Falling For You

by Lily Haycraft

  "I'm not quite sure, they're in the cupboard there" I say pointing.

  Harmony quickly rushes over to the cupboard opening it up and scanning all of my games, Chloe sits down next to me and places her head on my shoulder, I smile placing my hand on her thigh, and turning my head to kiss the top of her head softly.

  "Can we play just dance?" Harmony asks turning around to face us, not at all phased by our position, I was waiting for Chloe to move, but she never did, I guess that means she doesn't want to hide in front of her daughter anymore, I can't help but smile about that.

  "Sure cutie we can play" I smile.

  "There is not enough room for you to play baby" Chloe tells her.

  "We'll make room, get your butt up" I grin.

  "But I'm comfy" Chloe complains.

  "You can be comfy later, come on" I smile and force her to stand up.

  I quickly move the table from the centre of the room, and push it to one side up against the wall, I then quickly roll up my rug and lay it next to the table, before pushing my sofa over by the window, grinning to myself at the wide open floor that we can now dance on.

  "See, wasn't hard" I grin over at Chloe.

  "She was just trying to get out of dancing" Harmony explains.

  "You're dancing" I point at Chloe.

  "I'm not" She laughs and lays down on my sofa. "You are" I tell her and begin setting up the system, standing in the middle of the floor with Harmony. "Okay whoever wins, get's to play the next person okay" I say as I scroll through the songs.

  "I'm not dancing" Chloe laughs.

  "Yes you are" I grin.

  "Stop stop, I want that song" Harmony grins as cotton eyed joe plays through the speakers.

  "Really?" I ask turning to look at her.

  "It's her favourite" Chloe shrugs.

  The rest of the day literally consisted of us all playing just dance, it took quite a bit of persuasion to get Chloe to play, but once Harmony and I broke out the puppy faces, she immediately caved and joined in on the game, it's closing in on six o'clock and Harmony is starting to get tired now, asking if she can play Mario Kart instead, so I changed the game and left mother and daughter playing, while I made my way into the kitchen and began cooking dinner.

  I decided on something easy, and something that we could all eat, so I made barbecue chicken nachos, because who doesn't love anything to do with chicken, and barbecue, unless you're vegetarian, which I totally support, but could never do it, I love my meat too much.

  A smile splits out on my face as I feel two arms snake around my waist and a chin rest on my shoulder.

  "Hi" Chloe says softly into my ear.

  "Hey, shouldn't you be playing games with your daughter?" I ask over my shoulder.

  "I should, but I haven't kissed you properly in five days and I am really starting to miss your lips" She mumbles.

  I smile and turn around in her arms, holding her face in my hands and kissing her softly, Chloe sighed into the kiss and allowed her body to relax in my arms, everything is so natural with her, I could definitely get used to this.

  "Harmony is starting to get curious about the two of us" Chloe says as she pulls away, her hands still resting on my hips.

  "Yeah I noticed, what have you told her?" I ask. "Just that we like each other and we're seeing how things go" Chloe smiles.

  "How are things going?"

  "On my end? Wonderful, what about on yours?" "Spectacular" I smile and kiss her softly again. "So does this count as our third date?" Chloe asks and I can't help but grin.

  "Wanna reach number five already?" I smirk. "Shut up" She says pulling away and pushing my arm softly.

  "I'm just kidding, yes this counts as our third date, if that is okay with you?"

  "It's perfectly okay with me"

  "Good"

  I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I pulled Chloe into my arms and just held her, I don't think we have ever actually just hugged before, of course we have been in an embrace when kissing, but we have never just held each other before, and I am craving it, so I wrap my arms around her shoulders and pull her body into mine, and just hold her, we stand there and just hold each other until the timer goes off letting me know that the nacho's are ready, we both pull apart reluctantly and Chloe goofily smiles up at me. "I could've stood there for hours" She admits. "Me too" I whisper and kiss her nose softly.

