The Best Version Of Me

Chapter 10

"Marcel stop it." Riley whines.

"But I love you." I say.

She's running away from me because I'm covered in chocolate. It was a baking lesson that went bad. I was trying to make a cake but the batter was too runny and I turned the electric blender on too high.

"Lace, tell your daddy to stop it now." Riley says cowering behind our three year old daughter.

"Daddy stawp it now!" Lacey says stomping her feet.

I run over and scoop Lacey in my arms and grab Riley before she has the chance to run. I smear chocolate all over the both of them making them squirm and giggle as I give them chocolate kisses.

We all clean up the chocolate mess I made and then take a shower together fully clothed so that Lacey could join us. I was their hair which is a bad habit that I started and now can't break. After our shower, we get dressed in our all in one pajamas for a night of pizza and Frozen.

It's not long before Lacey is knocked out on my chest. That's her favorite place to sleep and her mother's too. I get up to put her in her Frozen decorated room. I swear Lace eats, breathes, and sleeps Frozen. She even tells Riley to comb her hair like Elsa. For halloween, we all went dressed like Elsa. Me included.

Yep. The things I do for my baby girl.

"Did you turn on her night light?" Riley asks as I enter the bedroom.

"Yep. Night light's on, she's tucked, and her toys are cleaned up. The house is locked and everything's clean." I answer.

"Good." She says as she lays in our bed.

I jump on top of her making her giggle. I look at her in her eyes and smile. She's still the same clumsy girl that ran into me while I was serving at her mom's party, just a bit older. She's still clumsy and a little awkward but I love her. She's still the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.

"I love you Riley Anne Hughes." I say to her.

"I love you Marcel Rashad Williams."

"I'm in love with you." I say so that she knows.

"I know. I mean you did buy me gorgeous diamond ring and propose to me."

"And you said yes."

"I did." She agrees.

"Thank you Riley."

"For what?"

"If I wouldn't have ever met you I would probably still be a corner boy going nowhere in life. I wouldn't have gotten a job, left Florida, and would probably be in a non-committed relationship with some hoe. You changed me. You make me want to be the best version of me that I can be. You gave me my first and only daughter. You taught me how to love hard and be kind. And most importantly, you accepted me for who I was. I want to be with you forever. I love you Riley Williams."

"Jeez Marcel. You sure lay it on thick." She says as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

I kiss her tears away and then kiss her lips. She kisses me back adding tongue, driving me wild. I kiss down her body and place kisses all over her flat tummy. Riley bounced right back into shape after she had Lacey. She was never really big to start off with though. Her stomach is flat again with not a single stretch mark on her body. If I didn't know her I wouldn't believe she ever had a kid.