Page 47 of Beauty Of Her

I joined Sara and Zoe, each choosing plain cheese slices.

“Girls, how about we go ape and get one of each slice?” And I wasn’t lying either. From the pepperoni to the veggie slices, this place produced high-quality shit.

“Brett, they’re fine with plain slices,” Julia said, pushing the steaming slices to her girls.

“Did you ask them?” I popped my brow in Zoe and Sara’s direction and immediately knew they were with me. They wanted it all.

“I mean, I wouldn’t mind trying that broccoli slice.” Sara pointed to the mouthwatering triangle with cheddar sprinkled over the florets.

“What about you, Zoe?” I asked, tipping my forehead.

Zoe bit her inner cheek, fighting what she wanted because she would actually agree with me if she gave in. She hesitated, glancing between her mom and me. “Nah, I’m fine.”

I didn’t buy it. “Okay, I will go with that hot honey pepperoni slice.”

“Hey, I liked that one,” said Zoe, and then she stopped. Caught.

“We’ll have two hot honey slices,” I said to the teenager behind the counter, holding up two fingers.

Zoe glared at me. Clearly annoyed I called her out on the bluff, but underneath the facade, there was a hint of amusement in her eyes.

We sat down at a booth with our overloaded plates of pizza. The tension that had once lingered in Julia's eyes seemed to have faded away, replaced with a warmth mirroring mine. This was a huge step for us. From me barely meeting her children to doing it completely unplanned and under tense circumstances, I’d call this a fucking grand slam. The table fell quiet as everyone devoured their slices, which was always a great sign of excellent food, and this pizza was amazing. The twins sat across from us while Julia’s leg pressed against mine, creating a warmth I didn’t want to fade.

“If you haven’t already, you’ll fall in love with the pizza.” Julia held up her Chicken Marsala slice.

I peered at Julia, savoring each bite while she exchanged adoring glances with her girls. It amazed me how full one woman could be. It sent a jolt to my chest because Julia was right about one thing. I was falling in love.

Since soccer practice, it was like Brett officially became a part of our trio. We were no longer a girls’ house. We became this new unit that was closely resembling a complete family. Yes, the girls still saw Peter on his designated weekends, but when all four of us were together at home, it eerily felt natural. This was what everyone waited for. Despite only being a month since we started this new home life model, it felt like we had been doing this forever.

The days blended into each other seamlessly, with Brett effortlessly fitting in. His laughter filled the rooms, his presence bringing a newfound lightness to our home. It was as if he had always belonged here like we were made for each other. Even the whole age gap idea started to pale in my mind. How much did this number actually mean for us? Granted, we never revisited what we wanted in our futures, but it must not have been heavy enough to mention. We were living. Enriching one another and operating like the team I always wanted. Always needed.

It was a Thursday when I came home and, to my utter surprise, found Brett sitting between Sara and Zoe at the kitchen table. I paused at the front door, making sure I wasn’t dreaming. No, this was all very real unfolding before me. He was helping the twins with their math homework and, from the looks of it, struggling. It wasn’t like I was surprised to see him at the house because he was supposed to come over after work. I just didn’t expect to view my girls so comfortable with him.

With his brow furrowed in concentration, Brett tried his best to explain algebraic equations to Sara and Zoe. They giggled at his attempts, but it wasn't mocking laughter. It was the laughter of camaraderie, of shared trust and affection. A tingly warm sensation spread in my chest, seeing them bond over the tortuous math homework as if they had known each other forever.

Stepping further into the kitchen, I couldn't help but smile. “Are you helping them or just confusing them even more?”

“This curriculum is bullshit,” said Brett, lifting his eyes to meet mine.

The girls laughed…even Zoe.

“Seriously, they like to mix a million different topics together. I hated this in school and still do now.” Brett slammed the book closed, pushing it away. Zoe reached for the textbook, drawing it back.

“Well, we still need to do the homework,” added Zoe.

“It’s not that bad. The book shows examples with all these arrows. Eventually, it makes sense,” said Sara, leaning over her sister’s shoulder.

“Keyword, eventually. And I did all right in school. I was a solid B plus student throughout.” Brett held up a finger.

I laughed, walking over to my trio. I kissed the girls’ heads, them paying little attention to me, and then I squeezed Brett’s shoulders. We were careful never to outwardly kiss in front of them, just exchange simple forms of affection.

“So, do we know what we’re having for dinner?” I pulled the chair out next to Brett’s and sat.

“Brett said he’d barbecue,” said Sara, head buried in the textbook.

Just then, a rumble of thunder vibrated throughout the house. “I think there goes that plan,” I said, glancing out the window as the first pelts of rain slapped against the window.

“I don’t mind. It won’t take long. I’ll go out with an umbrella,” Brett said, rolling up his sleeves.

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