Page 86 of Until the Ink Dries

“Daddy, I saw you this morning. Ms. Willow’s been gone for a long time.”

It had only been a couple of days, but that probably seemed like a lifetime to her.

“You see how she does me when it comes to you?” he said, peering over at me.

I laughed. “Don’t be jealous. You’ve had her for five years. You can share her.”

“Are you bringing Ms. Willow back, Daddy?”

“Yes. Once we get her all packed up, I’m bringing her home.”

“Wait, you came to help?” I asked.

“You didn’t think I’d let you do this by yourself, did you? I had to make sure you came back.”

I cupped his chin and kissed his lips. “I was never not coming back.”

“Ms. Willow!” Charlie said, gasping. “You kissed my daddy!”

“I like kissing your daddy.”

She scrunched up her face. “But why?”

I laughed. “Because I care about him very much. When two people care about each other, it’s okay to show affection like that.”

“Daddy, do you care about Ms. Willow?”

“Very much, baby girl.”

She smiled. “I guess it’s okay. Can I see your house, Ms. Willow?”

“Sure, you can. It looks a mess right now, but I’ll give you a tour.”

I stood from the chair and commenced to giving her a virtual tour with Benjamin right behind me. Once she was satisfied, we talked for a little while longer before she had to go get ready for bed. We said our goodbyes and disconnected the call.

“I can’t wait to see her little face in person,” I said, handing the phone back to Benjamin.

“She can’t wait, either. I’ve heard your name more in the last couple of days than I have the whole time you were in Rose Haven. Trust me when I say, she’s counting down the days.”

I giggled as I sat on my bed. “She’s been doing better?”

He nodded as he took a seat beside me. “She’s hanging in there. I slowly see the light returning to her eyes.”

I grabbed his hand. “She’ll be okay. We’ll make sure of that.”

His gaze met mine. “We?”

“Yes, we. I’m gonna be right there… I mean, that is if you want me to be.”

He nodded as he cupped my face. “I want you to be. You don’t know how much I fuck with you off the strength of Charlie alone. That’s my baby. My fucking heart in human form. I can’t and don’t trust just anybody with her.”

“I know. Like I said, I love her, Benjamin. She’ll always have a friend and safe space with me. I promise you that. You can trust me with her heart and yours.”

“I know.”

We shared a passionate kiss that led to clothes coming off and him on his back while I rode him into the sunset. I was happy to have him here and even happier that when he left, I was leaving with him.

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