Not Alone

Eight

*2003*

"Mikey?"  Jude called to me from the backseat of Eden's car that I was currently a passenger in.  Today was the third day I was spending time with both of them and each day I was with them, I felt myself loving every moment of it. 

"Yeah, Buddy?"

"Are you going to play with me when we get to the beach?"

Turning in my seat, I took in the sight of him sitting in his car seat with his swim trunks, t-shirt, water shoes and sunglasses on.  "Of course I will, Jude," I told him smiling.  "You know I love playing with you."

A happy smile stretched across the little boys face.  "I like when you play with me.  You do funny voices and make me laugh," He giggled kicking his feet. 

Jude was adorable and the connection I felt towards him was unlike any kid I had ever met.  I cared a lot about his well being and I wanted to spend a lot of time with him.  Watching Eden with Jude was heartwarming.  She was in her true element with being his mom and it was beautiful to see.  I had been honest when I told her that her being a mom wasn't a turn off for me.  If anything, it was causing me to fall harder and faster with her than anyone I have ever been with.  Eden and I had been talking for well over two months at this point with the plan to be more.  Our first date had taken place and went really well.  The last part of our plan was for Jude to be comfortable with me.  As far as I could tell, he was.  Now it was just a matter of when and how to ask her out.  I haven't done that in years and to be honest, I was nervous with the thought of doing it.

"'Jude, you need more sunscreen,'" Eden said to the little boy who was looking around the beach excitedly.  We had arrived and set up our blanket along with this little tent thing in case any of us needed a break from the sun.  "If you want to go in the water Mikey or I need to be with you, okay?"

"'Kay,'" Jude agreed while signing.  Once he was told he was all set, his little body came to my back with his hands at my shoulders.  Leaning back a bit, I allowed him to wrap his arms around my neck while I held him up a bit by his butt.  "Mikey, you need more sunblock."

I chuckled nodding my head.  "I'm going to help Mommy first with putting some onto her back then I'll put more on."

"Then can we go in the water?" He asked gaining a nod from me.  "Are there any sharks in the water?"

"Not over here by the shore.  Very, very far out from where we are there may be."

It was silent for a minute before he spoke again.  "I wouldn't want you to get eaten by a shark."

"Oh, no?" I asked with a laugh.

I felt his head shake.  "No, I like you.  I want you to keep playing with me and Mommy."

I smiled at his words noticing that Eden also wore the same expression as she sent me a wink.  A bottle of sunscreen was held out to me as she turned around.  After placing Jude back down, I took it from her squeezing a bit in my hand before massaging it into the skin at her lower and upper back.  This was the first time I was seeing Eden in something other than just everyday clothes and once again, I was blown away by how beautiful she was.  Eden in just regular clothes was a beautiful woman, but here on the beach she was in a bikini.  Clearly her and I were attracted to one another and her in a bikini was breathtaking.  The smile and eyes roaming my body once my shirt came off let me know that she was possibly thinking the same thing as I had.  Just to mess with her though I raised my brow which earned me a smirk and her eyebrows wiggling up and down. 

My eyes went to Jude who had busied himself in the sand not far away from us.  A head came to my shoulder causing my own to turn in their direction.  Eden's eyes gazed up at me as I did so and continued to look into my eyes as I kissed her lips three times.  A happy hum was heard from the woman beside me bringing a smile to my face.  My right arm wrapped around her holding her closer to me enjoying the feeling of the skin of our bodies touching, the heat of the sun beaming off of them and the sounds of Jude talking to himself as he played with the sand.  This was already the start of an amazing day which I wasn't all that surprised about.  Any day I was with both of them, was a day well spent.