The number of bodies in our bed more than doubled overnight. It was hardly surprising to have Swiftie and Karma join us, that was expected, but Dani ended up wedged between us as well. She'd come into bed, crying in the middle of the night, having had a nightmare that only Zee whispering to her in Spanish managed to soothe. I didn't know what was wrong, but I hoped that Zee would be able to explain it to me once we were up and alone again.
"Good morning, cutie," I said to Dani as she stretched between us. "Thanks for visiting us last night."
"You're welcome," she replied glumly while Zee spooned her. "I'm sorry I woke you up."
"Don't be, mariposa," Zee assured her. "You're always welcome here with us. We'll take care of you when you have your scary dreams." Dani had been thrilled with the nickname that Zee had given her, as it was the Spanish word for butterfly, and Zee had told her that she was like a little caterpillar that was now turning into the beautiful butterfly, and that was why she called her that. Did I cry some happy tears when I heard that? Yes, I very much did. Zee was truly amazing with Dani, and I was confident that if we did decide to have another child, she would be an amazing mother for them too.
There was a good chance that we'd have a full house, and we might need to reconfigure the basement for more bedrooms and move Zee up to my room very soon. Gracie and Jashanna would love that, as they'd have the basement to themselves that way, and Zee would be in my bed every night. As well as things were going, that might be the smart move. That would free up a bedroom near Dani for future expansion. At a minimum, there was no reason to delay moving Zee up with me. I'd miss holding her at night if she stayed downstairs.
"I love you both," she said softly. "You're great moms."
I wrapped my arms around Zee, trapping Dani between us. "And you're a wonderful daughter. I'm glad you're with us now. I can't wait to see you grow up into the beautiful butterfly that Zee can already envision."
"She's going to be amazing," assured Zee. "We're going to be so proud of you." It was like she was manifesting it, and I could see Dani soaking in the compliments.
"Thanks, Zee. I'll do my best." Dani gave me a hug, and then squirmed until she could turn and give Zee one too.
"Do butterflies like pancakes?" I asked Dani. "Because I'm pretty hungry. How about you?"
"Mmmm! Butterflies love pancakes!" she replied quickly. "Especially if you put chocolate chips in them." I should have known, another new type of pancake, though it was close enough to Gracie with her m&ms. Luckily, I always had chips in the cupboard for making cookies!
"I'll put extra chips in for you." The smile I got in return made it all worthwhile, and a short time later we were in the kitchen working on breakfast. Zee and I had gotten pretty good at that. She took care of the bacon and got the various sweets out while I made the batter and got the fruit prepped. It was hard not to smile while cooking, and even more so when the other girls popped downstairs, begging for tea and coffee, which Zee had already brewed and set up in mugs. No, I wasn't going to ask her to marry me based on cooking breakfast together, but the ease at which we were now able to work together and silently communicate in the kitchen was just one more indicator that our future was bright.
Indeed, we were getting stronger and stronger as the days passed. Hell, even when Denique showed up to visit Hollie for Christmas, there wasn't even a hiccup in our routine. Yes, she looked at the two of us a little oddly at first, but she was quick to point out that she'd only known Zee as her roomie, and never knew that we'd met before the semester even started. She even added that she thought we looked great together after spending less than a day with us. Not that I needed additional validation, but it did feel good to hear that from someone who knew Zee for the last few months.
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Uncompromising (Age Gap, gxg)
RomanceWith her almost 20 year marriage beyond repair, Demi Meadows is sick of playing games and being taken for granted. She needs something real, and someone who truly loves her instead of cheating on her for years. Her kids are almost out of the house...