Delicate

Can't Help Falling In Love (Kina Grannis)

Juliet's POV

The sun shone in between the blinds on the bedroom windows, waking me up. Rolling over to glance at my phone which lay, charging its battery, on the nightstand, I read the time, 10:21, and jumped up immediately. Frantically putting on a sweater over my tank top and pajama pants, I quickly brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and raced to the bedrooms down the hall. Both beds were empty. I grew even more worried, hurrying downstairs.

As soon as my foot hit the bottom step, I could smell the delightful scent of freshly made french toast, and in that moment, I was relaxed; I knew that everything was okay.

Kelly noticed me and smiled from behind the kitchen island, holding a kitchen towel in her right hand. In front of her was our eight-year-old son, Calvin, who was pouring maple syrup on his plate of french toast. At the table was our three-year-old daughter, Chelsea, named after the place where we fell in love, grabbing the sliced strawberries off of her plate and shoving them into her mouth.

"Mommy!" Chelsea shrieked as soon as she saw me. "We made french toast!" Her dark hair was braided into a french braid, and she was dressed warmly in a light purple sweatshirt and black leggings. Her stunning green eyes were filled with joy, but both her face and her hands seemed sticky with maple syrup.

I put on a face of surprise, walking over to wipe Chelsea's face and hands with a baby wipe. "Wow, did Mama help you make them?"

"Mama helped Chelsea," Calvin replied, sitting down at his place at the table. He, too, was dressed warmly in a green hoodie and jeans. "But I made mine by myself." He showed me his plate of slightly misshapen french toast topped with strawberries and maple syrup.

"That looks delicious," I rubbed his shoulder and made my way to the kitchen area where Kelly was, cleaning up. "Good morning, babe," I greeted, hugging her and planting a soft kiss on her lips.

"Good morning, sleepyhead" she hummed, relaxed in my arms. "I made you some french toast, too," she gestured towards a plate on the island.

"Thanks for taking care of the kids this morning and letting me sleep in," I said, kissing her cheek for good measure.

She smiled, grabbing my plate of french toast and placing it in my hands. "You deserve it, especially after last night," she whispered the last part, causing me to giggle like a little girl.

I definitely was not a little girl anymore. I was officially in my late thirties, but being with Kelly made me feel young again. Even after ten years, everything she did gave me butterflies. Seeing her made my heart skip a beat. I was still so in love.

We both were.

It was crazy to look back on our relationship and remember the very beginning. It's almost impossible to believe that there was ever a time where Kelly would run away at the thought of commitment. Especially because now, she couldn't be any more committed to me or our family. No longer was our relationship so terribly delicate.

"Mama, when are we leaving?" Chelsea whined.
Both of us were sitting down at the table with our children, simultaneously eating our breakfast and making sure they were eating theirs.

I turned to Kelly and raised an eyebrow. "Leaving where?"

"Chelsea! It was supposed to be a surprise!" Calvin rebuked, loving the role as the older brother who knew better than his sister.

I continued to look at my wife expectantly, and she smiled sheepishly, a little pissed that the surprise was ruined. "Well, we all thought that since Mommy has been working so hard these past few weeks, we could all take a little weekend getaway."

"Water park!" Chelsea squealed, excitedly.

I smiled at Chelsea, patting her back to calm her down, and looked over at Kelly again, falling more in love with her every moment. "That's so thoughtful."

She blushed and looked away, sipping her cup of coffee. "Maybe next time we'll remember to keep secrets, right, sweetheart?" she tapped Chelsea's head playfully causing her to giggle.

Leaning back into my chair, I thought about just how precious this family I created for myself was. The life I had, I wouldn't trade for the world.

My train of thought was derailed by Kelly's hand which gently rubbed my back. She leaned in close to me, kissed my cheek, and whispered in my ear, "I love you."

Turning to face her, I smiled and said the same.