Page 132 of Your Sharpest Edge
Damien looked over at Alex, who was already crossing the kitchen to get to us. “Can Alex put me to bed tonight?”
“Of course. Let me get you some dinner. You must be exhausted, you skipped your nap.”
“Did he go to bed okay?” I asked as Alex came from down the hall after putting Damien to bed.
“Like the angel he is.” Alex kissed me on the forehead.
Ledger, Dirks, and I were playing a game of Uno because Damien insisted he wanted Alex, and only Alex, to put him to bed tonight.
“He missed you,” Ledger said nonchalantly while dealing another round.
I paused, and Alex stopped moving.
Damien missed Alex. I always wondered if somehow the comfort Damien felt with Alex was odd. There had to be some sort of connection because, instinctively, he knew who was there when he was a baby.
I wondered . . .
My thoughts were interrupted by Alex when he came over and pressed a kiss to my forehead before wrapping me in his arms. “What’re we playing?”
“A game of Uno,” Dirks chimed in.
I looked at Dirks, and suddenly, everything seemed to wash away—all the pain and stress from earlier. I had a few follow-up appointments scheduled for this week, including a doctor’s appointment that Alex insisted I make for my leg, which was now not tingling as bad.
Dirks, Ledger, and Alex were all staring at me. I couldn’t confirm Alex was since I was wrapped in his arms, but I sensed him without needing to look. I looked back at Dirks and then burst out laughing.
It wasn’t any laugh; it came from deep within my belly, rich and full, echoing through the room. The laughter bubbled upuncontrollably, a joyous release that felt almost absurd against the backdrop of the day’s sadness.
Dirks’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and Ledger’s serious expression softened into a bemused smile. Alex tightened his arms around me, and his chest rumbled as he joined in, chuckling softly.
The contrast was stark—earlier, the day had been filled with tension, fear, and sorrow. Dimitri’s arrest, the lawyer’s call, the looming threat of more legal battles—it had all felt overwhelming. This laughter felt like a reclaiming of joy.
I wiped tears from my eyes, my sides aching from the unexpected hilarity.
“What?” Dirks finally asked, a grin spreading across his face despite his confusion.
“I realized that I’m casually sitting in a room with you.” I pointed at Dirks.
“Me?” he asked, confused.
Alex was laughing. He knew exactly what was on my mind.
“Yes,” I laughed.
“Why?”
“Last night I kept thinking about the moment I’d have to inevitably see you again. I was going through all the ways I’d have to face you without being like, ‘Oh, hey, remember that time I saw your... you know...’”
Ledger was the first to break out into a fit of laughter, matching mine. Alex laughed so hard he let go of me and dropped to the floor, clutching his stomach.
“Stop.” Alex held up his hand like he couldn’t take it anymore. He had tears rolling down his cheeks
“I had a very similar thought. I was never going to bring it up, obviously,” Ledger said, laughing. “But I figured you’d all be together at one point, and then how would you interact?”
“Ledger,” Dirks whined. “You’re making it worse.”
“You are,” Alex sputtered through chuckles.
“Well, what can I say? Mr. Dingles is pretty memorable.”
