Lennie’s brown eyes widen with excitement. “I think my dad loves your mom, Presley,” she whispers back.
I do my best not to groan, because we are well and truly fucked now. I don’t even know what Fallon and I are right now, and here are our daughters trying to marry us off to each other, and declaring love.
If it wasn’t so fucking cute, I might be upset.
Lennie glances back to us, and catches my open eyes. I raise my brow at her, and she shrieks. Her shriek causes Presley to shriek, which causes Fallon to wake up, and also start shrieking. Soon, I’m surrounded by three shrieking women.
“Hey!” I yell. Fallon sits up rapidly, pulling the sheet with her to cover her chest, her eyes darting around as she searches for something to be afraid of. “Stop screaming!”
It’s like a light switch. All three girls stop their yelling, and I sit up, rubbing a hand across my forehead. We’re in for a long morning.
I was right.We get the girls settled, and then the constant barrage of questions begins. Fallon is quick to come up with responses to each of their questions.
“Are you getting married?”
“No, we’re friends, remember?”
“Do friends snuggle like that?”
“Daddy, why weren’t you wearing a shirt?”
“Mommy, where were your pajamas?”
So. Many. Questions.
I feel hungover from all the constant questions. My head aches, and so does my body, afterlaying in one position all night long. We have breakfast together, then it’s time to go.
Lennie, of course, doesn’t want to leave, and I can’t blame her. I’d love to stay and have a lazy day with Fallon and Presley, but I have to get to work, and my mom has a few events planned for Lennie today. There’s an almost awkward tension between Fallon and me as we say goodbye. I’m not sure whether to hug her, or kiss her, or what this all means for us. Was last night more? Was it an opening to a relationship? Do I want that? I’ve been so against a relationship for so long, so what is changing?
My reasons are still reasons. I don’t want to introduce someone to my daughter and have her get attached only for things to end badly. But that’s already happened, hasn’t it? Lennie is attached to Fallon, and Presley too. So do I really have reasons not to let myself fall into this with her?
30
FALLON
September
In the time since Jason and Lennie’s impromptu sleepover, things have been interesting. Jason isn’t nearly as standoffish as he’s been in the past six months, and he’s even started texting me every so often, asking how I am, how my day was, and so on.
It would be weird if we didn’t have that breakthrough that night. All in all, I’m still not quite sure how I feel about it. But I can’t dwell on it for too long, because I have a task at hand. Josie and I are currently having a meeting with Beau, discussing the engagement party he’s planning for Marley. Of course, she has no idea of any of it, so it’s all very hush-hush.
The event will be at Jason’s brewery, and he’s agreed to shut it down for the night for us to use. Beau’s really laid back about it all, he mainly wants all his family and friends there, and he’s leaving the rest to us.
“Okay, I have to ask. Do you know how you’re going to do it?” Josie asks, leaning forward to rest her chin on herhand. Her eyes are bright and curious as she looks at her brother-in-law.
Beau shrugs, running a hand through his shoulder length hair. “To be honest, I haven’t really planned out what I’m going to say or anything. We’re having a little family photoshoot that day, and it’s her first day back to work. I figured at the end of it all, I’d get down on one knee, speak from the heart, and go from there.”
“Awww, Beau!” Josie says, her voice tight with emotion. “That’s perfect. It’s absolutely perfect.”
“Thanks, Jos. Now, unless you need anything from me, I’m going to head home. I told Mar I had a showing, and I wouldn’t be long, so I want to get back to her and the babies.” He rises from the small table, and gives us both a quick hug before leaving the small coffee shop.
Josie and I chat about things we need for the party, what kind of flowers she’s wanting and more. We’ve talked and taken notes and planned it all out when I look at the clock and realize we’ve been here for an hour longer than I anticipated. I told Isaac I wouldn’t be long, but I don’t think he’ll mind.
I shoot him a quick text message to let him know I’ll be a little while longer, and he responds with a thumbs up.
While my phone is unlocked, I see another message. This one, from Jason.
Jason
