volunteered to help in the kitchen if you know what I mean. I swear this is the last party I’m throwing.”
Phil and I eyed each other and smiled. She’d said that the last time they had a party.
“I’m serious this time!”
With that, she disappeared again.
Eventually, we finished, and everything looked to be in its proper place. Phil and I stood back, admiring our handiwork.
“Holy shit, we did it,” he mumbled in awe.
“Yup, I had my doubts halfway through, but it seems we did it right. She’s going to love it.”
The castle was complete with a Rapunzel doll, a horse, and Eugene. Me knowing the names of the dolls was an indication of how much time I spent with Kaylee watching her favorite cartoons. The dollhouse was three floors in total with an elevator leading to the second and third floor. It also had a balcony, hot tub, garden, two-door garage, and a host of other rooms.
“We should get everyone to look at it now,” Phillip said.
We trudged down the stairs. Phil and Noelle had converted the backyard into a playground with a bouncy castle, where Kaylee and several of her friends were jumping up and down.
Noelle stood just inside the back door, overseeing the kids, but Ashton was nowhere in sight. Noelle’s friends were chattering in the living room.
“Where’s Ash?” I came to a stop beside her.
She laughed and pointed at the bouncy castle. “Look for yourself.”
How could I have missed him? He stood out from the children, smack-dab in the middle of the bouncy castle, oblivious to the adults who were watching him.
The kids shrieked with laughter, and he right along with them. He looked so carefree in that moment, free of all worry of drinking and mothers with unrealistic expectations.
“Where did you find this guy?” Noelle asked me, poking me in the ribs. “He’s a delight.”
“I think we found each other.”
I only realized what I said when I noticed the silence. I glanced at Noelle and groaned at the sappy look she had on her face.
“Oh, you’re in love with him,” she said. “How exciting! I just knew it from the way you introduced him to us when you just got here.”
“Try not to make a big deal about it, okay? We’re taking everything a day at a time. I don’t want him to feel pressured or anything, so if you have expectations, please don’t voice them.”
“What expectations? You mean like the way the guy should be wearing your ring, given the way he looks at you.”
“It’s complicated.”
I didn’t say more than that. The difficulties Ashton and I were facing were our business. His intoxication problem was his issue I was helping him through. I wouldn’t talk to anyone about it. Phil obviously knew some things.
In the month before we got together, Ashton had come to the coffee shop drunk on more than one occasion. Phil didn’t need to know how grave the situation was, though.
Phil plunged forward to get Kaylee to show her the dollhouse. All the other kids wanted to tag along as well, and he led them toward the house.
“It’s about time to eat now anyway,” Noelle said, following her husband and the kids inside, effectively leaving Ashton and me alone. “You should show Ash the bathroom and have him wash up. We’ll eat out front where we have tables set up.”
I nodded, then strode toward the bouncy castle, where Ashton was still jumping to his heart’s content. The closer I got to him, the more my smile grew. He was like a little kid who had discovered something new. He turned toward me, his grin wide.
“Are. You. Coming. To. Join. Me?” He said every word with a hard bounce, and I stared at the rocking frame, expecting it to topple over any second now.
“Can that thing even hold us both?”
“Only. One. Way. To. Find. Out.”
“You’re having fun?”
“Oh God, yes!”
Each time he jumped, his shirt rode up, showing off pale white skin. The smile he flashed me lit up his whole face. Such a stunning difference from the way he’d looked stressed after dealing with his mother.
“We’re about to eat,” I told him. “Come, let’s get you cleaned up.”
“I. Don’t. Wanna.”
“Ashton,” I said his name patiently.
“Daddy?”
He wasn’t going to listen to me. I could tell. With a groan, I resigned myself to what I had to do. I slipped off my boots and climbed into the bouncy castle to Ashton’s squeal of delight. Almost immediately I was flying in the air from no real effort