Page 47 of More Than a Friend
“Can Auntie Skylar read to me?” Zoe clasps her hands under her chin. “Please, please,please?”
Ava looks to me to answer.
“Of course I can, Princess Zoe. I’ll come in when you’re all ready for bed.”
With a cheer, Zoe rushes off to the bathroom.
Gus hesitates on the end of the blanket before he looks at his mom. “I’m going to sleep in my bed tonight,” he whispers.
“Are you sure, buddy? You know you don’t have to.”
He nods his head. “It’s okay. If Auntie Sky wants to sleep over, I don’t want her to sleep on the couch. She can sleep in your bed.”
Ava and I both freeze. “Why would she sleep in my bed?” Ava asks, and I can tell she’s trying to keep her voice neutral.
Gus’s face scrunches up in confusion. “Because you two are best friends? I wouldn’t want my best friend to sleep on the couch.”
Ava and I share an amused look, and I nod. “Thanks, Gus. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, but I have to go home and sleep in my bed. Sounds like you guys have a big day at Grandma’s tomorrow.”
“Okay. Well, goodnight, Auntie Skylar.” He wraps me in a quick hug, then rushes off to get ready for bed.
“Goodnight, buddy,” I call after him.
Ava giggles as soon as he’s out of sight. “I thought we were about to have a more serious conversation.”
“Kids are perceptive. Especially Gus. I think we may need to tell them sooner rather than later."
Ava lets out a loaded sigh. “I know. And trust me, it’s not because I don’t want to tell them or scream from the rooftops how much I want to be with you, but it’s just…”
“A lot right now?” I finish for her, and she nods. “I get it, Aves. I promise I’m not upset, okay? We’ll go at your pace.”
“Thank you, Sky. Tonight was perfect.”
I peek over at the hall to make sure there are no little ones spying on us, and then I lean over and seal our mouths together. Ava’s hands come up to cup my face, and she tries to deepen the kiss, but I pull back.
I don’t want to get carried away since we can’t take it further.
“I’ve been dying to kiss you all night,” she hums against my lips before giving me one last peck.
“Me too, baby.”
“AUNTIE SKY, I’M READY!” Zoe screams from her room, making us laugh.
“That’s my queue. I’ll wait for you to settle Gus down before I leave.”
“Thank you.”
I read Zoe a story about a princess who kisses a frog, and he turns into a prince, and she’s out by the time I’m on page five. I wait just a few minutes to make sure her breathing is even, and she’s fully asleep before I make my escape.
A few minutes later, Ava sneaks out of her own room. I guess Gus wasn’t ready to sleep alone after all.
“Is he going to be okay?” I ask, wishing I could take the weight of everything off of both their shoulders. I wish I could fix the things bothering him.
Ava nods. “I made him an appointment with a therapist for next Wednesday afternoon. I don’t want him to have to keep going to church. He’s never liked it, and now it’s causing him so much anxiety he’s going through a sleep regression. I just don’t know what to do.”
I wrap Ava in a tight hug. “He’ll be okay. If you need me to fight Shea for you so he stops being an ignorant ass, I will. If you want to fight him for full custody, I’ll be there with you every step of the way. You’re not alone in this, Aves.”
Ava tips her head up to me, her hazel eyes shiny with tears. “Thank you, Sky. I don’t know what I did to deserve you.”
