by Lexi Wilson
By the end of the day Allie was exhausted, and she finally let us put her to bed. Kaylee, my mother, Mindy, Susan, and even Styles all took her to bed together, and I realized that this was the first time that she was experiencing what it was like to have a family. She looked so little in bed clutching onto her big stuffed dog that my heart went out to her. She smiled at all of us.
“Thank you for the best birthday ever,” she said.
We all took turns giving her a kiss and then made our way back downstairs. It was getting late and the party was over, but everyone stayed for a little while longer, each of us telling stories about our own parties as a kid. It had been a good day, but I was pleased when everyone finally left.
We stood there waving at them, and then I turned to Kaylee and smiled.
“Allie is never going to forget this day,” I said to her.
She nodded. “Trust me, neither will I.”
Chapter 38
Kaylee
The party was a huge success. I felt like it was my party instead of Allie's most of the time. I had so much fun, and I knew that it had been a good day for Allie. I would've been happy if the party had just been Jaxon and I, but it was a million times better with everyone else there too. I couldn't believe that they had all come to celebrate my daughter's big day. Even Styles had made an appearance despite his busy day. Allie was fast asleep, and I was getting tired myself. But I was desperate for a shower.
"You know it was a good party when you're covered in cake," I said to Jaxon. I looked down at my shirt in surprise. How on earth had I gotten cake on it?
He laughed. "Me too. How did that even happen?"
"I have no idea. I didn't even realize I was walking around like this all night."
"I'm going to take a shower. Want to join me?" Jaxon asked.
I was surprised by the question. Jaxon and I were incredibly close and we had been through a lot together, but for some reason this suddenly felt intimate to me. I had no idea why, because Jaxon had helped me in the bath a few times when I'd gotten back from the hospital. The idea of taking a shower with him was a good one, though. I smiled and nodded.
We made our way to the bathroom and got into the shower together. I yelped when the water hit me. For some reason, the warm water hadn't come on, and we both hopped away while we waited for it to warm up. I chuckled.
"You're looking so much better," he said to me. "Your bruises are almost gone. Is it still sore?"
I nodded. "It's still sore. But it's getting better every day. You know, I barely thought about the pain today. I was too busy having fun."
The water had warmed up now, so I stood under the stream and sighed as the water cascaded over me. When the water hit my ribs, it was painful, but it wasn't as bad as it was when I first came home. I noticed Jaxon smiling at me and saw that he was trying to hide his excitement by covering himself up with a sponge.
He coughed and acted like nothing was going on. "Are you trying to tell me that you want to throw a party every day so that you don't feel pain anymore?"
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you,” I said. “A party every day. Cake every day. I couldn’t think of a better way to live.”
He laughed. “Actually, neither could I.”
I reached for the soap, but dropped it. I tried to bend down to pick it up, but the pain in bending was still too much for me. So, Jaxon got it for me. Then, instead of handing me the soap, he began to wash me. While he rubbed the soap all over my body, I felt myself getting turned on. I hadn’t had much of a sex drive lately, mostly because I was in too much pain to even think about it, and I wondered when it would return. I was also worried about having sex again, because I knew it would lead to a conversation that the two of us probably needed to have about what was actually going on between us. But as he rubbed the soap over my body, I knew that I was finally ready for it. I let out a moan and he looked at me in surprise. A smile spread over his face.
“Is this okay?” he asked me.
I smiled. “Kiss me,” I said. Which was my way of saying that I was more than okay with it.
Kissing Jaxon again was like coming home. I had forgotten how good it was to be with him. He pressed against me, and I felt him harden against my naked body. The shower was not the right place for us. I was too sore for us to have sex there, so I stopped him and told him to take me to his bedroom. We wrapped towels around us to dry off, then slowly made our way to his room. On my way, we checked on Allie, but she was thankfully still fast asleep.
Back in the bedroom, we let the towels fall to the floor, and we slowly made our way onto the bed. Jaxon was gentle with me, and took his time with me. I was incredibly turned on though, and I kept forgetting that I was still in recovery. I pulled him on top of me, and then realized what a bad idea that was as I winced in pain. He rolled off and I slowly climbed on top of him instead. This was a much better position for me, and as he eased himself inside me, I groaned in pleasure.
“This okay?” he asked as he reached for my breasts.
I smiled. “Perfect.”
The sex was slower than usual, but in a way that made it even better because it lasted so much longer. I’d missed having him inside me, and feeling his hands all over my body. I loved the way he made me feel, and how turned on I got just by looking at him. As we took our time, our eyes locked onto each other, I rode him slowly and we shared a secret smile that said so much. I had never felt confident enough to be with a man like this, to feel like it was okay to enjoy this kind of pleasure, but I couldn’t deny how much I loved his big, soft hands squeezing my nipples, caressing my back, making me feel so sexy and loved. His cock inside of me, hitting my pleasure center, felt like an explosion of the most pleasure I had ever felt, almost too much, and I felt like I couldn’t stop smiling. Jaxon was very different than Bill. Bill had spent more time looking at himself in the mirror than at me. He had spent all his spare time at the gym, making sure that his muscles were big and that he could stay strong. Jaxon, on the other hand, was softer to the touch. He didn’t spend all his time in the gym, but he didn’t have to. He was perfect to me. Anyway, I liked that he spent more time looking at me than at himself. Didn’t all girls want that? The way he was looking at me made me feel like the most gorgeous, desired, sexy, and hot woman in the world. And I loved it. And I loved him.
