TAKE TWO_ Who says you can't ma - Heather M. Orgeron Page 0,45
boy.” Shame colors his cheeks.
“You took my baby in public dressed like a boy?”
He shrugs, cringing a little.
“Point is,” he stresses, ignoring my outrage, “We both have plenty of strengths that Ellie has benefited from over the years.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“Of course I am.”
Cocky bastard.
We spend the evening snuggled on the couch with our little girl, her head in my lap and feet in her daddy’s. For dinner, we eat cherry vanilla ice cream right out of the carton, something I would have normally never allowed. I guess Liam and I really do balance each other out. He’s the fun one, and I’m the sensible one.
We finish off the night with a Twilight marathon at the guest of honor’s request.
“What do you suppose they did when Bella was on her period?” my inquisitive child asks in the middle of the first movie.
“What do you mean?” I tread carefully, somehow worried she’s referring to sex…which is impossible. She doesn’t know anything about that stuff yet… right?
“I mean,” Ellie clarifies, “The guy can’t handle a paper cut without wanting to maul her…”
Liam and I both crack up laughing. As many times as I’ve read the books and seen the movies, I never once thought of that. I doubt Stephanie Meyer did either.
“Good question, El-Belle. I’ll type up an email to the author and see if she responds.”
Ellie nods, satisfied with that answer. Most parents would only offer to do such a thing to appease their child, and not actually follow through. It’s me…I’m most parents. I have no doubt, however, that Liam is going to do his damnedest to reach the woman to pose her question.
By the start of the second movie, Liam and Ellie are out cold. I knew from the start they’d never make it through four movies, despite their insistence otherwise.
Still wide awake, I watch New Moon alone, constantly sneaking glances at them—my little family. The two are so alike, I can’t help but smile. The glow from the TV provides just enough light for me to make out their sleeping forms, both with their right arms thrown over their eyes and lips slightly parted. Liam’s snore could wake the dead, while Ellie’s is more of a gentle purr.
The best part of our reunification has been having a front row seat to watching him be a father to our child. There really is nothing sexier than seeing the way he dotes on her. The man is a natural.
I’ll certainly never complain about being woken up with his head between my legs, or the frequent back rubs and breakfasts in bed. But the truth is he’s already won me over without even trying, just by being himself.
We’ll keep that our little secret… because damn, those orgasms are a more than welcome bonus.
Liam
Family Christmas
Another month ticks by in the blink of an eye. It literally feels like we just returned home from Thanksgiving in Texas with my folks, and here we are, preparing for our first Christmas all together under the same roof—our roof.
Both of our families wanted us at their places for the holiday. Let me tell you, that’s a side to married life I’d forgotten and one I don’t miss—that feeling of needing to rip yourselves in half to satisfy everyone. It was adding stress neither of us wanted to deal with, so we finally decided, with the encouragement of Dr. Tate, to host Christmas at our place. We invited both sides of the family and told them we understood if they couldn’t make it, but firmly stated that Christmas would be spent at home in our pajamas from here on out.
The “here on out” part tells me my wife is thinking of our new living arrangement from a more permanent standpoint nowadays, and I can’t even put into words how happy that makes me.
As for Nya and me as a couple, things couldn’t be going better. This no longer feels like a trial marriage, although I’m still too nervous to confirm that speculation. All talk of my moving out at the end of the six months has ceased. There are no walls of pillows keeping us apart at night.
Life is pretty fucking great.
Ellie and I are busy putting the finishing touches on the Santa cookies when the doorbell rings.
“I got it.” Nya sets the piping-hot apple pie she’s just pulled from the oven on a trivet, slings off her oven mitts, and runs for the door.
Damn, she’s adorable in her reindeer footy Christmas pajamas.