I turn on my heels to find Lisette leaning against the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.
“You’re just staring at my room.” She nods towardsher room. “Did you change your mind about your no sex rule or is the mess eating you alive? Because it’ll be put together when I leave, and I will clean it right now if your OCD won’t let you have sex in a messy room.”
“We’re still not having sex.” I bite back a smile when she rolls her eyes. “I don’t mind the mess.” That was a lie. It was indeed eating me alive that her bed wasn’t made and it was nearly 2:00 p.m. I take a step away from the door and she pushes off the wall.
The house smells like all of the food we’ve been cooking, but as she walks closer, all I smell is her. She used the soap I put in her bathroom, but her perfume is different—light and fruity.
“Isabelle just put her outfit on.” She smiles up at me. “When I went home to pack, I got a dress like you suggested, but if you’re matching her, then I’m going to be incredibly underdressed.”
I let out a soft laugh. “She’s just extra and needs to wear a prom dress for every occasion. Wear what you have.”
“Well, I had no other option,” she points out. “Unless you wanted me to wear nothing, of course,” she teases.
“Nothing wouldn’t be the worst outfit.” I shrug, trying to keep my heart rate down and the blush off my face, but I know I’m failing when she smiles and my ears heat.
“I’ll try the dress on and if I don’t like it, nothing it is.” She shrugs, walking past me to enter her room. I don’t hear the door close and force my feet towalk.
I slip into my room. I change into cream slacks and a brown short-sleeved button-down. When I make it to Isabelle’s room, she’s looking at her white and peach dress in the mirror. There’s a big bow on the back, and I watch as she fluffs the puffy ends.
I let her pick out her own outfits, especially for holidays, and I wasn’t joking when I said it’s mandatory to her that she’s in an over-the-top dress.
“You look beautiful, baby.” I smile down at her as I slip my phone out, but she quickly puts a hand up.
“No pictures. We need to do my hair.” She’s already walking to her bathroom and I follow close behind her. I hand her my phone and she scrolls through the album of hairstyles we put together.
When she settles on one, I get started by parting the front of her hair. Today’s hairstyle is simple, two braids hanging in the front of her face with the rest up in a ponytail.
We’re done in a few minutes and she turns her head in the mirror to examine it. “Perfect.” She smiles to herself. “Okay, pictures now.” She hops off her chair and puts a hand on her hip as she smiles at me. I stifle a laugh as I take a hundred pictures of her.
At the sound of someone laughing, I turn to the side and my breath gets caught in my throat at the sight of Lisette.
Unlike the clothes she usually sports, she stands in front of me in a dress. It’s short, too short, but not too tight, at least the bottom isn’t. The top hugs her boobs perfectly. It has long, flared sleeves, and everything about it looks perfect on her.
“Oh, Ilovethis.” Isabelle walks over to her, tugging on the sleeves. “You match Daddy.” Belle looks over at my brown shirt and I smile down at her.
“We need a group picture.” She walks over to her full-length mirror and I know better than to protest against a picture with this kid, but Lisette clearly doesn’t because she stays where she is.
“I’m good.”
Isabelle turns to her and I bite back a smile at her offended look. “Weneeda picture.”
“We need food, water, and shelter. Youwanta picture,” Lisette points out before looking up at me. “You didn’t teach your kid the difference between wants and needs?”
I let out a low laugh but quickly wipe my smile clean as Belle turns to me. She’s a little manic on holidays and I’m far from scared of my own kid, but I’m smart and I know how to pick my battles. This isn’t one I am going to fight.
I simply give her a nod and walk over to Lisette. Wrapping an arm around her waist, I usher her to stand in front of the mirror with us. “Just make the kid happy so we can eat in peace,” I grumble before smiling at the mirror, my phone pointed at our reflection.
I hear Lisette let out a sigh before she smiles and my smile quickly turns more genuine at the sight. I’m suddenly aware that my arm is still around her, but she doesn’t seem to mind and Belle doesn’t bat an eye, so I don’t move as I take another picture of us.
As I look at us in the mirror, you couldn’t pay me any amount ofanythingto believewe wouldn’t work.I almost shake my head at her words. She fits with us better than a missing puzzle piece.
“Okay, now just me and Lissy,” Isabelle instructs and I move out of the way.
Lisette looks miserable and Isabelle looks offended once again, but before she can voice a complaint, Lisette quickly forces a smile.
I snap a few pictures and my heart damn near explodes when Lisette squats to hug her for the picture. She kisses her cheek, and I quickly capture it in a picture.
“Let me carry you, baby.” Lisette lifts her and I shake my head as I see Belle about to lose her shit.
