she said was: Busted.
Byron: LOL. Guess you’re busted now. Seven days, my love. All mine.
I sighed.
Julia: I guess so. Be gentle.
My phone rang, and I accepted the call. Byron’s voice was low and warm in my ear. “Julia, I love you.”
I glanced up at Lila, but she seemed to be busy eating and typing on her own phone. “I love you, too,” I whispered, mystified at his greeting.
“You’re not really worried, are you?”
I giggled. “No.”
“Good. Have a good evening, and I’ll see you at home.”
“Okay.”
“And, Julia?”
“Yeah?”
“I ordered extra whipping cream today. I’ll bring it home for Sunday.” He drew in a deep breath. “And I’m going to let you have that freebie.”
Then he hung up.
Remembering the last experience with whipped cream, I grinned.
Losing was going to be okay. I was looking forward to my freebie.
And I had a good feeling I was going to enjoy the next seven days.
Immensely.
Five years later
I woke up slowly, my eyes blinking in the late morning light. I glanced at the clock, surprised to see it already past nine. Byron had let me sleep in. I slipped from our bed, got ready, and headed downstairs.
I heard them before I saw them. Byron’s warm voice and the excited giggle of our goddaughter, Nikki. I rounded the corner and bit back my laughter. There was flour on the floor, the table, and all over them, and Byron’s kitchen was a mess. But he wore a wide smile, and his voice was patient as he taught his favorite tiny human how to make cookies.
“Like this, Nikki. Roll it in your hand gently.” He paused. “A bit gentler, little one. We want balls, not pancakes.”
She stared up at him, her hazel eyes wide and hopeful. “You make pancakes, Unca By?”
I already knew the answer before he responded. He couldn’t say no to her. Ever.
“Yes.”
I chuckled, and he glanced up, already smiling. “Hello, my beautiful wife.”
I still got a thrill when he called me that. We had gotten married two years ago, right after I graduated, in a simple ceremony in the back garden. Lila and Gerard had married not long after they met, and Nicola had been born a year later. We adored her and enjoyed having her stay overnight. She and Byron always got up early and had “fun” in the kitchen. His patience with her was endless, and she loved spending time with him.
I moved forward, kissing a tiny flour-covered cheek, then lifting on my toes to press a kiss to Byron’s mouth. He smiled against my lips. “You look better. You were so tired last night.”
“I am,” I assured him.
“I made coffee.”
“In a while.”
He frowned but didn’t say anything. I sat with Nikki, and together, we rolled out balls as Byron made pancakes. We tidied up the table and had just sat down when Gerard and Lila arrived, prompting a round of happy squeals from Nikki. They sat having coffee, Nikki on her daddy’s knee as he sipped from his mug and let his daughter feed him drippy pancakes, his eyes filled with adoration. She had Lila’s dark hair and tiny stature, but Gerard’s hazel eyes and his wide smile.
Gerard was a changed man, much the same way Byron’s attitude in life was different. They hired the right people, took time for themselves and family, and still maintained incredibly high standards at the restaurants they owned. As Lila stated, they had learned balance.
Gerard shook his head as Byron placed a plate of still-warm cookies on the table.
“Pancakes and cookies, Byron?”
Byron lifted one shoulder. “Your daughter helped make them. I thought you’d like to sample one.”
I chuckled at Nikki’s abandonment of her pancakes in order to feed her daddy a cookie. “I made dis one,” she informed him. “It’s special.”
He ate it, looking at her tenderly. He adored his girls.
They left not long after, and Byron cleaned the kitchen while I had a shower. When I came out of the bathroom, he was lounging on the bed. He patted the mattress. “Come here, my love.”
I curled up beside him with a sigh. Close to Byron was still my favorite place in the world.
“You’ve been quiet the last few days.”
“Hmm,” I replied.
“And tired. Are you unwell?”
“No.”
“You didn’t drink any coffee this morning. That’s a first.”
I sighed and sat up. I met his worried gaze and smiled in reassurance. “I’m fine, Byron. But there is something I want to talk to you about.”
His frown deepened. “You can talk to me about anything. You know that.”
I ducked my head, trying