Chapter 46
Chapter Forty-Six
Summer
The scent of coffee and something sweet lingered in the air, coaxing me awake before my mind had fully caught up to where I was.
My body felt warm, wrapped in the lingering heat of sleep and something much stronger—something solid, familiar.
I stretched lazily, sighing, and turned, only to come face-to-face with Malcolm, already awake, smirking down at me.
His hair was slightly tousled, the way it always was first thing in the morning, but his eyes held that infuriating amusement I had come to recognize.
“You sleep like someone who was properly taken care of last night,” he murmured, his voice thick with satisfaction, fingers tracing lazy circles against my waist.
I groaned, burying my face against his chest. “Shut up.”
His low chuckle vibrated against my skin. “Adorable.”
“Insufferable,” I muttered, swatting at him, but he caught my wrist, bringing it to his lips. He kissed my knuckles slowly, deliberately, as if he wasn’t in a hurry for anything.
“You love it,” he whispered.
I rolled my eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, I let myself melt against him, feeling the steady beat of his heart under my palm. It was too easy, too perfect, like this had always been meant to happen. Like waking up beside him was something I should have been doing for years.
Then my stomach grumbled. Loudly.
Malcolm snorted, pulling away slightly to look at me. “Was that a death threat?”
I scowled, sitting up and rubbing my face. “I think I was too distracted to eat properly last night.”
His lips curled into a slow smirk. “Distracted, huh?”
“Malcolm.”
“I’m just saying, if I recall correctly, you were very?—”
I grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. He laughed, catching it before it could do any real damage, but before he could retaliate, a small voice interrupted from the hallway.
“Are you guys awake yet?”
I bolted upright, eyes widening as Malcolm sighed beside me, stretching lazily.
“Come in, kiddo,” Malcolm called out.
Jake peeked inside, blinking at us, his messy hair sticking up in different directions. He gave us both a curious look, then tilted his head. “Oh, good. You’re awake. I was getting hungry.”
I quickly slid out of bed, grabbing Malcolm’s discarded hoodie from the night before and throwing it over myself before ruffling Jake’s hair. “Malcolm was just about to prove he can cook.”
Jake’s eyes widened in doubt. “Wait, really?”
Malcolm scoffed, climbing out of bed. “Why does everyone doubt my skills in the kitchen?”
“Because you look like you survive off expensive takeout and intimidation,” I said, smirking.
Jake nodded seriously, agreeing. “Yeah. You don’t look like you know how to use a stove.”
Malcolm crossed his arms, feigning offense. “Wow. I’m feeling very attacked right now.”
Jake grinned, already perking up from his sleepy state. “I’ll be the judge of this ‘cooking’ you speak of.”
I smirked, nudging Malcolm toward the door. “Go on, then. Impress us.”
We made our way to the kitchen, where Malcolm did, in fact, prove us wrong. The scent of cinnamon and butter quickly filled the air as he worked at the stove, flipping French toast with a confidence that neither Jake nor I expected.
Jake sat on the counter, watching in fascination. “Okay… maybe you actually do know how to cook.”
“Told you,” Malcolm said smugly.
I raised a skeptical eyebrow. “We’ll see if it actually tastes good.”
Malcolm shot me a look. “You don’t deserve my cooking.”
I grinned, hopping onto the counter beside Jake, stealing one of the extra strawberries Malcolm had sliced. “I don’t deserve a lot of things, yet here we are.”
He muttered something under his breath but set two plates down in front of us anyway.
Jake dug in first, taking a huge bite, then immediately let out a dramatic groan. “Oh my God. This is amazing.”
Malcolm grinned victoriously, looking at me. “And you?”
I took a bite, reluctantly impressed, but I refused to let him know. “It’s… decent.”
Malcolm let out a disbelieving laugh, shaking his head. “Liar.”
Jake kicked his legs under the counter, eating happily. “We should have this every morning. Right, Mom?”
Silence.
The room froze.
My fork halted mid-air. Malcolm’s grip on his coffee tightened slightly, but his expression didn’t change.
Jake, chewing, didn’t even realize what he said at first. Then, slowly, he stopped, eyes widening, like his own words had just caught up to him. His shoulders tensed, and he looked at me hesitantly, suddenly unsure.
“I mean—” he swallowed. “I mean, can I… Can I call you that?” His voice was small, like he was afraid of the answer.
My chest felt too tight. My throat burned.
Before I could speak, Malcolm set down his mug, stood up, and walked over to him, crouching in front of where he sat on the counter.
“Hey,” Malcolm said, his voice gentle, steady. “Look at me.”
Jake hesitated before finally lifting his gaze, nervous.
“You can call us that whenever you want,” Malcolm told him softly. “But yeah, buddy. You can.”
Jake’s lips trembled.
Then he launched himself into Malcolm’s arms, wrapping his small arms around his neck and holding on tight.
Malcolm closed his eyes, holding him just as tightly, his face buried in Jake’s hair.
Something in me shattered, and I rushed forward, wrapping my arms around both of them, pulling them against me.
Jake’s voice was muffled between us. “I never thought I’d have a real family again.”
I felt the tears slip free as I pressed my lips against the top of his head, my fingers threading through his hair. “You do now, sweetheart. And you always will.”
Malcolm exhaled a shaky breath, pressing his forehead to mine over Jake’s small form. His arms never loosened their grip.
Jake sniffled, rubbing his eyes. Then, tentatively, he turned his head slightly, looking at Malcolm. “Dad?”
Malcolm went completely still.
I felt his fingers dig slightly into my waist, his breath catching. Then he let out something that sounded like a laugh, but his voice was thick.
“Yeah, buddy,” Malcolm whispered, swallowing hard. “I’m right here.”
Jake clung to us, and we clung right back.
The only sound was the steady tick of the clock, the muffled noises of morning outside, and the quiet, unbreakable heartbeat of a family finally finding its way home.