The Secret Baby

Chapter Twenty-One

I woke up the following day to find my man still sound asleep next to me. I spared a glance at the monitor and saw that my little man was still sleeping too, and since it was only six-thirty, I knew Ashtyn was sound asleep as well. I slipped out of bed and quietly padded across the hardwood floor into the bathroom. I quietly closed the door behind me and turned on the shower. I stepped into the shower stall and let the waterfall gently over me. The spray of hot water helped relax me.

As I scrubbed my hair, I heard the bathroom door open and close. I smiled a little, knowing that Sam had just entered the bathroom. He pulled open the glass door and stepped into the shower. "Morning, babe." He said, giving me a kiss as he gently ran his hands down my sides.

"Morning, sexy," I replied as I began lathering my body up with soap. He stepped by me to stand under the stream of water. "I think I'm calling out of work tonight. I need a couple nights off to think about everything." I told him as he scrubbed his hair.

I rinsed off and stepped out of the shower while he finished up. I wrapped a towel around my hair as I dried my body off. I pulled on a pair of yoga pants and an old t-shirt, then towel dried my hair. I was running my brush through my curls when Sam stepped out of the shower. "You always look so sexy, even when you're in your comfy clothes." He replied, giving me a kiss on his way over to his dresser. "I'm one lucky man."

"I'm the lucky one in this relationship." I retorted, wrapping my arms around him and laying my head against his back as I held him close.

By lunchtime, I had called out of work for the night, which Noah was understanding about. I asked Sam to call Will to see if he had time to chat before Sam had to go to work. Will arrived as the kids were finishing up their lunches. "Hey man, you made it." Sam greeted him, opening the door.

"I hope I'm not too early," Will replied, coming into the house.

"Not at all. Charlotte is just cleaning Ashtyn and Fred up from lunch, then we need to put them down for their naps. Come on, come meet my little ones." Sam said as he led Will into the kitchen. I was finishing up burping Fred when they walked in. "Will, meet my boy Fred and my princess Ashtyn."

"Hon, can you wash Ashtyn up while I put Fred down for his nap," I replied. "I promise, you can hold him when he wakes up around two." I smiled at Will.

"I'm going to hold you to that, Charlotte." Will chuckled.

I kissed Sam on the way by, and he held my hips as he gently kissed Fred's head. "Anything for you, love, and you know it." He whispered, looking me in the eyes. gave him another kiss and carried Fred upstairs to his crib.

When I returned downstairs, Ashtyn was excitedly running into the living room. She stopped at her bookshelf and pulled out a book. She went back to Sam and said: "daddy book, please."

"Of course, sweety. I can read this book to you before naptime." Sam cooed as he picked her up. "Can you say goodnight to daddy's friend, Will?"

"Night Night, Mise," Ashtyn said, waving to Will as Sam carried her upstairs. He stopped briefly as they passed me so I could give her a quick kiss good night.

Once they were upstairs, Will looked at me. I gestured for us to sit on the couch or in a chair in the living room. He took a seat in an armchair as I sat down on the couch. "I need some legal advice," I explained. "Sam has asked to legally adopt my children."

"If you put Kelly's name on the birth certificates, he'll have to sign off on it," Will replied.

"Their father is listed as unknown, and they both have my last name. I listed him as unknown because I was afraid of his mother. As far as Kelly is concerned, only Ashtyn exists. He doesn't know about Fred, and I plan to keep it that way." I informed him. "Ashtyn looks like Kelly's sister; Fred looks like my dad, which I hope stays that way as he gets older."