We just finished clearing the dishes from dinner when I walk up behind Kenna, brush her hair off her neck, and whisper in her ear, “I want to take you somewhere before Cadence’s bedtime. What do you say—are you up for a little Christmas Eve adventure?”
She softens into my embrace for a moment before pulling away to draw the imaginary line in the sand between us once again. “Sure, let me just grab her diaper bag and replenish her snacks.”
“Ah, yes. We wouldn’t want our little Cadeygirl to get hangry. I’ll start my truck and get her bundled up.”
We’re out the door a few minutes later and we make it to the end of the street before she cracks.
“Griff, come on. You’ve got to tell me. Where are you taking us on this little adventure?”
I know curiosity is killing her. But she will just have to wait.
I’m headed toward her parent’s house, and I wonder if she’s going to be disappointed that the surprise I have in store isn’t a visit to them. We’re going over there tomorrow morning to spend Christmas Day with them and Carson. They gave us tonight to celebrate the holiday, just the three of us. Our first Christmas Eve as a family.
A couple of minutes later, we pull up to a gated community that’s a few miles away from her parent’s house. I punch in a code, and the gates swing open.
Pulling into a long, circular drive, I put my truck into park.
“What’s going on? Is this one of your friend’s houses?”
“No. Come on, let’s get out. I want to show you something.”
“Well, you can’t just pull up to random houses on Christmas Eve, get out of your vehicle, and walk up to the front door.”
“We’re fine, Kenna. I know I can come here any time I want.” I take a sleeping Cadence out of her car seat and carry her to the front door.
“Oh, yeah? What do you think, you just own the place?”
“Matter of fact, I do.” I quickly enter the pin on the front door. The turn of the lock sounds, and Kenna’s face turns ghostly white.
“I’m sorry, I’m having a hard time following. You do, what?”
“I do own the place. I walked through the house when I came to visit over Thanksgiving and made an offer as soon as I saw it. I figured I need a place to live in the summers and a place to stay when I come to visit the two of you.”
“I don’t know what to say, Griffin. This is just a lot to take in.”
I rub her arm with my free hand in a way that reassures her that I’m here for her. “I get it. I just bulldozed you with my excitement and didn’t stop to think about how overwhelming this may be for you. Can I show you around? Maybe a tour will take your mind off things.”
“That’d be great.”
I walk further into the open living space of the main floor with Cadence still asleep on my shoulder.
Kenna looks around, taking in the space. “It’s beautiful, Griff.”
“Thanks. I liked that it's an open concept, so I can see everything this little monster is getting into when I’m cooking or folding laundry or whatever else is going on. I swear, it feels like I take my eyes off her for a second, and she’s clear across the room. Then there’s a main bedroom with an ensuite down here, but I think I’ll take the primary bedroom that’s upstairs so I can be closer to her nursery.”
I’m rambling. I know I am. I’m nervous as shit that Kenna won’t like it. Turning around to face Kenna, I question, “Do you still call it a nursery when they’re twenty months? I feel like before we know it, she’ll be in a big girl’s bed.”
She nods her head quickly, tears welling in her eyes.Shit.
“Sunshine, what’s wrong? Please don’t cry. Your aquamarine eyes are too beautiful to gloss over with tears. If you hate it, or you think it won’t be a good home for Cadence, I can get a different one. Fuck, I should’ve just had you come with me, but I wanted to surprise you and show you how serious I am.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t help it. What does this all mean, Griffin? Are you going to try to get custody of Cadence? Because I was hoping that if this day ever came, we would be able to talk this out amongst ourselves. I don’t want to get any lawyers involved if we can avoid it. I know that’s not fair of me to say, considering who my dad is. But—”
Before she can finish, I cut her off. “McKenna, stop. Here I go again, not making myself clear. I have no intention of getting lawyers involved in our lives. I want this to be a home that Cadence feels comfortable in when she comes here. But, yes, eventually, I would like her to live here full-time. The schools in this neighborhood are excellent. I made that one of my non-negotiable items on my wishlist.”
“I think I heard you wrong. Did you just say Cadence would be living here full-time?”
“Of course. The three of us will all live here full-time. Well, the four of us. We can’t forget about Ranger.”
