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“You think so?” she asks, racing over to the mirror to see for herself. She nods decisively. “You did good, Daddy.”
“Glad you approve.” His wry tone is full of humor.
She skips out of the room without looking at us, seemingly back to her normal self, all hardships forgotten now that everything is put to rights.
Once she’s out of earshot, Gray breathes out a heavy exhale and drops his forehead to my shoulder. “That was rough. There were tears from the second the milk hit her head.”
“You did good, Daddy,” I repeat with a laugh.
He straightens, gripping my hips to keep us connected. “How’s your mom?”
“Feeling left out, but too stubborn and sad to do anything about it.”
“I wish you would’ve let me come with you.”
“She would’ve said something rude to you, and I didn’t want you to have to deal with that.”
“But that left you having to deal with the rudeness by yourself.”
I shrug. “I’m used to it.”
Grayson palms my cheeks, his thumbs sweeping across my skin in that soothing way he has. “I want to be the shield that protects you from the world, Ladybug. You’ve had to do it by yourself for too long.”
The tears pooling in my eyes slip out when I blink to clear my gaze. “You’ve always been the white knight in my story, Grayson. I’ve never once doubted if you’d be there for me. I’m only sorry it took me this long to realize how deeply you love me.”
“And every day, that grows. I had no idea I could love you more than I did the day before, but you prove me wrong every time.”
“You’re entirely too good at talking sweet to me. It’s annoying,” I tease.
He barks out a laugh before sweeping me into the deepest kiss we can get away with in a house full of people. “Come on, Ladybug. Everyone’s going to wonder where we are.”
* * *
I’m reclined as far as I can go without my organs cutting off my oxygen, and it’s still not enough. My feet are propped up in Gray’s lap while we stretch out on the couch, waiting for our food to digest to a more comfortable level. Not a single person in this house is faring well after the massive dinner we just consumed.
Grayson groans, absently rubbing his belly. “I should’ve worn sweatpants. Why do we make the holidays a time to dress nicely? You know what, fuck it. I’m undoing my pants.”
If I weren’t already wearing stretchy pants, I’d have done the same. “Your mom is entirely too good a cook.”
Jacob flings his arm out from his prone position on the floor in front of the couch.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Trying to hit Grayson for inviting me over here. I’ve never been so uncomfortably full in all my life, and it’s his fault.”
I snort. “But I’m the one who invited you.”
“Yeah, well, you’re pregnant. I can’t very well hit you.”
“Why are we getting violent?” Gray’s mom asks as she breezes into the room. Somehow, she doesn’t look like she’s about to keel over from a food coma. I think she’s Superwoman.
“Because you made too many delicious things today,” Gray responds.
Caroline beams at him. “Good. I want my babies to be so full they can’t move. However, I do have something I’d like to show you, Kylie. What are the chances you’ll be able to get off the couch without throwing up?”
“Oh god,” Jacob grunts. “Don’t talk about throwing up, or I might actually do it.”
Ignoring him, Gray sits up. “I can move. Sort of. Ladybug?”
