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“We can put a bench in there… for, well...”
“Zane?”
“Yeah.”
“I wike that idea,” Zane volunteered. “I can shower like a big boy.”
“Yeah, you can, buddy,” Colton grinned sheepishly, looking a little nervous as he met her smile. “Is it warm in here?”
“A little,” she admitted, chuckling.
“I can probably get most of it demolished and taken down tomorrow. I should be okay, but we might have to corral him out of the bathroom if things get exposed.”
“You would…”
“Wires,” he chuckled and smiled at her. “If I take down the tile and redo some of the walls, it might expose wiring… and tile can get sharp.”
“Oh, of course,” she muttered, her face still feeling flushed at the picture Colton was painting for them. He wanted a future and that would involve more children someday with her.
“But…”
“Yes?”
“If I do all of that, it means that I might delay in going to the store,” he said quietly. His meatloaf was already cut into small bites – yet he was still cutting it into even tinier pieces. He was obviously trying to play it cool about, and her mind clicked.
Ohhhhhh, she thought, hesitating.
“I was going to go get a twin bed, but if I start the bathroom – then I will need to finish it before my next shift,” he replied, beginning again… and still cutting his food idly. “It’s whatever you want, you know? I’m positive I can finish the bathroom in two days, but if I need to run and get another bedframe…”
“Colton, put down your knife,” she ordered hoarsely, feeling a smile touch her lips as she realized what he was doing. His eyes looked up and met hers as he slowly set down his knife, waiting.
“What do you want to do?”
“We’re both adults.”
“And married…”
“With a past,” she reminded him softly.
“But there is also a future there if we choose,” he said openly, staring at her. “We can take our time, be adults about all of this… and nothing says that we have to hop right into the deep end. We’re dog paddling, remember?”
“I remember.”
“We could… ah, empty the bathroom this evening and start first thing – or…?”
“Or we could save the money, take our time, and just sleep like any other husband and wife,” she finished and fought back a smile as his Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, cleared his throat, and then spoke.
“Whatever you want.”
“Mama, is dere pie?” Zane chimed in, causing her to look away from Colton’s warm gaze toward their son. He was sitting there, smiling at her, looking so happy that she knew.
There would always be disagreements, misunderstandings, and stresses from everyday life… but knowing you had someone in your world to love you, take care of you, and share in all those precious moments was everything. Her apartment had been cozy, but being here as a little family felt so good in a way she never imagined.
Eris could ‘see’ another booster seat or a highchair in the future. She pictured moments just like this morning where Colton would come home, kissing, loving, and playful with her, and she could imagine afternoon naps where he would be lying on the couch with the children cozied up to him.
Children made with love.
She silently got up and cut the pie, bringing a sliver back to Zane and setting another beside Colton’s plate, where he sat there, watching her and waiting. He wasn’t pressuring her but allowing her to make the decisions for them, and she had.
