Blake's eyes twinkled with amusement. "Now get out of here. You stink."
Lilliana waved a hand in front of her nose. "Stick. Stick."
"Thank you for teaching her that," I said to Blake dryly.
"That's what I'm here for," she singsonged.
On the way up the stairs, I said, "It's two against one now."
"And don't you forget it," she retorted.
I felt the warmth of the interaction in my chest. I liked the banter, the idea that she was taking care of me. I liked all of it. Too much. Sooner or later, I was going to have to tell her how I felt, and I was worried about how she'd take it.
Was I changing the rules on her by falling for her? In the shower, I let the warm water stream over me, soothing my aching muscles. I could be in the shower all day, but I was excited to get to my girls.
My girls. I liked the sound of that.
Downstairs, Blake was scooping cheesy noodles into bowls, and there was chicken already on plates on the table. "There's spicy chicken for us, and plain for Lilliana."
"Smells great. Thank you for cooking."
"I don't mind helping out. I live here too," Blake said simply as she moved around the kitchen, looking like she belonged there.
When I lived with Oakley, she expected me to pick up takeout or cook. I didn't always want to eat out, and that was a source of contention between us. For me, it was about my health. I liked to eat primarily at home and then go out only on occasion.
For Oakley, everything was a big deal, a spectacle. But I preferred quiet nights at home, eating good food and spending time with my girls.
I sat at the table next to Lilliana with Blake across from me. There was nothing fancy about the meal, although Blake had cooked kale chips, which weren't something I'd ever tried before.
She pushed the bowl in my direction. "Try these. I'm curious what you think."
I grabbed one leaf and dropped it into my mouth. It was crunchy and covered in oil and sea salt. "Better than I thought it would be."
"I love kale chips. They're addicting. I was hoping that Lilliana would like them too, but the texture is a bit too much for her."
I loved that she was introducing new veggies to Lilliana. I reached across the table and took her hand. "Thank you for being here, cooking dinner. All of it."
Blake smiled. "I'm happy to be here."
My heart was overflowing with love for her, but I couldn't tell her. Not yet. It was too soon, and too many things were up in the air: Oakley, the custody case. I wanted everything to be settled before I came out with my confession. I was in love with her.
We finished dinner, cleaning up the noodles that fell on the floor. Then I got her into the bath and settled for bed.
When I came out, the lights were dim, the kitchen clean. I found Blake outside, swinging in the hammock that hung underneath the deck.
"What are you doing?"
"Waiting for you," Blake said with a smile.
I attempted to climb in next to her, which made the entire swing sway erratically, and Blake giggled. I finally gave up. "I have to show you something anyway. Let me grab my laptop."
When I returned, she was seated on the couch, and I set my computer in my lap next to her. "I wanted to show you the specs for the maze I built."
"I'm excited to see this," Blake said, and I paused. When had Oakley ever expressed interest in my job outside of the money she wanted me to spend on her?
I opened the drawing of the maze, including the shrubbery, the different stations people could find with clues, the misters throughout, and a pool in the middle. "I think I need to add a lookout so that people don't get stuck. They can see where they've been and where they need to go."
"I love this. It's going to be beautiful. I can imagine Lilliana running through it when she's older, looking for the clues. Running from one row to another, laughing as she goes."
