First Crush, My Forever

Chapter 132

  The house is quiet when we finally get home.

  Not empty quiet. Not lonely. The kind that settles in gently after a long day, like the walls themselves are exhaling with us. Shoes get kicked off near the door. The hum of the fridge feels louder than it should. String lights from the backyard still glow faintly through the windows.

  KK is half asleep by the time we get her inside. Taytum lifts her easily, still in her vest, jacket abandoned somewhere in the car. KK's head drops against her shoulder like she has done a thousand times before. Safe. Familiar.

  "Up we go," Taytum murmurs, soft and careful.

  KK's crown is crooked. There is still glitter on her cheeks. Petals cling to the hem of her dress. I follow them down the hallway, one hand at my lower back, the other resting over my belly, grounding myself.

  By the time KK is tucked in, she is awake just enough to smile at us both.

  "Today was the best day," she says sleepily.

  Taytum bends and kisses her forehead. "It really was."

  KK's eyes flutter. "Mama T."

  "Yes baby." She reaches out and hooks her finger into Taytum's vest. "You're my mama forever now."

  Taytum's breath catches. I see it. She nods once. "Forever." KK smiles like that is all she needed to hear and drifts off.

  We close her door quietly. The rest of the house feels still in a new way now. Like this moment belongs to us. Taytum turns to me in the hallway, eyes soft and bright and tired all at once. "You okay," she asks.

  I nod. "I am. I'm just... so happy."

  She smiles. "Me too."

  We move to the bedroom, slow and careful. I sit on the edge of the bed and finally take my shoes off properly. My feet ache. My body feels heavy. Good heavy.

  Taytum disappears for a moment and comes back holding a small box. Simple. Wrapped neatly. Her hands give her away before her face does. She is nervous. I watch her for a second longer than necessary. "Hey," I say quietly, hoping to calm her nerves.

  She looks up and smiles. "Hey, wifey." That word still hits me in the chest every time.

  Suddenly our bedroom door opens and KK comes padding softly in the room with her plush bunny she got for her birthday. She climbs up on the bed beside me and leans against the headboard, half asleep.

  Taytum smiles at KK as she steps in front of me. "I have something for you. I wanted to do this here," she says quietly. "Just us."

  KK cracks one eye open. "I'm still here."

  Taytum smiles at her. "That's okay princess. You can stay." She nods seriously and closes her eyes again like she is doing us a favor.

  My chest tightens as I smile at the interaction. "Okay."

  She sits beside me and takes my hand. Her thumb brushes over my knuckles like it always does when she is grounding herself.

  "I know today was already a lot," she says. "But I wanted to give you this now. Because it's not just a wedding gift. It's... a promise."

  She places the box in my hands but I don't open it right away. I run my fingers over the lid first. Slow. Grounding. Then I slowly open it. I take everything in at once. The folded pages. The fabric. The ultrasound photo. The small card tucked beneath it all. My breath catches immediately and my hand flies to my mouth.