When Hate Turns to Love

Ch. 33

"Are you too full for dessert?" Ricky asked Charlotte.

"No way!" she exclaimed.

He laughed and helped her pick out a dessert. He had taken her to a fancy restaurant, and Charlotte was having a blast. She thought she was so grown up sitting next to him in her booster seat in a booth at a local café.

"Have you made your choices?" asked the nervous teenage waitress.

Ricky could tell she was a huge fan, but she had done well to conceal it. He was going to leave an autograph for her for not making a fuss.

"Yes." he said, "Do you want to order first pretty lady?"

Charlotte giggled and nodded.

"'Nilla shake." she said.

"I'll have the same. Vanilla shake." Ricky said, "Thank you."

He looked down at the kids menu that Charlotte was delicately coloring in. She pushed the blue crayon into his hand.

"You color the sky." she said.

He put his arm around her and joined in, being careful to stay in the lines. But his thoughts were much deeper than the cartoon on the page.

He couldn't believe how much his life had changed in the past month. If someone had told him that he would fall in love with a girl who wasn't a star and adore her kids, he would have hit them. For so long it had been 'what girl can I get next?' and 'Love was for losers'. Now he was deeply in love and found himself not completely hating the idea of fatherhood. He loved loving the Salazar-Roberts family.

"Ricky?"

Charlotte's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"You're coloring outside the lines." she said.

"Oh sorry Princess." he said.

"It's ok. I love you Ricky." she said.

She hugged him and he hugged right back. It felt so incredibly right.

LINE BREAK

Nini had to smile when Ricky brought Charlotte in the apartment over his shoulder. She was sound asleep.

"So you had a good day?" she asked, kissing him.

"We had a great day." he whispered.

Nini waited in the living room while he tucked Charlotte in. He sat on the couch and she curled up next to him. She sighed in contentment and he kissed her temple. But she felt like he was separate from the act. She lifted her head.

"Ricky, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing baby." he laughed softly.

She pulled away from him to get a better look at him.

"No, something's on your mind." she said, concerned, "What is it?"

"I just-" he stopped, "It's hard to explain."

"Try." Nini said.

He nodded and took a deep breath.

"I've changed." he said.

"You have." Nini agreed gently.

"And that just sort of hit me today."

"Do you regret it?" she asked.

"No. I don't." he gave her a smile, "I like the new me. And I like what comes with the new me."

Ricky blushed under his heated gaze.