“Oh, I missed doing that,” I said to him when it was over. I got up and put one of his T-shirts over me and handed one to him in case Allie happened to wake up and walk in. I snuggled up to him as he wrapped his arms around me.
“I missed doing that, too. I’m sorry I never initiated anything. I was waiting to see if you were okay first. I didn’t want to force anything if you weren’t ready. For what it’s worth, I haven’t stopped thinking about it.”
“You haven’t?”
“Do you have any idea how hard it’s been for me see you without clothes on and not do anything?” he said.
“Even when I was all bruised?”
“Even then. Kaylee, even like that you are still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life. I am the luckiest man alive. I never in a million years thought that someone like you would be interested in a guy like me.”
“You’re too nice to me, Jaxon. I’m the lucky one. So, now that we’re back to doing that again, can we do it every night?” I said.
He laughed. “Yes, please. It’s so good to have you back here.”
“It’s good to be back,” I said. “Things are finally starting to feel normal again for me. Speaking of normal, I think I’m ready to go back to work now. I’ve really missed teaching. What do you think?”
“You sure?” he asked. “I wasn’t expecting you to come back so soon. My mother and Mindy have been doing a few extra shifts for us to make up for it, and they told me that they don’t mind doing more if they have to. Honestly, you don’t have to come back until you’re ready.”
“I’m ready,” I said.
“You’re still in pain.”
“Well, okay, you do have a point there,” he said.
“I do. I’m ready. And, I want to start looking for a school for Allie. I think she’s ready for it now, and I want her to start interacting with some kids her age. I think it will be good for her. What do you think?”
Jaxon smiled. “I think she’s ready for it, too.”
“Jaxon, would you mind if we went back to the other bedroom? I know that Allie is doing well, and probably sleeping so soundly after her big day, but I am always afraid she’ll wake up and see that I’m not there. She’s going to take a while to get used to the idea that things are back to normal now,” I said, and I knew that I was speaking for myself at the same time.
He nodded. “Of course. I wasn’t going to sleep here anyway. You know, when you were in the hospital I used to come back and take naps in your bed. Just because that room made me feel closer to you. I know it sounds stupid, but…”
“You did?” I said. “Wow, thank you. That means a lot to me to know that you did that.”
We climbed out of his bed and made our way back to the other bedroom. I checked on Allie again, but she was still sleeping. Her new toy was now on the other side of the bed where she had probably kicked it off, and she was spread out over the whole bed. I smiled as I closed the door and climbed into my own bed with Jaxon. Today was by far the best day I had ever had in my life.
Chapter 39
Jaxon
The next morning, I woke to an envelope lying next to me on the bed in the place where Kaylee should’ve been. My heart immediately started pounding when I saw it. What was going on? Had she decided to leave me? I was almost too afraid to open it up, scared of what I might find inside. It was a silly fear really, because I should’ve known that she wasn’t going to leave, but it was the first thought that came to mind. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that the note simply told me not to come downstairs. The note ended with the words – hope you’re hungry.
I was hungry, especially since Kaylee and I had woken in the middle of the night to make love for a second time. It was as if we were trying to make up for our time apart, and I definitely wasn’t complaining. I lay there waiting for her, wondering what she was up to. I couldn’t hear a peep coming from Allie’s room either, so I figured the two of them were together. There was something very special about the thought that they were making me breakfast. They were my family now. I knew that I didn’t want or need anyone else. And Allie felt like my daughter already, even though I had only known her a few months. She was the daughter I had always wanted. I always knew that I wanted children, and knowing that I couldn’t have any of my own had come as a huge shock to me. But adopting had always been my next move. How lucky was I that Allie was just handed to me. Like a gift from above. It honestly felt like my birthday every single day that I woke up to the two of them. I thought of the day that she had appeared on my doorstep, demanding a job from me. She’d been so cute that day, but so desperately sad. I had no idea what I was in for after I’d said yes. We hadn’t known each other for very long, but we had already gone through more than most couples go through in their lifetime together.
The door opened, and Kaylee and Allie walked in with big grins on their faces. Allie was wearing her pajamas and slippers from her birthday, and she looked adorable. She was carrying a cup of coffee for me and I could see she was being careful not to spill, and Kaylee was carrying a tray. I sat up and smiled at the two of them.
“This is such a nice surprise,” I said. “Thank you, my angel,” I said to Allie as I took the coffee.
“Coming back,” Kaylee said as she ran back to the kitchen and returned with another tray. “Sorry, I couldn’t carry it all at once.”
