For Fiona

13. The Zoo

When it was time to take Fiona upstairs to get ready for bed, Lucy stopped in the kitchen to sniff the yellow roses Tim had bought for her then flashed him a smile before following her daughter into her bathroom.

Tim cleaned up dinner and went into Fiona's green bedroom where he occupied his usual spot on her bed in preparation for nightly story time.

"I want to read a book about animals!" Fiona requested enthusiastically as she bounded over to her bed. "Kojo, come on, you need to sit down. It's story time!" The dog obeyed and settled at the foot of the bed as he did every night.

Lucy perused the book options and selected one about a family of fish to read to her daughter. Fiona interrupted to ask questions about fish, and thankfully, Tim was able to Google the answers to the few they did not know.

"Fishies are so cool," Fiona concluded at the end of the story.

"You know what's cool? Going to sleep. Good night, Fi, I love you." Lucy pulled the covers over her daughter before dropping a kiss to her forehead.

"Good night. Love you, munchkin," Tim said and kissed her forehead, too.

"I love you," Fiona replied quietly before turning her head towards her pillow as her tiredness took hold of her.

Lucy waited until Tim shut Fiona's bedroom door behind him and they were alone in the hallway. At a whisper, she swooned, "She said she loves us."

"That was the first time she's ever said that," Tim responded, pride and emotion warming his whole body.

"I can't believe it," she replied as she pressed a hand over her heart to ensure she was still alive.

"She loves us." He was in awe.

Lucy pulled him into a hug as she barely held back from crying tears of joy. "Our daughter loves us." The wave of joy was enough impetus to loosely hold onto him as she rocked back to look into his eyes and request, "I know we've established our sleeping arrangements, but can we make an exception for the night?" He bought her flowers and kissed her so many times throughout the day, plus their daughter said she loves them, so she felt emboldened enough to ask for something she desperately wanted.

"Do you think Fiona wants to sleep in bed with us again?"

"I'm not asking for Fiona."

"Oh," he breathed.

"Is that...I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have overstepped."

"You didn't. I'd really like that, too."

"Are you sure? I don't want you to feel pressured."

"Pressured? Lucy, I may not be sure it's a good idea for anything to happen between us, but that's doesn't mean I don't wish it could."

"You do?"

"Was that not obvious?"

"I mean, I figured...I...you haven't exactly been clear. That's why I asked you about sushi."

He confidently strutted into her space then hooked his finger under her chin and gently tilted her head up as he slyly smiled at her. "I don't know what sushi has to do with any of this, but you know I'm a show you kind of guy, right?"

That sexy, gravely voice of his made her knees weak, and how his lips hovered over hers almost touching but not quite electrified her bloodstream.

"We shouldn't," he whispered desperately as he tried to rein himself in.

"You gave me how many princess kisses today and suddenly you're shy?" She challenged him in her eagerness.

"This is different."