Page 73 of Unexpectedly In Love

Let’s not forget…. He is also amazing in bed. When he said, “Look at you are making a mess on me.” And that growl. Lord, have mercy. I slap down on the counter as I remembered our last night together. Shit I may need a moment with my rose tonight.

The muscles in my tummy flutter, the man is great in bed. I should tell Cassia so she can have some ideas for her book. But I haven’t heard from her all day. I saw Cid this morning and part of me was tempted to ask, “Where is my sister at?” I was expecting him to be chipper and happy. That’s the effect everyone has when they spend time with Cassia. Instead, Cid is darker than normal, it’s like a grey cloud is just casting a shadow over his head.

The microwave drags me out of my thoughts. Emptying the popcorn, I make my way to the living room.

The Walt Disney logo appears on screen and Kai claps and babbles to his father while sitting on his lap.

“I’m here!” Sprinting to the sofa, dropping myself on the next to Eryx.

“Just in time,”. The sound of Arabian Night booms through the speakers and Kai is focused on the tv screen. Eryx throws his arm over my shoulder, I tense, and I remember Rosemary’s words. “Give it a chance.”

I try to relax in Eryx embrace, Kai looks at me with onion in his mouth, smiles and then back at the tv. This is what home feels like to me, and part of me secretly loves it.

* * *

ERYX

As Aladdin and his pet monkey trapeze around the city of Agrabah, Anise melts into my side crunching on popcorn and our son is laying back on my chest.

Our son, my stomach quivers. My wife and my son. The top of Anise hair reaches just under my chin. I have a wife.She’s temporary,my brain pops up to remind me, but she is still my wife.

I have so many questions that I want to ask, “How was your pregnancy with Kai?”

She chuckles. “God I was so frightened. I was going through all these weird changes.”

“Any craving? Did it hurt?” Part of me craves to know what I missed out on.

“Um don’t judge me; I would mash bananas and corn flakes with chocolate and paprika together.”

She throws her head back and laughs as she looks up at my face. “Don’t knock it till you try it.”

“What about your labor?”

“My water broke in a parking lot. I had to drive myself to the hospital. My sisters were called there. Kai was just the most perfect baby. But all mothers say that.” She rests her head back to my side.

“He is perfect,” I utter under my breath.

“Can I ask you a question?” She pulls away.

“I know your dad is in a coma, but you never talk about mom. I know she passed but?—”

Pausing, I think of the woman who I had the privilege of calling my mother. I wish she could have met Kai. He has her dimples. Her wide smile.

“Should I not have asked? I’m sorry if it’s a sensitive topic,” Anise turns her head quickly to the tv.

“No. I was just thinking about where to start. She had gorgeous black hair and blue eyes. Intelligent. She would have liked you.”

Anise brightens as she gazes up at me. “Really?”

“Yeah, she would have loved how bubbly you are?—”

“You find I’m bubbly? Really?”

The need to kiss her forehead slithers inside of me, before I question myself, I do.

I don’t look at her to gauge her reaction. “Yeah, she was bubbly. Being the first female president of Oceania should have been hard for her. But she made everything look so easy and effortless.”

Kai’s head lulls to the side.

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