Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 427(@200wpm)___ 342(@250wpm)___ 285(@300wpm)
“Oh, um, why?”
I shrug. “I missed you.” Her eyes widen, as do mine. I didn’t mean to say that. I didn’t even realize that missing her was exactly what this nagging feeling has been all day. Not until she opened the door and I got to lay eyes on her.
“Y-You missed me?”
“You and Maddie. Where is she?”
“She’s having some tummy time. She just had her bath.”
“Good, that will give us some time to eat.” I don’t wait for her to invite me in. No, I step inside the door, squeezing past her. Her tits that are on full display brush against my chest when I pass, and I have to bite my cheek to keep from groaning.
“I hope you’re hungry. Mom packed a lot.”
“Your mom made dinner?”
“Yeah. Every Sunday, we all try to get together at her place for dinner, lunch, whatever fits everyone’s schedules the best. She always sends me with more leftovers than I can eat on my own.”
“And you thought it was a good idea to stop by and share them with me?”
“Yep.” I flash her a grin. “Plates?”
She jumps into action, closing the door, and joining me in the small kitchen area, gathering plates from the cabinet, and hands me two forks. “Do we need to warm it up?” she asks.
“Nah, I just left, so it should still be warm.”
“Okay. I, uh, don’t really have anything to offer you to drink. Water and coffee,” she says meekly.
“Water is perfect.” I keep my tone light. Now that I’m here, in her space, I know this was the right choice. Sure, I caught her off guard, but seeing her makes me smile. “Here, this one is yours.” I hand her one of the plates. “Should we eat on the couch so we can keep a close eye on Maddie?” This place is so small we can see her perfectly fine from where we are, but I’m hoping that sitting on the couch and having her daughter close will help ease some of the tension in her shoulders.
“Sure.” She doesn’t sound sure, but that’s okay. I’m sure enough for both of us. She hands me a glass of water and together we make our way to the couch.
“Hey, Maddie,” I greet the baby. She turns her little head, following my voice and rewards me with a toothy grin. “How was your day?” I ask Wren before taking a bite of meatloaf. As always, it's just as good the second time around.
“Okay. Yours?”
“Good. Anytime my family gets together, it’s a good time. What did you do?”
“We stayed in today. I need to go to the store, but I didn’t want to pack Madeline down the stairs knowing I need to do it again tomorrow.”
“How do you manage that? Packing Maddie and the groceries up the stairs?”
“I have a grocery cart. I carry her in one arm and pull it up the steps with the other.”
“You pull a cart and carry your daughter up three flights of stairs?”
She shrugs. “That’s my only option.”
“We need to get you out of here,” I mutter under my breath.
“What’s that?” she asks.
“Nothing. I can’t believe this building doesn’t have an elevator.”
“It’s full, so it doesn’t seem to bother people.”
“That’s a lot for you to handle on your own, Wren.”
“I’m a big girl, Marshall. I can handle it.”
I know she’s a big girl. Her tits that keep taunting me are a constant reminder. But I hate that she’s dealing with this shit. I have plenty of space in my condo. It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell her to pack her shit and move in with me. I open my mouth to say that exact thing when Madeline begins to fuss. “I’ll get her.” I set my plate on the floor and move to lie next to Madeline.
“Hey, baby girl, how was your day?” She grins and raises her hand to reach for me. “I brought you something.” Jumping to my feet, I rush to the kitchen. Well, it’s more of an area than an actual kitchen. Grabbing the pharmacy bag, I make quick work of opening the toys I bought her. A few steps and I’m back in the living room. I sit on the floor with my back against the couch and lift Madeline onto my lap.
“Look.” I hand her the keys first and she immediately places them in her mouth. “I knew you’d do that,” I tell her. “Now, let’s read this book, shall we?” I open the book and Madeline rests her back against my chest, chewing on her keys while I read the small book to her. “The end.”
“She likes it.” I turn to look at Wren, and she once again has watery eyes. The corner of her sexy mouth is lifted with a smile. “You good, Momma?” I ask her.