  "I'll go get the munchkin"

  I nod my head at her before moving to dish the nacho's into the three bowls and placing them on the table, with forks set beside them, I pour myself and Chloe a glass of prosecco before making Harmony a juice and setting it near her bowl.

  My beautiful girls walk into the kitchen just as I sit down and I smile at the two of them, watching as Chloe helps Harmony onto her seat, before coming around to sit beside me.

  "Ooh wine" Chloe smiles picking up the glass and taking a sip.

  "I want some wine" Harmony speaks up. her. "Maybe when you're a little bit older cutie" I grin. "Yeah like you know, Twenty-one" Chloe smirks. "Are you telling me you were Twenty-one?" I arch my brow at

  "That's besides the point" Chloe says and I laugh softly.

  "Mmhmm"

  "Shut up" Chloe nudges me and I grin to myself. "Mama can we stay here tonight?" Harmony asks. "Honey no, we don't even have a change of clothes for the morning" Chloe explains.

  "It's Sunday tomorrow, we normally stay in our pyjama's anyway?"

  "We don't have any clean underwear or

  toothbrushes" Chloe points out.

  "I have spare tooth brushes" I jump in and watch the look of shock cross Chloe's features, maybe I shouldn't have gotten involved.

  "See mama we can stay" Harmony grins.

  "We still don't have underwear baby" Chloe continues to try change her daughters mind, I'm curious to see if she will actually succeed.

  "We can go home after breakfast and get clean ones, please mummy?" Harmony pleads, her hands now clasped together in front of her.

  Chloe is putting up a strong front, but I can see that she is starting to crack, Hell I would have cracked the second that she asked.

  "It's not me that you have to be asking, this isn't my home" Chloe says, now leaving the question to fall into my lap.

  Like I was ever going to deny that little girl with the big blue eyes and curly locks, her eyes quickly dart over to me, and I turn to total mush the second that our eyes connect, this little girl is definitely going to be the death of me.

  "You can stay"

  A huge smile breaks out on my face as Harmony practically leaps for joy in her seat and does a mini dance, this little girl already has my heart in the palm of her hands.

  Chapter Thirteen.

  Chloe.

  Harmony crashed out on the sofa around an hour ago, so Dani moved her into her bedroom, leaving the door slightly ajar so that we would hear her if she called out to us, but I doubt that'll happen, once that little girl is asleep, she doesn't wake up for no one. "So tell me more about you" Dani says wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

  "What would you like to know?" I ask resting my head on her shoulder, tucking my legs underneath me. "Tell me about your childhood, what was your best memory as a kid?"

  "The day my little sister was born" I answer truthfully, feeling a pang in my chest as I think about her, I haven't seen her in nearly four years, she would be twelve now, I can't believe I have missed out on so much of her life.

  "Really?" Dani says softly pulling me away from my thoughts.

  "Yeah she was born when I was Ten, I remember going with my father to the hospital, I had this little stuffed puppy that I wanted to give to her, I got to the room and my mum was sitting in the bed holding her in her arms, my dad picked me up and put me onto the bed and I curled into my mothers side, and looked down at my sleeping sister in her arms, that's when she asked me if I wanted to hold her, of course I jumped at the opportunity" I smile remembering everything so clearly.

  "She was so tiny, and I was
so scared that I was going to break her, but the second she was in my arms, her eyes opened and we locked onto each other, and she just stared at me with this look of wonder on her face, I was hooked from that moment, every second I could be around Sofia, I was; From the second I got home from school all the way until I had to go to bed, that little girl was my best friend, I taught her how to walk, how to talk, how to read, everything, I took her under my wing and taught her everything she needed to know" I choke up and quickly wipe at my cheek as a tear slid down my face.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry" Dani whispers pulling me in closer to her and kissing my temple.

  "You didn't, I just miss her, it's her twelfth birthday on Tuesday"

  "Have you ever tried to go back and visit her?" Dani asks and I shake my head.

  "I send her a card and a present every year, whether my parents give them to her I don't know"

  "Where do they live?"

  "Just outside of town" I sigh.

