Page 12 of Tides and Tidings

“Already done.”

“When…?”

“You take long showers. The only thing you need to pack in the morning is whatever dress you plan on wearing and your toiletries.”

Blythe flung herself into my arms, burying her head into my chest, “Oh, this is going to be so nice!”

I squeezed her tight and gave her a soft peck on her head, “You’ve been working so hard; you deserve a little time away.”

“Where are we going?”

I shook my head, “You already know everything you need to. The rest is a surprise. Find us a good movie to watch. I’ll be there once I finish the dishes.”

“I’ll help; it’ll go quicker.” She offered. Blythe wasn’t good at sitting down and relaxing; she always needed to do something to be ‘productive.’

“There’s not much left. Go get comfy.”

Blythe made her way to the sofa and flipped on the television. She scrolled through the movies while I finished cleaning up.

I put the final dish in the dishwasher and went to the couch. Blythe was scrolling on her phone, waiting for me. I couldn’t help but think about what Blythe had said during dinner. I have always wanted more kids—especially for Wren to have someone to play with—but I would never pressure Blythe into it. Ever since Wren’s mom left us, I thought it would be Wren and me, but now we have Blythe, and our world feels complete.

I plopped down on the couch and Blythe crawled over and snuggled into my side. When she was tucked against my body, everything felt right. “What are we watching?”

“I have two options for you. The first is a Western movie that looks half-decent. The other is a movie about a chef who finally makes it big. Your thoughts?”

I preferred the Western, but I knew Blythe would choose anything else. “Let’s go with the chef movie.”

As the ending credits rolled, I saw Blythe’s eyelids closed. I don’t know how long she had been asleep, but she missed out on a damn good movie.

“Bee, let’s head to bed.”

No movement.

“Bee, bedtime.” I shook her arm slightly.

Nothing.

“All right, we’ll just do this.” I reached for the remote and turned off the television. I shimmied over to give myself some space and scooped her up. She mumbled against my chest but was out cold. I placed her down in our bed and tucked her in before taking a shower.

Unlike my beautiful girlfriend, I take ten-minute showers. I checked my phone, and it was a little after two A.M. I set an alarm and let my body sink into the mattress. Blythe felt the bed dip and rolled over, laying her arm across my bare chest.

“I love you,” she murmured. I couldn’t tell if she was awake or not.

I laid my head back on the pillow, “I love you, too.”

Excitement bubbled in me like a kid the night before vacation. I was going to have a hell of a time falling asleep, but tomorrow had surprises in store.

Blythe

“Birdie!” Wren’s sweet southern voice called. Confused, I opened my eyes. The sun shone through the sheer curtains, and I felt that wine from last night. I rolled over to see Charlie on FaceTime with Wren.

“Hi, Little Bird.” My voice was raspy. I sat up next to Charlie. “Have you done anything fun with Grammy and Pops?”

“Yeah! We had mac and cheese for dinner. And we went to the park. And we watched Christmas movies.”

“It sounds like you’re having a good time,” Charlie responded to the six-year-old, who would never want to come home.

“Soo much fun!” The kid had way too much energy for seven thirty in the morning. When she’s home, good luck trying to get her up. I don’t know her mom, but she takes after her dad when sleeping in—except on boat days when they’re up before the sun.