Page 32 of Taming You

“He’s adorable,” I say, handing the stuffie back to her.

She smiles as she looks down at it, flopping his ears a few times.

“You’re welcome to stick around and wait for Jayden to wake up, if you want,” I say. “I’ve got to do some dishes, but you can chill and watch something.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Of course. One hundred percent.” I’m starting to ramble. I never get this way. I don’t get flustered around women, but I want her to stay. I want to be close to her, and something about her has me losing all my footing.

“That’d be great.”

I nod and hand her the remote before making my way to the kitchen. She puts on some home renovation show and provides commentary as I load the dishwasher and clean the counters. When I’m done, I quickly whip us up some food as the next episode comes on.

When I approach the couch with two bowls, she looks at me with a raised brow.

“KD with sausages,” I say, and excitement practically radiates off her. Her and Liv loved mac and cheese growing up, and it’s a food they still love to eat. I only really keep boxes of the stuff in the house for them.

I pass her the bowl, and she immediately adjusts herself, crossing her legs and getting comfy as she digs in.

As the TV shows the kitchen pre-renovation, Zo makes a face.

“What was that?” I ask.

“Hmmm, pardon?” she says as she takes a bite.

“You made a face.”

She looks at me and then back to the TV. “Oh, that kitchen, it’s hideous.”

I chuckle. “Okay, what did you hate about it?”

“Those cabinets were such an ugly colour, and don’t get me started on their lack of storage and all the appliances on the counter and their full outlets. Their countertops don’t match the rest of the kitchen, and the whole space just looks super cramped.”

I nod. “So, you like open kitchens with brighter colours and clear countertops?”

“Oh, one hundred percent. I like an open kitchen that encourages conversation. I don’t want to feel cramped in the space. Realistically, you spend so much time in that space, I don’t want to feel anxious about it.”

Her reasoning makes total sense, and I get what she means about the colour of that kitchen—definitely not appealing.

She points out a few more things she dislikes about the place pre-renovation and then oohs and awws about the finished product. The episodes roll into one another, and when Jayden starts to cry in the other room, Zoey is up and off the couch faster than me and making a beeline straight to my bedroom.

“Oh, is my Jaydie boo awake?” she coo’s as she approaches his crib.

His arms flail upwards as she leans over and reaches down for him.

She bounces him as she talks to him. “Did you have a good sleep?”

His sobs die down, and he settles for her.

She leans forward to put her mouth on his tummy, and her face pinches. “Oh, someone needs a diaper change,” she says.

I reach for him. “I’ve got it.”

She lets me take him and helps gather the necessary things while I get him settled on the change table.

“Did someone go poop?” I ask as I dance my fingers up his front and bop him on the nose, causing him to giggle before I undo his onesie.

Zoey and I work in perfect sync as I change him and she hands me things. We don’t have to say anything, anticipating the other person’s move and it feels so natural. I never thought I’d be standing over a dirty diaper thinking I love how effortlessly I move with someone, let alone Zoey.

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