She lifted her eyes and looked into mine as a moment passed between us.
“You make it really hard not to throw these plates to the ground and kiss the hell out of you,” I murmured, closing my eyes while trying to keep my grip on said plates.
Before she could respond, Rosie was heading down the hallway, singing another song.Quinn yanked her hands away and stepped back, tucking her head as she turned to the stove.I tried to ignore the way my dick was straining against my briefs but was thankful that my shirt and jeans were enough to hide it.
I put the plates on the counter and then grabbed some silverware while Quinn helped bring the food to the table.It wasn’t a big table, but there was plenty of room for the three of us to sit and enjoy a meal together.
Rosie’s eyes lit up when she saw her chicken nuggets, and I felt relieved that I hadn’t screwed it up.I set a bowl of steamed broccoli and cauliflower on the table, assuming it would be for Quinn and myself, but I was pleasantly surprised when Rosie asked for some.I was impressed with how much she ate as she twirled noodles on her fork and giggled every time she made a slurping sound.
Quinn and I talked about random stuff at dinner, in between stories from Rosie about the things that happened at school or while she was with Sandra.Once we were done, Quinn offered to help clean up, but I insisted that she go get Rosie’s bath started, and I would take care of it.
In addition to groceries, I had also grabbed a few things for them at the store that they would need here: shampoo, conditioner, toothbrushes, and of course, a bottle of bubble bath with princesses on it that smelled like strawberries.Rosie squealed when she saw it and asked Quinn if she could take the biggest bubble batheveras she jumped up and down excitedly.
I had cooked extra for dinner, knowing that there would be enough for Quinn to take some to work for lunch.I wasn’t sure if she usually packed a lunch, but I hadn’t seen her take anything with her the few days I had gone with her to take Rosie to school.She didn’t strike me as someone who ate out a lot, so I assumed she had been too busy and was likely skipping lunch while she tried to make up hours.
I didn’t worry about leftovers for myself since tomorrow was Friday, and I was having lunch with Trevor and Max to get some updates on the items he was working on.It felt like it had already been a long time since we first talked about it when it had only been a few days.Life was suddenly chaotic, and I was having difficulty getting in the groove with things.
Rosie giggled from the bathroom, and I smiled, thankful to hear how happy and carefree she sounded.I hated that she lived in a world where bad things happened to sweet, innocent children like her, but I was determined to make sure that she never experienced it.Losing her father was tragic enough.
A little while later, Quinn came down the hall and plopped down on the couch beside me.
“I didn’t think I was ever going to get her out of that bath,” she laughed.“Thank you for picking up the bubble bath for her, that was really nice of you.”
“Of course, not a problem.I also grabbed a few other things for you guys and left them on the counter.”
“I saw, thank you for those as well.You don’t have to keep buying us stuff and feeding us.I’m more than happy to help pay for stuff or bring our own—”
“Quinn, it’s okay to let people help you,” I said, interrupting her.
She sighed and sank lower on the couch.
“It’s hard.I had so much help when Justin first died, which was great, but now I feel like I should be able to handle things on my own.It’s been four years.I shouldn’t need anyone anymore.”
“It doesn’t matter how long it’s been.It’s okay to need help still.That doesn’t make you weak or any less of a mother.”
“I don’t know how single mothers do it with more than one kid,” she laughed, resting her head on the cushion.“I only have one, and it feels like I’m always in over my head and drowning.”
“They do exactly what you’re doing—they just keep pushing forward, one step at a time.”
Her phone rang, and she pulled it out of her pocket, smiling as she looked at the caller ID before answering.
“Hey, Mama.”
I thought about getting up to give her some privacy for her phone call, but I got a text message from Max before I could.
Max: Is she with you tonight?
Me: Yes, they’re both here now.
Max: Keep them there and make sure your doors are locked.
Me: What happened?
Max: Someone broke into her apartment.It’ll be a few days before she can go back.
Me: Did they take anything valuable?
Max: It’s more so what they left.