I looked at the food in surprise. There were pancakes, eggs, toast, and fruit. It looked like they had been at it for ages already.
“Wow. What’s the occasion?” I asked.
Kaylee smiled. “No occasion. We just wanted to say thank you for everything that you have done for us.”
They joined me on the bed, and the three of us dug in. Allie told me which parts she was involved in, and admitted to eating a lot of the chocolate chips that were meant for the pancakes already.
“I couldn’t help it,” she said with a look on her face that was impossible not to chuckle at.
“I don’t blame you,” I said. “But this is amazing, you did an incredible job. Did you sleep well after your birthday?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes. I slept like a dog and a log,” she said. She’d made up that saying a few days ago and now said it all the time. I had a feeling she said it because she knew it always made us laugh.
“That’s good. Both of those sleep very well. Although, does that mean you also snore like a dog? Because Toby snores very loudly.”
She giggled. “No! I don’t.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure!” she said. “Toby snores like a pig,” she said, and make a snorting sound that sent us all into hysterics again.
When the food was done, she jumped off the bed and declared that she was going to play with Toby the pig. I looked at Kaylee and shook my head.
“You know, if that girl changes her mind about becoming a guitar teacher, she should more than likely look into becoming an entertainer. She’s hilarious.”
Kaylee laughed. “Oh, I know it. She’s been my savior, Jaxon. All these years living with Bill….well…I’m not sure what would’ve happened if I didn’t have Allie with me. She kept me entertained. She lost her spark in the last year, though. I think she was starting to realize what sort of a man her father was. I think she noticed some of my bruises. I did my best to hide it from her, but she’s a smart girl. I think she was starting to figure it out. She went really quiet in the last year, and she never really mentioned Bill. It was strange. It was like he didn’t exist for her. I guess that was just her way of coping, you know. We all have our methods. That was hers. It’s so good to see this side of her again. I haven’t seen her this lively in a long time. It’s because of you, you know.”
I shook my head. “No, it’s because of you. You’re the best mother she could’ve asked for. Not everyone would’ve done what you have done for her.”
“Jaxon, you barely know us. Yet you took us in and you treated us like we were a part of your family. Nobody has ever done that for me. And the fact that you have been so good to Allie too is just incredible. Anyway, it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to make you breakfast this morning. I want to make you breakfast every morning. I wanted to say thank you for everything, and to tell you how much you mean to me.”
“You’re going to make me breakfast every morning?” I said with a grin. “Does that mean you’re going to stay here?”
“Well, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I never intended to just move in here, you know. I was only supposed to stay here until I had enough money to find my own place. I think I can do it now. If you…”
“No way,” I said, and shook my head. “You’re not moving out.”
She smiled. “I’m not?”
“Nope. I already thought I lost you once. There’s no way I’m losing you again. Anyway, this house would be so boring without you. And who’s going to make me breakfast in the morning and giant heart-shaped cookies? No, I think you should stay. I really think you should stay. If you want to, of course.”
“Oh, I want to,” she said.
“Then you’re staying.”
“There’s two more things,” she said.
“Two?”
“Yes, first…I have a present for you.”
“You do? But you’ve already given me breakfast.”
She laughed. “Well, I have something else for you,” she said, and she reached under the bed and pulled out a present that I didn’t know was there.
I opened the gift and laughed. It was a pair of dog slippers like Allie’s. Sh
e pulled out another pair for herself and held them up.
“I figured we’d look good as a family.”
“When did you get these?” I asked.
“When we were buying the gifts for Allie. I was very sneaky.”
“I love them,” I said, and put them on.
Kaylee got up and put hers on too. She looked adorable. I couldn’t wait to get a family photo of all of us in our slippers. Then she came up to me and sat on my lap.
“There’s one more thing,” she said.
“What’s that?”
She bit her lip. “I love you.”
“You do?” I asked with relief. I had been waiting a long time to hear her say it.
She nodded. “Oh yeah. I’m madly in love with you. I don’t know why it has taken me so long to tell you. Truth be told, I’ve loved you for quite some time.”
Epilogue
Kaylee
A year had passed by, and I was finally feeling at peace with everything in my life. I smiled at Dr. Benjamin Sanders, who refused to let me call him anything except Ben. I’d been seeing him for almost a year now, but I had a feeling I wouldn’t be seeing him for much longer. I had gotten all that I could out of him.
“Thanks for listening again,” I said to him as I stood up to leave. I was always surprised at how quickly our hour-long sessions went by. I had been so nervous the first time coming to see him, and so embarrassed. But it didn’t take me long to feel at ease with him, and for his sessions to start helping me in the way that I needed. Having someone to talk to that wasn’t involved in my life in any way had been hugely helpful. And knowing that he had talked to so many people with situations similar or worse had been helpful too. Mostly, he’d listened, and he’d given me a platform to talk without shame. But I had a feeling I was almost done. I was ready to move on now, and I was tired of dredging up the past.
