Page 12 of Kane's Awakening
At the mention of my fling, I scanned the surrounding faces, but didn’t see him. He was probably long gone by now.
“He left,” I answered, feeling suddenly exhausted. Being around so many people for that long was draining, and the upset about the mystery guy didn’t help. “Can we leave?”
Anna’s dark hair was pulled to the side and flowing down her left shoulder, and by her stumbling movements, I knew she was drunk or close to it.
“Leave?” she asked, looking at the two shirtless guys who were now making out. “No, we just got here.”
“We’ve been here for over two hours. I just wanna go home and go to bed.”And wallow in self-hate for giving in to some stud with nice abs and a pretty face.
She snarled her upper lip, showing her dissatisfaction with being out with an introvert like me. “Ugh, fine. Party pooper.”
***
Even if I’d wanted to forget the random encounter, my ass reminded me of it the next day. And even some the day after that. It really had been a long no-sex dry spell for me. I plopped down in a chair to eat breakfast that Sunday morning and winced.
“Daddy, what’s wrong?” Isabella asked, looking up from her bowl of cereal. She and Theo had come over Saturday afternoon to spend the rest of the weekend with me.
“Nothing, sweetheart. Finish your breakfast.”
She gave me a curious look before dropping the subject.
How embarrassing.
“Theo is still sleeping,” Izzy pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone. “It’s almost nine o’clock. He’s so lazy.”
I grinned at her sassiness. Just like her mother.
I stood and kissed the top of her dark hair. “I’ll wake him, little tattletale.”
She giggled and turned her face away. Still smiling, I walked out of the kitchen and down the hall toward Theo’s room.
My one-story house had three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a decent sized living room and kitchen, and a huge backyard. It was bigger than what I needed being a single man, but it was comfortable. The kids had enough space to run around and play, and they had their own rooms.
When I was younger, I had fantasized about living in a house like mine, however, in that fantasy, I always had a man by my side to share it all with.
Like that’ll ever happen.
Even my thoughts were negative. No wonder I was alone. If I wasn’t battling severe anxiety, I was being a hardcore pessimist. The only time I was happy was around my family. They brought out the best of me.
Seeing Anna and Brian together hurt, though. Not because I had feelings for her, but because I was envious of what she had. A partner. Someone who stayed by her side and who she’d made a life with. Someone to grow old with and love all the days in between.
Reaching Theo’s room, I pushed open the door and walked inside.
A blanket covered only half his body and he was lying sideways on the bed, his feet jutting out over the edge. His pillow was on the floor and his room looked like a tornado had hit it. I had no clue how he was comfortable or how he slept in such a mess.
I snickered at the sight of him and approached the side of the bed. “Hey, sleepyhead. Time to get up.”
His nose crinkled and he opened his mouth, releasing a sharp snore. The noise woke him up and his eyes popped open. He blinked at me, confused, and then sat up. His dark hair was in a chaotic mess and stuck out in all directions, except for one side that had a wad of hair sticking straight up like Ace Ventura.
“Morning,” I greeted, trying to keep from laughing.
“Can I have some waffles? I’m hungry.”
Famous first words. Of course food was the first thing he thought about. The kid could eat everything in sight and still have room for more. I didn’t know where he put it all.
“Sure you can, buddy. Come on.” I stepped back to give him some room and bumped into a bulky bag on the floor, almost tripping. “And you’re cleaning this mess up when you’re done.”
He smiled and rubbed at his eyes. “Yes, sir.”
After he finished his waffles—which he’d smeared with peanut butter and drenched in syrup—I cleaned up the kitchen before the three of us went to watch cartoons in the living room. They sat on each side of me on the couch as the show played, and I cherished the moment with them.
When they got older, they wouldn’t want to do things like that anymore. They’d be too busy hanging with friends and dating—I cringed at the thought. Moments like that made me count my blessings.
Sure, I didn’t have a man, but I didn’t take for granted what Ididhave. A beautiful family.
I’m sure I’d find my happy ending eventually.
