First Crush, My Forever

Chapter 72

  The house is quiet except for the sound of KK humming while she colors at the dining table. Her tongue pokes out slightly as she concentrates, dragging a blue crayon across the page in heavy strokes. I'm on the couch with a warm mug in my hands and nowhere I need to be.

  After everything, the quiet doesn't feel empty. It feels earned and I was more than ready to leave early today when Lauren suggested I do so. I can't thank her enough for that honestly.

  KK glances up and grins at me. "Wanna see?"

  I nod and she hops down, running over with her drawing held high. It's another family picture of me, her and Taytum. This time she's added a sun with sunglasses and a cat that we definitely don't have.

  "You gave us a cat?" I ask.

  "His name is Pickles," she says matter of factly. "He likes naps and only drinks strawberry milk."

  I bite back a laugh. "Sounds like someone I know."

  She beams at me, proud of her imaginary pet, then climbs up next to me and curls into my side like she always does when she's winding down. I smooth her hair back gently, letting my hand rest on her head.

  There's a peace to this moment I couldn't have imagined months ago. KK is settled. Her world feels safe. And I'm not bracing for the next fight. I'm just here. Present.

  "You're not sad anymore," KK says quietly, her voice small against my arm.

  I pause, caught off guard. "What do you mean, baby?"

  "You used to be sad sometimes. But you smile more now," she says. "Mama T makes you smile."

  My throat tightens. "Yeah," I whisper. "She really does and so do you."

  She yawns a little, then slips off the couch and back to her crayons. I watch her from a distance, my heart full in a way that still feels new. I think about what she said about not being sad. I hadn't even realized how much I'd carried, how much of that weight had become background noise.

  It's not gone, but it's not everything anymore.

  I don't hear the door open but I feel it. That shift in the air when she's home. Taytum's keys hit the dish by the door, and a beat later she rounds the corner, a little tired looking, her hair in a messy bun and backpack slung low.

  She sees me and stops in her tracks, like the sight of me actually gives her purpose.

  "Hey baby," she says, voice low and warm.

  "Hey," I breathe as I stand up.

  Taytum doesn't hesitate. She crosses the room in three long strides and pulls me into a full-body embrace, arms locked tight around me. Before I can even say anything, she tilts my face up and kisses me... slow, sure, and deep. Her hand cups the side of my neck, thumb brushing my jaw, and the world narrows down to just her.

  My knees nearly give out. I grab onto her shirt like I need something to hold me steady, but she's already doing that without trying.

  When she finally pulls back, her forehead rests against mine. "Missed you."

  My voice catches. "Missed you too."

  "Everything okay today?" Taytum asks softly, brushing her thumb across my cheek.

  I nod, but it's more than that. "KK and I had a quiet afternoon after I left early. Your mom's suggestion when she came by my classroom today."

  Taytum's brows lift just slightly. "You okay?"