“You need anything, woman?” he asked me.
I threw a blanket over Araceli, my eyes to him.
“No, honey.”
He nodded, turned, and took off.
Bossy tried and failed to jump up on the couch so I helped her. When she got where she wanted to be, she went about doing her best to sort Araceli out. This being bounding to her face and licking her cheek.
Araceli giggled.
I smiled.
My little Boss Lady, she knew what she was doing.
I bent deep, kissed Araceli’s temple, and told her, “Gotta go to the kitchen to clean up, baby. You need anything, yell.”
“Okay, Tía Cassie.”
I grinned at her, squeezed her arm, and watched my dog snuggle into the blanket at her belly while Araceli scratched her ruff.
Then I went to the kitchen and I did it not even trying to stop myself from remembering all the goodness that came my way that morning.
Why would I?
When life offered you everything you ever wanted, you savored it.
It was just that I savored it over finishing cereal and doing dishes.
* * * * *
Later that night, snuggled into Deacon on the couch, my back to his front, his arm around me holding me close, when he used the remote to turn to the news, I twisted my neck to catch his eyes.
His head in his hand, elbow in the couch, he felt my gaze and tipped his to mine.
“You were good with Araceli,” I noted, and he was. He didn’t hover. But he did check on her, bring her Sprite, corralled Bossy when she was getting too much, and for a while he even sat in an armchair and watched a Disney movie to keep her company.
It was awesome.
“Like kids,” he replied.
Gleefully happy.
I licked my lips.
He watched then his eyes came to mine and I knew he again read me.
“Want ’em, woman. Two, definitely, maybe three.”
Oh yes.
Gleefully happy.
“Yeah?” I whispered.
“Yeah,” he whispered back.
I turned in his arm and pressed closer. Deacon reciprocated the gesture, taking me to my back, his length partly on me.