Chapter 7
“She could barely keep her eyes open.” Arsel chuckled as he stood in the doorway of the bathroom.
I turned to find him leaning against the door, arms crossed over his chest. His bodywash floated in the room. For a second, I stared at the muscles in his forearms because I missed being in them.
“I know. We tired her out,” I said as I turned to finish bathing Makayla.
We had a long day, and baby girl was tired. I was tired myself. When we got home, Arsel played with Mikayla while I took a shower. Then he took his while I started her bath.
Our routine was pretty much the same every night. I bathed her while he did whatever, then we would read her a bedtime story together.
“Shit, I’m tired myself. Do you need my help with anything?”
“No. I’m about to get her out.” I glanced over my shoulder at him, and the way he looked at me made my insides warm.
“Okay. I’ll meet you in her room.” He winked, then walked away.
I exhaled when I heard his footsteps go down the hall. Arsel’s presence overwhelmed in a good way every time he was around. It was one of the things that made me fall for him. He was confident in anything he did.
All day, I watched him with Mikayla, and my heart soared.
The day had been bittersweet. On one hand, I felt happiness because we had finally gotten the one thing I wanted.
At the same time, I felt sad because we lost our friends, and this baby lost her parents.
Arsel and I would do everything we could to give her the best life we could, but we could never replace her parents.
My eyes watered, thinking about it, but I quickly wiped the fallen tear away.
“Let’s get you to bed, pretty girl.” I let the water out of the tub, then wrapped Mikayla in a warm towel, and carried her to her bedroom. The poor child’s eyes were closed by the time I stepped foot out of the bathroom.
Arsel sat in the rocking chair with her favorite book.
Every night, we read My Melanin is Magic by Katrina Anderson to Mikayla, and she loved it.
It was a book that was meant to help boost little black boys’ and girls’ confidence and self-esteem.
Mikayla was a beautiful chocolate drop, and I wanted her to always be proud of her skin, no matter who tried to make her feel otherwise.
“You think she’s going to even be awake for the story?” Arsel whispered as I moisturized Mikayla.
“Probably not.” I giggled. “Homegirl hasn’t budged since I took her out of the tub.”
I continued to put the lotion on her, then put her pajamas on her. Once she was dressed and had her little bonnet on, I placed her under the covers. She was out and wasn’t worried about a story or anything else.
I stood on the side of the bed and stared at her for a minute. I still couldn’t get over the fact that we had a child in our house that we were responsible for. And she wasn’t ours biologically, but she was ours.
I felt Arsel behind me before he put his hands on my shoulders. My body automatically leaned against him, and it wasn’t just because I was so tired. Arsel had always been my safe place, even when we didn’t agree on everything.
Arsel kissed the side of my head, then wrapped his arms around me. “She’s perfect,” he whispered.
I leaned back and dropped my head back onto his chest. He looked down at me and smiled.
“She is.”
It took us a minute to leave the room because we both couldn’t stop looking at her.
“Let’s go downstairs.” Arsel grabbed my hand and led me out of the room.
Arsel held onto my hand as we walked down the steps. When my foot hit the bottom of the stairs, I stopped in my tracks.
Candles were lit on the table in front of the couch, and there were two glasses of wine. I walked closer to the couch and giggled when I saw the bowl of honey-roasted cashews.
“How do you know I eat these?” I turned to Arsel, who sported a sneaky smirk.
“A reliable source. Let’s sit.” He motioned to the couch, and I sat down, then he sat next to me.
I knew it wasn’t anyone but my grandma who told him.
Music played lowly through the speaker across the room. I felt emotional again because this was one of the little things that Arsel used to do before. For me, it wasn’t about the big dates or gifts. It was the small things that he did that I appreciated more.
“What made you do this?” I asked as I grabbed a few cashews.
“A little token of my appreciation. I know the circumstances aren’t ideal, but I’m glad you are back home. I told you I want to work on us, and this is the first step.”
Arsel picked up the two glasses and passed me one.
“Thank you.”
He lifted his glass toward me, so I put mine against his.
“To rekindling our romance.”
My cheeks warmed as Arsel licked his lips. His eyes held so much love in them for me; it made my stomach flutter.
We clinked glasses, then drank our wine.
“I have to say, I understand why you wanted to wait. Having a small child ain’t for the weak. I haven’t even been able to get any writing in. I’m sorry that I tried to rush you.”
At some point during our day out, I gained a moment of clarity. It had been hard juggling life with a child who needed constant attention.
“Come’ere, baby.” Arsel’s voice dropped low.
I didn’t waste any time climbing into his lap, because I knew that was where he wanted me. Anytime Arsel’s voice dropped low, I knew where his mind went. Arsel loved intimacy, and not just sexual. We used to live in each other’s skin when we could.
Arsel wrapped his arms around my waist and held me.
“You don’t have to apologize. It was something we discussed, so you weren’t wrong for feeling the way you did.
I want to give you all the babies your heart desires when the time is right.
I just didn’t want you to have to do everything by yourself if I’m working too many hours a week.
We are going to do the best we can for Mikayla, and when the time is right, we will have a baby of our own. Okay?”
I searched his face for something, and all I got was that he was serious. I wasn’t going to bring up having a baby again. Like he said, when the time was right, we would have our baby.
“Yes.”
Arsel put his hands on the sides of my face and pulled me in for a kiss.
It was slow and sensual and made my nipples press against my shirt. Arsel knew how to kiss and make me feel it throughout my entire body. It had been months since we kissed, but our tongues got reacquainted as if no time had passed.
Arsel trailed a hand down my back and gripped my ass. I moaned into his mouth as I pushed my hips forward.
“Can I make love to you, baby?” Arsel asked when he broke the kiss.
“Yes, please.” I leaned back and pulled my shirt off.
Arsel palmed my breasts and rubbed his thumb over my pebbled nipples. I reached down and fumbled with the waistband of his pants to free his dick. His eyes bore into mine, sending heat through my body.
“Stand up for me.” Arsel’s command came out rough and caused my juices to flow.
I climbed off his lap and stood in front of him. Arsel ran his hand up the back of my legs, then pulled my pajama pants and panties down.
Our eyes locked, and Arsel still looked at me the same way he did the first day we met. Like he would do any and everything for me, and to me.
Once I was naked, Arsel sat back and pulled his pants all the way down. With his dick free, he gripped it and stared into my eyes.
My mouth watered when precum leaked out as he stroked it.
“I know that look, but that’s not what we doing tonight. Come sit.”
Without any hesitation from me, I climbed back into Arsel’s lap and eased down on his dick.
We both let out a sigh as I sank all the way down.
“Shit, baby.” Arsel groaned.
My hips moved slowly because neither of us was in a rush. Months had passed since I felt my husband inside of me, and I wanted to savor the moment.
“You feel so good.” I moaned.
Arsel gripped my hips and guided me as I rocked back and forth.
“And so do you. I miss this pussy.” Arsel captured my lips and bucked his hips harder beneath me.
Without losing our connection, he flipped us over so my back was on the couch.
He moved slowly in and out of me as our kiss continued. Tears filled my eyes because I missed him so much. We’d never been apart from each other for as long as we had, and I prayed we never went that long again.
No others word needed to be exchanged as Arsel stared into my eyes and made love to me.
At some point, we made it upstairs. Arsel carried me to the bedroom we once shared and tucked me in like I was a baby. After he checked on Mikayla, he got in bed with me and pulled me close.
I fell asleep in his arms, and everything felt right.