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And every day, I wake up and silently thank Richard for helping me see what was truly important in life. Thank God I finally got the message before it was too late, because if I hadn’t, I’d be missing out on all of it. I’d have missed out on Gwen, and that would have been the tragedy of a lifetime.
Michael would have missed out on her too, which would’ve been a total loss for him because the two of them are true allies. She won him over pretty much instantly by showing up at the house with a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies (which are so much better than gingerbread, even though I pretend they aren’t just to get a rise out of her). Three months later, she moved in with us and I can honestly say neither of us have ever been this happy. She’s the missing piece to our family puzzle.
Tonight is Friday game night and since it’s a warm summer’s evening, Michael is setting up the games on the patio table. We’re starting with Exploding Kittens, then moving onto Catan, followed by Trivial Pursuit - Wildlife Edition, during which he’s obviously going to wipe the floor with us.
Gwen and I are just cleaning up the dishes while two batches of cookies finish baking, one of each. I wait until she’s got her hands in the soapy water before walking up behind her and kissing a little spot on the crook of her neck that she can’t resist. She stops what she’s doing and lets out a small moan while I wrap my arms around her waist.
“Mmm, you smell so good,” I tell her, breathing in the scent of her skin.
“That’s the cookies.”
“No, it’s not. It’s you.”
She turns her face and I capture her mouth with a lingering kiss. When I let her go, she says, “I love Friday nights.”
“Me too,” I murmur, brushing my lips against her skin. “If you’re not doing anything after Michael beats us at everything, I’d love to get you naked and do all the things you like.”
“That sounds like the perfect way to end an evening.”
“Doesn’t it?”
“Much better than worrying about a football team,” I tell her.
“So, you’re happy with how things turned out?”
“Ecstatic.”
“Great word.”
“It’s also highly accurate.”
“Well, you know how much I love accuracy,” she says, leaning her back against me.
Michael clears his throat. “I am sorry to interrupt you but I believe we are scheduled to play games now, which would require you to stop … canoodling and finish the dishes.”
I let go of Gwen and we both laugh. She smiles at Michael. “Sorry about that. Your brother distracted me.”
“I’ve noticed he does that a lot,” Michael says, shaking his head. “Ty, please. We won’t be able to get through all three games if you keep distracting Gwen like that.”
The oven timer goes off and I pick up the oven mitts and put them on. “All right, I’ll try not to, but no promises.”
Michael and Gwen exchange a look and she winks at him. “Well, I, for one, promise to keep my hands to myself and stay focused.”
“Thank you, Gwen,” Michael says with a small bow.
Grinning at him, she says, “It’s the only way I can vanquish you both.”
Michael laughs, then says, “Ha! That will never happen.”
Pulling the plug in the sink, she then wipes her hands on a dish towel. “Oh, I’m going to win tonight. I’m feeling lucky.”
I quickly move the cookies from the sheets to a cooling rack, then grab a plate to put some on while Michael and Gwen talk trash about my lack of Catan abilities. I laugh along, my heart full as I take a second to enjoy the simplicity of this moment.
This is what life is meant to be. It’s not about how many commas are in your bank account or whether your name is on a building. It’s about the little moments spent with the people you love, having fun and making memories.
Later that night, after we make love, I smile down at Gwen in the dim moonlit room. “Thank you.”
“Thank you? Believe me, I should be thanking you after that,” she says with a grin.
