with instinct and pulled on a see-thru cotton tank and a pair of boy shorts. She tugged on a pair of soft gray pants and a flowy sweater.
Comfort and her two boys.
It was a good way to spend Valentine’s Day.
She pushed her sleeves up and her ring snagged. She stared at it for a moment. The little diamond that Snake had given her had been a talisman and a shield. It was time to stop hiding behind it. He was gone, had been gone for years.
He’d been fading away from her even before his accident.
She slid it off and tucked it into her keepsake she kept in her bedside drawer. It felt weird not to have it on her finger, but a weight had also been lifted. She traced her finger over the black velvet box she’d put Michael’s ring in.
She curled her fingers into her palm, then closed the drawer. She wasn’t quite ready to put that on, but she was ready to move ahead. Small steps. Those, she could handle.
She shut off the lights in the bathroom and their bedroom. When she walked through to the living room she didn’t even recognize the apartment. White sheets were draped up everywhere. A few in the cool gray and blues that were a hallmark of the colors that had been here when she moved in.
Now there were a few reds and golds mixed in.
In fact, their living room looked like a mystical bazar. Tiny lights were strung up to each corner of the room. He’d turned off all the other lights. Boxes were stacked in a haphazard house-like form. Giggles came from behind the little flap.
Her eyes misted. They’d done this for her.
Michael had done this for her.
“Knock, knock.”
“Password,” Michael said with authority.
She laughed. “Do I get a clue?”
“Pissa.”
She pressed her lips against a full laugh.
“Password,” Michael whispered. “Piss is not a romantic word.”
“Passerd.”
Michael snorted. “Close enough.”
She crossed her arms. “Still need a clue, guys.”
Michael cleared his throat. “What’s today?”
“Hmm. Tuesday?”
Axl laughed. “Nooo.”
“It’s not Tuesday?” she asked.
“No.”
“Hmm. I’m pretty sure it’s Tuesday.”
“Mama!”
She peeked in and was shoved back by Axl. “Mama! Word.”
“Valentine’s Day?”
“Yay.” Axl came out like a magician with his arms open wide. “Venentines Day!”
She dropped her her knees and hugged him.
He gave her a big kiss on the cheek before wiggling free. “Dinner for you.” He tugged on her arm. “For you.”
“For me?”
“Yes.” He extended the s and rolled his eyes. “Mika!”
“I’m ready, buddy.”
Chloe crawled through the flap and found a carpet picnic set up. Bright blue bowls were full of mac and cheese and hot dogs cut up in tiny, jagged pieces. A vase with pink roses sat in the middle of the TV tray that held their water glasses.
Michael sat cross-legged at the back of the little space. She couldn’t stop grinning, probably because her guy had a huge shit-eating grin on his face.
“You did all this?”
“Nuh-uh.” Michael nodded to Axl. “This one did.”
“Oh, I see.”
Axl crawled to her with a white cloth napkin and awkwardly set it across her lap. “Dinner.” He nodded to her bowl. “Eat, Mama.”
“Yes, sir.”
Axl settled beside his bowl, then promptly dumped half of the contents on Michael’s makeshift table. They all laughed. And it was the best macaroni and cheese and hotdogs she’d ever tasted.
The next hour was a delightfully crazy family dinner. After the dishes were cleared away Michael swapped out the table for huge pillows and they all cuddled up for story time. She’d never laughed so much with her guys.
Actually, that wasn’t completely truthful. She’d laughed more in the last month than she could remember doing for two years. Michael might have moments of child-like wonder, but they were balanced with the hot looks he gave her.
He snuck kisses in over Axl’s head as they plowed through a half dozen of Axl’s favorite stories. Even her little boy’s excitement over his very own fort couldn’t keep him awake. Eventually, his head was heavy on her shoulder and his deep breathing signaled lights out.
“Why don’t you tuck him in, and I’ll clean up.”
“Are you sure? You already did way too much.”
“Axl did it.”
She shifted her not-so-light baby onto her shoulder. “Thank you, Michael. Truly. I thought this day was going to end up a complete dumpster fire.”
“There’s an image.”
She cupped the back of Axl’s head. “I will thank you properly very soon.”
“Now, that’s exactly the kind of thanks I was looking for.”
“I just bet.”
Michael leaned in to kiss Axl’s cheek and paused. His eyebrows shot up as he