I Get A Kick Out of You

Chapter 44

"There's my baby!" Cassie excitedly squealed as Ethan was running over to her. He embraced her in a huge hug and she squeezed him impossibly tight to her. "Mom," he grunted with amusement in his voice, "I can't breathe!"

She reluctantly let him go as she said, "Alright, alright sorry. I just haven't been without you for so long before! I missed my baby boy." She smothered his head and face in kisses and he tried to push her off to save him the embarrassment.

When they got home, all of Ethan's attention was on Maverick. The pup was so excited to see his human again! "Alright, kiddo, what's for dinner?" Cassie asked him. "I have pasta, mac and cheese, I can do grilled sandwiches and soup. What'll it be?"

Ethan thought for a moment, then asked, "Are Ben and Cillian coming over?" She looked at him oddly. "That's not dinner," she told him. He rolled his eyes as he said, "I know, but are they?" Putting her hands on her hips with an amused smile, she asked him, "Why? Don't want to hang out with your mom now that you're going to be a big, bad eighth grader?"

He laughed as he told her, "No! Cillian and I need to finish the game we've been playing and we haven't played it for an entire week! Come on, mom, it's Summer!" He gave her his big blue pleading eye look that he knew she couldn't resist.

With her amused smile still on her face, she picked up her phone and called Ben.

"Well, hello there, gorgeous. Might you be calling because Ethan and Cillian have a super important game they need to finish?" Cassie giggled as she told him, "That's right. So much for our plan to take a small break to spend more time with our kids. How's five o'clock sound? I'll order the pizza if you can pick it up."

He chuckled, "Deal. See you in a bit, love." Cassie hung up and turned around to see Ethan anxiously waiting for the verdict.

"You have two hours to clean up your room, or else you boys are staying down here with us to watch some boring movies." Ethan's face lit up! He hugged his mom around the waist while thanking her a million times! He then bolted up to his room and Cassie couldn't help but shake her head with a smile.

She ordered the pizza and paid for it over the phone (something she knew Ben would not be a fan of), then cleaned the place up a bit more. She checked to make sure Ethan was doing as he was told and was happy to find his room was cleaner than it's ever been!

He really must want Cillian to come over.

At five o'clock, there was a knock on the door. Ethan was downstairs answering it before Cassie could comprehend the knocks!

"Come on, Cill, I've got it up and ready to go!" Ethan excitedly said the moment he opened the door. Both boys bolted upstairs, leaving their parents confused. "Erm...alright, I guess we'll eat this pizza all buy ourselves!" Ben teasingly called.

There was no response.

"I guess we really will be eating this all ourselves," Cassie said. They went into the kitchen where Ben set down the pizza and Cassie got some paper plates. As she was setting them down, Ben gently grabbed her from behind and turned her to him.

He smoothed his hand down her waist as he said, "Hello, you." She wrapped her arms around his neck with a smile. "Hello," she said. "Miss me?" He pulled her flush to him and said, "You've no idea." With that, he gave her a deep, passionate kiss.

She hummed in approval and got up on her tippy toes to get closer. When she pulled away, she looked like she wanted to say something. Ben gave her an odd look. "What?" He asked with a smirk.

"Uh...nothing," she told him. "Wine with pizza? Or beer? I have beer." He watched her with an amused look as she got both wine and beer from the fridge. She held them out in each of her hands expecting him to choose.

He laughed. "Darling, seriously, what is it?" Sighing, she put the alcohol down on the counter and started getting some glasses. "It's nothing," she told him. "I just had a thought. It was stupid and I don't want to talk about it, okay?"

Respecting her wishes, he nodded and went up to the drinks. "I'll take a beer," he said, grabbing the can. Cassie poured herself a glass of wine (in a years old Lightening McQueen Cars cup of Ethan's) and took a giant swig.

"I was going to ask you to move in," she blurted out. Ben immediately gave her a double take. Before he could say anything, she quickly said, "Like I said it was a stupid thought, but we can't seem to be away from each other for more than a night and the boys love each other, I'm sure they'd be ecstatic, but...you know what? Forget I even said anything."

She poured herself some more wine, then started towards the living room. Ben was quickly following. "Well now, hang on," he said, "let's talk about this." She shook her head and went up to the DVD rack.

"Movie or a show?" She asked, obviously not looking at any of the DVDs. "Cass," he breathed out with a small laugh, "baby, look at me. Come on, love, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." He gently took ahold of her arm and turned her around to face him. She was almost as red as a tomato.

He set down his beer, then cupped her face with his hands. "Cass," he chuckled, "don't be embarrassed. Do you know how many times I've almost asked you that? How many times I've almost asked you to marry me, to bear my children? Those thoughts are constantly running rapid in my mind!"

She scoffed, "Yeah, but you didn't belt it out! God, I need to check my mouth filter." She was about to take another swig of her wine, but he stopped her. He gently took the cup, set it down next to his beer, then moved his hands up into her short hair.

"Sweetheart," he whispered, their noses touching and lips grazing, "do you want me to move in with you and Ethan?" Without hesitation, she told him, "Yes. God, yes, Ben. I hate it when you leave and I know Ethan does, too. Could you imagine the boys living together? They'd be so happy."

Moving his lips closer to her ear, he asked, "But would you be?" She moved her head until they were looking into each other's eyes. "I would be the happiest I've been in a long time," she admitted. He gave her a sweet kiss on the lips, then said, "I suppose I better start packing, then."

For the remainder of the night, they didn't watch a movie or a show, but discussed how to tell the boys. They didn't know how they would react and that was the scary part! Of course, if they opposed to it, then it wasn't going to happen. There was no way they were going to make the boys uncomfortable.

They were up until the very early hours of the morning talking about it. By the time five in the morning came around, they agreed that they would ask the boys how they felt about the idea. If they liked it, they'd announce it was going to happen. However, if they didn't, they were just going to brush it off as an idea for the far future.

"So," Ben concluded, "we're moving in together." Cassie smiled as she told him, "Only if the boys want it." He brought her in for a kiss, then said, "We're moving in together."