  "Would you like to go and visit her? I'll drive you"

  Dani offers and my heart pounds in my chest. I haven't seen my parents in four years, I haven't even spoken to them, I don't know how they would handle me showing up on their doorstep with my daughter, and a woman I am pursuing a relationship with, it's bad enough their daughter had a child at eighteen, let alone turn around and have a girlfriend now.

  "Chlo?" Dani probes.

  "I don't think I can" I shake my head.

  "She's your sister, they can't stop you from seeing her"

  "She is also their daughter" I whisper.

  "So are you" She says softly running her fingers up and down my arm.

  "Not anymore" I shake my head.

  "You'll always be their daughter"

  I don't have anything to say to that, so I don't say anything at all, and I am thankful for Danielle not pushing the matter.

  "Let me know if you want to go okay, I'll leave work early on Tuesday just in case you do change your mind" Dani kisses the side of my head once more, leaving me with my thoughts, not pressuring me to talk, but not leaving me alone either.

  Is this what a relationship feels like? Making sacrifices for one another, pushing each other to do things that you're not ready to do, but know that you should, holding each other when you don't want to talk, but you don't want to be left alone either? I know that I have been in relationships before, I do have a child, but they were never like this, sure they were okay relationships, but I guess we just weren't compatible with one another, because I never really had this with anyone else, I never really confided in anyone else, other than Diana, but she came later. "You okay?" Dani mumbles against the top of my head.

  I snuggle further into her body and nod my head softly.

  "Just keep holding me" I whisper.

  "That I can do" Dani's fingers find their way underneath my chin, turning my head to look up at her, her lips meet with my own in a soft kiss and we both smile into it.

  "Do you want to go to bed? Or do you want to stay here?" Dani asks.

  "Mmm stay here for a little while longer" I smile up at her.

  "Okay, let's cuddle properly then" Dani smiles and I look at her in confusion.

  She smiles and pecks my lips one last time before pulling me onto her lap and stretching her legs out on the sofa, maneuvering herself so she is laying down completely and I am laid across her.

  "Aren't I heavy?" I ask suddenly very conscious of my weight.

  "No you're not" She smiles and wraps her arms around my waist holding me.

  I accept her answer and bury my face into her neck, breathing in her scent, my fingers coming up to play with the ends of her curls, as her fingers dance across my lower back where my shirt has risen. "It shouldn't be this comfortable so soon should it?" I whisper softly, not feeling the need to speak louder. "You can't put a time on feelings"

  "I guess you're right about that" I kiss her neck softly and smile as her neck spasms and she giggles lightly.

  "That tickled"

  I can't help but to do it again in the same place and watch the reaction again.

  "Stop" Dani whines.

  "Okay" I smile lifting my head to kiss her jawline softly before snuggling back into her neck.

  "Chloe?"

  "Yeah?"

  "I can see myself falling in love with you" Dani whispers.

  My heart skips a beat and I try so hard not to break out into a huge smile, knowing she will be able to feel it on her neck.

  "Me too" I mumble quietly and bite my lip to stop myself from smiling.

  But the second I feel her face move and realise that her cheeks have raised, letting a smile spread across her face, I can't help but let my own break out. Yeah, this is what a relationship feels like.

  I wake up to darkness, realising the TV must have switched off by itself, we must have fallen asleep on the sofa, not that I'm surprised, with Dani's arms wrapped around my waist and her heartbeat playing its own song in my ear, I could fall asleep like that every night.

  Why am I awake? Oh right I need to pee, I carefully climb off of Dani, looking down at her as she continues to sleep peacefully, her arms now crossed against her stomach, no longer holding my body in her arms, I smile and make a quick dash to the toilet, my bladder about to give way from the pressure. I check on Harmony on my way back from the toilet, smiling when I see her sprawled out across the bed, clearly loving that she has so much space for herself. I head into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of water, jumping out of my skin and almost dropping the glass when Dani wraps her arms around my waist and hides her face in my neck.

  "You scared the crap out of me" I whispered. "Sorry" She mumbled against my neck.

  "Did I wake you?"

