Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
Alexis set down the TV remote with a sigh of satisfaction and surveyed her work.
She’d made her and Grayson’s comfortable living room couch extra-cozy with squishy pillows and a couple of soft blankets.
On the TV, ready for when Grayson got home, she had one of their favorite shows, Friends , waiting to be watched.
On the coffee table was a bottle of Grayson’s favorite wine, along with a corkscrew and a couple of wineglasses.
I can’t remember the last time we used our glassware, she thought, shaking her head with a chuckle. Definitely not since Cash was born. It’ll be good to use it, even though I don’t think I’m going to have hardly any wine at all.
Alexis was still breastfeeding Cash, and although the doctor had informed her that a little bit of alcohol here and there was safe for her to consume, she hadn’t felt much temptation to drink.
She had a feeling that if she had more than a couple of sips of wine, she would fall fast asleep and snore through the whole evening that she’d planned for herself and Grayson.
She’d decided that it was high time she and her husband had an evening of relaxation together. Although they loved taking care of their baby, it was exhausting, and she knew Grayson was worn just as thin as she was. They needed an evening to simply rest and rejuvenate together.
It’ll be like a date, but in our living room, she thought with a grin.
She thought eagerly of the delicious charcuterie board that she’d prepared, which was now waiting in the refrigerator.
It was covered in their favorite savory and sweet treats—there were gourmet cheeses and crackers, fruit, and sausage slices as well as chocolate-covered strawberries and almonds, yogurt bites, and delicate cookies.
She took a lighter out of a drawer in the coffee table and lit the lavender-vanilla candle that was resting in a corner of the table.
She almost never used candles anymore, now that Cash was a part of their household, and she couldn’t wait for the rich, soothing aroma of the candle to fill the living room.
She made her way back into the kitchen and started to work on the dishes that had piled up in their sink.
Although many of the dishes were adult-sized, she laughed when she saw how many tiny baby dishes had stacked up in the sink.
There were miniature spoons made of soft plastic, empty bottles, and bowls still half-filled with baby food.
She took out her phone and leaned it against the counter so she could watch the video baby monitor feed while she washed the dishes.
Cash was sleeping soundly, looking like a perfect little angel.
They had played and cuddled all afternoon, and he’d been sleeping soundly ever since she put him down for the night.
He slept well last night too, she thought with a sigh of relief. I think there’s a good chance that Grayson and I will get to catch up on a little shut-eye tonight.
She couldn’t help grinning at the thought. She remembered when things like parties or going shopping had seemed like the most exciting thing on her schedule—now it was getting a full night of sleep.
She’d just finished washing the dishes when she heard the back door open. She turned around and saw Grayson stepping inside their home. He looked exhausted, but he smiled happily when he saw her.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, speaking almost in a whisper as he pulled her into a hug. “How’s our baby?”
“Sound asleep, mercifully,” she replied with a soft laugh. “I think we’ve got the place to ourselves tonight.”
“Sounds nice.” He nuzzled her nose. “What do you want to do? Maybe we could watch a movie, or?—”
“Oh no, I’ve got it all planned out.” Her eyes shone as she squeezed his arms. “You just go ahead and sit down on the couch, and I’ll be there in two minutes. Take your shoes off, get comfy.”
Grayson’s eyebrows rose curiously. “Yeah? How comfy? Like I should go upstairs and change into sweatpants and a sweater?”
“Oh definitely.”
“Perfect.” He set down his briefcase carefully and began to tiptoe upstairs, as if he was so worried about waking the baby that even when he was downstairs, he wanted to be nearly silent.
She laughed as she watched him go and then hurried to finish preparing their date.
She took the charcuterie board from the refrigerator and set it down on the coffee table in the living room.
Then she microwaved two plates of lasagna that her mother had made them and carried them into the living room.
She was just setting them down next to the wine when Grayson came back down the stairs.
“He’s sleeping like an angel,” he whispered, and then his jaw dropped when he saw everything that Alexis had spread out on the coffee table. “Oh, wow! This looks so nice.”
She bowed. “Ta da! I figured we needed a nice, relaxing date. What do you say?”
“I say you are an amazing wife and I love you so much.” He gave her a big hug and was just about to kiss her when a yawn overtook him.
She laughed. “Sit yourself down there, Mr. Bennett, and we’re going to have a lovely, relaxing evening together.”
They settled down comfortably on the couch and snuggled down underneath the blankets. They turned on their favorite show and poured themselves some of the wine.
“Oh, this is good,” Grayson said, setting his glass down after taking a sip.
“It’s your favorite,” she said, turning the bottle around so he could see the label.
“Sweetheart.” He kissed her, managing to not yawn that time. “Thank you.”
They ate the delicious lasagna while they laughed over the show. Once they were finished with dinner, they began to snack on the charcuterie board.
Grayson grunted happily as he popped a chocolate-covered strawberry in his mouth. “I can’t remember the last time food tasted this great. I guess fatigue can do that to your tastebuds.”
She laughed. “I know what you mean. But I think it all tastes so good because I’m so happy to be resting here with you.”
“Awww.”
They nuzzled noses and went back to snacking.
She took deep breaths as they snuggled, enjoying the scent of the candle and the feeling of being so warm and cozy.
Beside her, Grayson yawned again. A deep contentment and relaxation swept over her, and she thought to herself that she was having a wonderful time…
The next thing she knew, she had jolted awake. Friends was still playing on the TV, but the candle had burned down low. Beside her, Grayson was snoring, sound asleep.
We fell asleep, she realized groggily.
She looked over at her husband and chuckled when she saw the way his mouth was hanging open like a fish, and the way his hair was mussed up around his forehead. She stroked it back gently.
A few years ago, she never would have pictured that something like this would be her life. She’d expected to stay in the glitz and glamour of L.A., going to parties with their rich friends and dining at expensive restaurants and nightclubs.
But I wouldn’t change a thing , she thought, feeling her heart ache with happiness. This is the life of my dreams, I just didn’t know it then.
She pulled out her phone and checked to make sure that Cash was still sleeping soundly. He was, and she turned back to Grayson, wondering if she should wake him up. Part of her was telling herself that she needed to get up and put the charcuterie board away, and turn off the TV?—
She shook her head with a smile. They’d already eaten most of the perishable things off the charcuterie board. She would let Grayson sleep. She would just stay there with him, nestled under the blankets, and she…
I hope things do get easier soon , she thought. Once Grayson and I get more used to this whole parenting thing.
A few moments later, she was sound asleep.