Disastrous

Sixty Seven

I woke up with soft lips grazing the curve of my neck.

A sigh escaped me heartily, the lips against my neck curving in a grin. I opened my eyes and saw Jack raise his head to look at me, his blue eyes holding so much adoration.

"Good morning Mrs. Hutcher." He grinned, arms enveloping me like a blanket. I laughed, amused at Jack still calling me this often even though we were married nearly a year ago.

"Good morning." I smiled, Jack's lips touching mine in a soft peck.

Before I could pull him back down to me, Jack is jumping out of bed. I groan, feeling the absence of his warmth already. Jack pulls on briefs over his naked body, and I admire the view as he stands to pull them all of the way up.

He glances back at me as he's walking to the bathroom, a knowing look on his face. I don't bother to hide my blatant hungry eyes. He was my husband after all, of course I was going to check him out.

"Like what you see?" He chuckles as he opens the door to the adjoining bathroom.

I mumble a "Mmm" in response, rolling over to his side of the bed on my front; cuddled in the sheets.

Jack raises an eyebrow at me through the open bathroom door as he brushes his teeth.

I watch him as he stretches, the muscles in his back expanding deliciously as he walks towards the shower.

My god, I was acting like a newlywed. Or a teenager.

"Want to join?" Jack winks, turning the taps on beyond the curtain.

I sit up in bed, prepared to do just that.

The bedroom door opens then, Rory walking inside holding a stuffed turtle. He rubs his eyes tiredly, walking further into the room.

I glance at Jack, but he's already smiling at me.

"Parent life." He laughs as he gets into the shower, and I hoist Rory up onto our bed.

"Good morning baby." I singsong happily, kissing his messy hair before smoothing it down with my hands.

"Hi mommy." Rory responds, collapsing sleepily against my chest. I rock him in my arms and smile wide, feeling so content with my life; as a mother, as a wife. I once thought my life was never going to improve, that it would always be a mess filled with regret, selfishness, and unhappiness.

But that wasn't the case now. My children gave me a reason to be happy, as did my husband. And that's what we were. We were so incredibly blessed and happy that sometimes I would get frightened that it would all come to an end; that it was too good to be true.

I was a broken shell of a woman when I first met Jack.

He had asked me out, and I had refused. I was not in a good place with myself, there was no way I would be in a relationship.

I told myself a man wouldn't fix me, and I was right.

I sought help on my own. I went to counselling, I went back to school, I did whatever I could to better myself.

And the next time Jack asked me out with him, I was ready.

It didn't take long for me to fall in love with him. I knew it was right this time, and I hadn't a clue how I knew that. I just did, and to this day, I still do. He completes me in a way I didn't know was possible. With him here, it feels as if my family is whole; despite him not being the father of my children.

Jack emerges from the bathroom with jeans on, still shirtless.

He glistens from the moisture like an underwear model and once again, I don't hide that I'm ogling him as he walks into the room.