Chapter 19
The day had started out great, from the moment I opened my eyes to find my husband devouring me, to breakfast in bed. I even got to sleep in since Mikayla stayed the night with Arsel’s parents.
I’d taken advantage of having help, and I utilized our families to get my book finished.
It felt good to have another project complete, and I couldn’t wait to hear the feedback from the editor and the proofreader.
I would take a break for a couple of weeks to spend some time with Mikayla and Arsel and to give my brain a break before I started something else.
Financially, I was comfortable, so I didn’t have to release as much as I did in the past, but I didn’t want to take too long of a break either.
After Arsel served me breakfast in bed, I showered and got ready for the day. I wasn’t sure what Arsel had planned, but he told me to get dressed because we had plans. I didn’t even bother asking questions. I was just happy about us doing something together.
It had been a couple of weeks since Mikayla’s birthday party, and she’d been calling Arsel daddy since then.
Every time she said it, the biggest smile would fill Arsel’s face.
Some days I couldn’t believe how much Arsel had changed since then.
He really took his role seriously when it came to Mikayla.
She randomly called me Mommy a few days ago, and I cried like a baby.
I loved it, and I was thankful that she felt comfortable enough with us to know our roles in her life.
“You ready for your first gift?” Arsel asked as he stepped into our bedroom.
“First? There’s multiple gifts?”
I watched him as he walked toward me as I sat on the side of the bed. He bent down and placed his hands on my knees. I could smell the mint of his toothpaste. It looked like he left to get a haircut while I got dressed. He smiled at me, then kissed my lips.
“Yes.” He kissed me again. “You have a few gifts.” Another kiss.
“What are we celebrating?”
He stood to his full height and stretched his hand out for me to take. He pulled me up from the bed and wrapped his arms around my waist. My heart rate increased when I looked up into his eyes.
“We are celebrating you. You finished your book, and you did it while taking care of a toddler. You pushed through on the hard days, and you showed me that all of this was possible. Plus, it’s been a while since we celebrated you. Remember you used to get something every time you finished a book?”
I nodded. It didn’t matter if it was something simple like a meal from my favorite restaurant or a new chair for the office; either way, every time I finished a book, I got something. I hadn’t mentioned anything, so I had no clue as to what he could have gotten for me.
Arsel released me and walked to the closet. A second later, he came out carrying a small box.
“Here’s gift number one.” He handed me the box, and excitement filled me.
We sat on the bed, and I immediately opened the box. I tossed the tissue paper on the floor and pulled out a candle.
I looked over at Arsel because I didn’t expect that.
“I know you like to have candles when you write, and the one you have is almost gone, so I thought you’d like this one.”
I took the lid off and smelled it. It had hints of lavender and vanilla and smelled so good. I appreciated it because it was a thoughtful gift.
“Thank you.” I kissed his cheek and stood from the bed. “Is food on the agenda, because I am hungry?”
Arsel chuckled as he stood. “Of course it is. If you are ready, we can go now.”
The breakfast he served had worn off, and I was ready for lunch.
“Works for me. Have you—”
“Yes, I checked on Mikayla,” he said, cutting me off.
I just smirked and grabbed my phone off the table.
“I don’t know why you act like I didn’t already know what you were going to ask.” He popped me on my ass, then walked out of the room.
I made sure I had everything else I needed, then followed behind him.
Arsel locked up the house and escorted me to his truck. Like the gentleman he had always been, he opened the door for me and helped me inside.
On the way to our destination, we sang to whatever music played on the radio and just vibed together.
It reminded me of when we were in college, and we would go for long rides in his old ass car.
It was a car his grandfather had given him when he graduated high school, and he loved it.
Since I loved him, I loved the car as well.
I thought back to when life was simple. No demanding careers, no trying to make things work, no worrying about babies.
Just two people falling in love and trying to figure out life.
Now we were two adults with careers and still trying to figure out how to show up for each other.
A little while later, we ended up at a cute café on the other side of town. I’d never been there before, but I saw pictures of it on social media.
A waitress came and took our orders within seconds of sitting down, and that gained them a point.
The ambiance was nice. Fake grass with red and pink roses filled an entire wall, and it was the perfect place to take pictures.
R just being in each other’s presence was enough. Even when I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck, Arsel was my best friend. I loved that man’s dirty drawers.
“Do you have any regrets?” I asked once I finished my food.
Arsel pushed his plate toward the middle of the table and sat back in his seat. His eyes remained on me the whole time.
“No regrets. Not even when you left, because I knew you would be back. That’s not me being cocky, either. I would have resorted to begging if I had to. You are my entire world and then some, baby. We are in this until death, and every life after.”
“I don’t even have a smart comment to that.” I let out a low laugh.
“The only thing you can say is that you agree. Are you ready for the next portion of the date?”
That food made me a little sleepy, but I wasn’t going to miss out on the rest of our date. I could sleep whenever we got home. Mikayla would be gone for two days, so we had plenty of time to sleep and whatever else we wanted. Arsel was off for the next few days, so that was a plus.
“Yes.” I clapped my hands, and Arsel laughed.
He paid the bill, and we left. We drove toward home, but we stopped at the massage parlor he sent me to for my self-care day. We got couples massages, then when we left there, we picked up dinner.
Once we were home, we took a shower together, where Arsel fucked me against the shower wall. After we washed and dressed in our pajamas, Arsel took me into the office, where he had gotten me a new desktop computer, a new chair, and a new coffee mug.
As we watched a movie, I slid to the floor in front of Arsel and showed him just how much I enjoyed the day.