Yodeling, Krakens, and Byes, Oh My! (XOXO Confessions)

5:12 a.m.

I whisper it to Andrew, in the early light of day. "I have to shave the tops of my toes."

"So you're saying that you, my wife Kelly, are secretly a Hobbit." He rubs my back.

We've woken early, and it's that pre-dawn time, when the birds tentatively start to call out.

"That's the first confession I can think of. Besides that I wish we could go back to sleep."

"I wish we were talking about sexier things than the tops of your toes."

"What's your confession? Go ahead, sex it up." I weave my legs in between his. There's nothing more heavenly than the feeling of his sinewy, strong legs, bare against mine.

"You wanna know who my bye is?"

"Your bye? I don't follow." He brushes the fingertips of one hand against the small of my back—it's doing things to me. Wonderful, warm things.

"Your bye. You know, the person that you get a pass for if he or she shows up out of nowhere and wants to knock boots with you."

"I don't think this is fair. You're a movie star. You do run into these people. You don't get a bye."

"Fine. Do you want to know who it would be if you gave me a bye?" He sticks his lower lip out for a second. "I still think I should get one, for the record."

"Okay, pouty. Who is it?" I kiss his soft, wet, pouty pout. This is becoming quite the diverting discussion, especially since it began with the discussion of toes, of all things.

"Shakira." He smiles. "I saw her at a juice bar when I first came out to California. She's in Mensa."

"You look positively wistful. Look at you, getting all misty." I give him a little nudge. He responds with a full-mouthed kiss, and I'm immediately into it.

And then there's a squawk from down the hall.

"Uh-oh." He freezes. "Don't move. You'll wake the Kraken."

The Kraken he refers to is our sweet baby Quincy. But truly, once she's awake, she's full-tilt for hours straight, wearing us out and tearing around the house. A mini-Kraken for sure.

He's very still, and I move to kiss him again, edging my body closer to him. He kisses me back, and I sigh.

And there's a holler from the baby's room.

"Now you've done it. She's yodeling." He smiles under my lips.

There's a commotion from the other room.

"Andrew? I have another confession to make."

"What is it?"

I hear another ruckus and know it's time to fess up.

"Quincy climbed out of the crib yesterday. I didn't think she'd be able to do it a second time so I didn't tell you."

We hear a cry of glee and the thumping of unsteady toddler steps, headed our way.

Andrew sits up and pulls me to him, kisses me again, long and deep, and holds me in his arms, cheek to cheek, like he's a sea captain about to leave me for a long voyage. "Fear not, my love. I'll do battle with the Kraken." He hops up and heads to the doorway. "You go shave your Hobbit toes!"