Page 78 of Luci’s Lullaby

Are you still there? ~C

I didn’t mean to imply anything. ~C

Alden? ~C

I thought we were bickering… ~C

I didn’t mean anything by it. ~C

No worries, I put Luci to bed.

Oh. I hate I missed it. ~C

I flip the phone around again and take another picture of us in bed. I hit send and wait on the little dots to show up.

Perfect. ~C

She is.

I hesitate my next words but decide to send them anyway.

You’re pretty great yourself.

So you say. ~C

Stay with us tomorrow night.

Luci’s a little young for a sleepover. ~C

I’m not.

Go to sleep, you’re delirious. ~C

Goodnight, Charlee

Kiss Luci for me. ~C

Night, Alden. ~C

I roll over, placing my phone on charge. I snuggle next to the pillow barrier between Luci and me. She catches her breath and sighs. “I hear ya, I feel the same way. Now, what in the hell am I gonna do about it?”

I fall asleep watching Luci and thinking of Charlee. For the first time in months, I sleep more than two or three hours at one time. We actually get in five hours before we need a change and a bottle.

There’s a light tap on the door as Luci and I hang on the couch for this feeding. The doors still locked, so I wallow out of the seat and go to open it. My heart hammers when I’m face to face with those beautiful blue eyes again.

“Gooda morning.” What in the hell?

“You had a bottle of your own today?” She giggles as she steps through the door.

“I’m practicing a new language.” I grimace at my excuse for being tongue-tied.

“Oh, I thought you were just happy to see me.” She winks as she curls up on the couch.

I join her, laying Luci between us. “So what’s your plan for this fine Saturday?”

“I don’t have a thing planned.” She shrugs. “I have the weekend off.”

“You had last night off?”