt things deeper than most kids. Kylee had always sensed it. He carried the emotional temperature of the house without realizing it.
“It’s just…” he paused, still drying the same plate. “I don’t think Dad’s coming tomorrow.”
Kylee's heart clenched.
She crouched beside him and took the towel from his hands.
“Why do you think that?”
“He said he’d try. That’s what he says when he already knows he can’t. It’s what he said last time. And the time before that.”
Kylee swallowed, brushing a damp curl off his forehead. “I know it hurts. And I’m so sorry you feel that way.”
He met her eyes, blinking hard. “It’s okay. I just wish he didn’t lie about it.”
That word lie hit harder than it should have. Kylee felt it sink into her stomach like a stone.
“He loves you, Jakey,” she said softly. “But I know it’s not always easy to see it when he’s busy.”
“Do you think work is more important than me?”
“No,” she said immediately, her voice firm. “Nothing is more important than you. But sometimes... adults forget how much showing up matters. Even the good ones.”
He nodded slowly. “Are you coming?”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said, pulling him in for a hug.
His arms wrapped around her middle, squeezing tight.
“You’re the real MVP, Mom.”
Kylee smiled against the top of his head, tears threatening behind her eyes. “Don’t you forget it.”
The house had finally gone still. Kayla was asleep in her bassinet. Macy had only gotten up once asking for water. And Jake Jr. had passed out halfway through watching old game footage on his tablet, already dreaming of touchdowns and cheers.
Kylee stood in the master bathroom brushing her teeth, her silk robe tied loosely at the waist. Her hair was clipped up in a messy knot, steam from the shower slowly fogging the mirror.
The door creaked open behind her.
Jake stepped in, already unbuttoning his shirt. His expression was softer now the sharp edges of the day worn down.
“You’re still up,” he said.
She shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d rinse off. Long day.”
He moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. The move caught her off guard. His cologne still clung to his skin, woodsy and clean.
“Jake’s excited about tomorrow,” she said carefully, watching his reflection.
“I know,” he murmured. “I’m going to try. I told him.”
“He doesn’t believe you.”
Jake exhaled, letting his forehead rest against the side of her neck. “I deserve that.”
“You just… forget how much it matters to him. To show up.”
“I don’t forget,” he said, his voice quieter now. “I just misplace priorities sometimes.”
Kylee didn't respond. She wasn’t sure if she believed that.
There was a long pause before he added, “You’re incredible with them. With all three of them. That’s what I always think about, you know?”
He looked at her in the mirror, eyes slightly glassy. “The most attractive thing about you isn’t just that you’re beautiful. It’s how much you care. How much you give. How much you love our kids.”
She blinked, unsure what to say. It sounded like a compliment. It should’ve felt like one. But it landed differently like admiration for a caretaker, not a woman. Like a praise you’d give someone you relied on, not someone you wanted to fuck.
Still, she gave him a soft smile. “Thanks.”
He kissed her shoulder, then reached past her to untie the robe. “Why don’t I join you?”
She hesitated, then nodded.
The shower was filled with steam by the time Jake stepped in behind her. Kylee’s silk robe laid puddled on the tile floor, her bare back arched slightly under the spray as she adjusted the water temperature. She didn’t turn when he got in, but her heart beat a little faster.
The glass door clicked shut. Warm water cascaded down their bodies, and for a moment, neither spoke. Then she felt his hands sliding around her waist, slowly down to her pussy.
He pressed his chest against her back, lips grazing the curve of her neck. “You feel amazing,” he whispered.
Kylee leaned into him, closing her eyes. His hands moved slowly reverently tracing the sides of her hips, pulling her closer. There was no rush this time. No routine. Just his touch and the heat of the water and the sound of her own breath catching in her throat.
Without warning, he captured her mouth in a fierce, demanding kiss that was hungry. Their tongues tangled, mouths opening in a silent exchange of everything they’d left unsaid as he had his hands around her throat.
When he turned her around, she saw the want in his face. Not just for sex, but for her. His hands framed her face like she was something breakable, precious, forgotten but not lost.
He lifted her gently, her back pressing against the warm tile, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her fingers tangled in his wet hair as he entered her pussy with a slow, deep motion that pulled a quiet gasp from her lips.
She clung to him as the water poured over them, her moans buried into the hollow of his neck. Every stroke hit just right, and for the first time in months, she let go.
His hands roamed boldly, mapping every inch of her wet skin as he pulled her flush against him. Kylee’s nails raked down his shoulders, desperate to feel every inch of him close.
He lowered his mouth to her collarbone, trailing heated kisses down to the swell of her breasts, his mouth claiming them with a fierce possessiveness that made her gasp.
She arched into him, hands fisting in the slickness of his hair, lips parting in breathless moans.
His fingers found her most sensitive places, teasing, stroking, and making her tremble beneath his touch. Every movement was deliberate, slow but insistent, drawing out the building storm inside her.
Kylee cried out, gripping his shoulders as waves of pleasure shattered every part of her.
The water pounded over them, but all she could hear was the pounding of their bodies, his growls, her cries, and the slick sound of skin sliding together.
He pulled her tighter against him, matching every cry and moan with fierce devotion.
Her body tensed, spiraling higher and higher until she shattered beneath him with a scream muffled against his neck.
He held her through the tremors, whispering her name like a prayer, lips hot against her damp skin.
Afterward, they stood tangled and breathless in the warm embrace of the shower, two bodies burned raw and aching but finally awake.
Chapter 2