  "Mmm I missed your body on top of me" She continues to mumble sleepily, causing my heart to flutter.

  "Let's go back to sleep then" I empty the contents of my glass and follow Dani into her bedroom. I pick Harmony up and move her to one side of the bed, putting a pillow near the edge to stop her from rolling off, I climb into the middle and Dani climbs in behind me, pulling my back up against her chest as she snuggles into me, her hand coming to rest on my stomach underneath my shirt.

  "Mmm goodnight beautiful" Dani mumbles kissing the back of my neck softly, my heart fluttering once again.

  "Goodnight gorgeous" I whisper back to her, wrapping my arm over hers and lacing our fingers together, sleep taking over us once more.

  ---

  My eyes flutter open and lock onto emerald ones, I smile softly as she smiles at me, my heart doing that weird fluttery thing in my chest again.

  "How long have you been watching me?" I ask. "Not long" She smiles.

  "Hmmm" I close my eyes and snuggle my face into her chest, my eyes protesting being open.

  Dani's arm tightens around my waist, making me feel secure and safe in her embrace, she kisses me softly on my forehead and we both just lay there in each others arms, the sound of her heartbeat slowly lulling me back to sleep.

  Until the weight of a four year old dives on top of the two of us, letting us know that she is awake. "Good morning" Harmony sings.

  Dani wraps her arm around my daughter and flips them around so Harmony is laying beneath her, and begins to tickle my daughter, Harmony's head throws back in laughter, her hands trying to grab ahold of Dani's but they keep moving across her stomach, not giving her enough time to catch them.

  "I. Need. To. Pee" Harmony let's out between laughs and Dani immediately ceases.

  "Do not pee in my bed, bathroom missy" Dani points and Harmony lays there trying to catch her breath, while I just smile at the two.

  "I will start tickling you again if your little butt isn't out of my bed and in the bathroom in three seconds" Dani says and we both watch as Harmony quickly scrambles up and climbs off of the bed running out into the hallway.

  Dani collapses back down beside me, letting out a heavy sigh.

  "You're good with her" I smile.

  "She mak
es it easy" Dani smiles wrapping her arm around my neck, pulling me closer to her, I rest my head against her chest and begin playing with the strands of her hair.

  "I need to pee too" Dani announces and I chuckle moving off of her.

  "Go pee woman" I smile.

  Dani grins and jumps off the bed too, Leaving the bedroom just as Harmony reenters.

  Harmony climbs up onto Dani's bed and snuggles into my side.

  "I like Danielle" She says to me, her tiny fingers playing with the ends of my hair.

  "I like her too" I kiss her head softly.

  "Is she going to be my new mummy?" Harmony asks and my body goes completely rigid, it hasn't even been a month.

  "I don't know yet baby" I mumble raking my fingers through her hair.

  "I hope she is"

  I don't respond to her when she says that, what on earth am I even supposed to say? My daughter has fallen in love with a woman that saved her life, I can't say I blame her, kids latch onto people so easily, that you forget just how easy it is for them to get caught up in someone, maybe I should have kept Danielle at a distance first, just so Harmony doesn't get so attached incase it doesn't work out, but she is already attached and so am I, I don''t think I could handle Harmony's reaction if it didn't work out for the two of us.

  I think maybe, I should try and distance the two a little bit, If I can keep Harmony at arms length away from Dani, it should be okay, she'll learn to detach herself right? I don't want her to become dependent on her, and always wanting to see her.

  I know that Dani says she loves her, and that she is quite happy to take Harmony on, but it can be too much for people sometimes, and I don't want her to get half way down the line and want to back out, because Harmony is moving too fast.

  But I can't blame her, because kids are so easy and people don't really understand, they pick up on more than we like to think, they have their own minds, and generate their own feelings, and it's easier for them to latch onto someone because they don't know the bad in the world yet, they have never had their heart broken, to learn how to distance themselves. This is why I haven't been a relationship since Harmony, it's too much stress, because I am not just thinking about my wants and needs, I have to think about hers also.