“We won!” Avery hollers, jumping up and clapping her hands. The guy comes over and smiles at us.
“We have a winner!” he announces. “You can choose anything from the bottom row.” He points at the small animals on the bottom.
“How many for the one on top?” I point at the huge ones hanging.
“Takes about twenty times,” he says to me.
“Okay, let’s do it again,” I tell him. It takes us about thirty times since people come and fuck up my plan, but after about an hour, Avery stands there as the guy hands her the biggest stuffy they have.
Her eyes light up so much that I would have paid double the hundred it cost me.
“Momma,” she says, “I got a big one.”
“I see,” Addison murmurs as she wipes the tear away from her eye with a huge smile.
“This is the bestest day ever,” Avery chirps to me as she puts her hand in mine and we walk over to the rides. We spend all day and end up eating lunch and dinner there. We even sit on the grass to wait for the fireworks starting at ten. She sits next to me with the big bear as her backrest.
I put her on my shoulders when we get up and head to the car because she’s tired and her feet are going to fall off, according to her. She gets into her car seat, and I’m not even in drive by the time she falls asleep. The car ride is quiet as Addison puts her head back on the rest. When I pull up to the house, I look over at her. “You get the bear. I’ll get Avery.”
She nods at me and we literally drag our feet up to the third floor. I walk in and head straight to her room. Placing her on the bed, I take off her shoes and socks. She doesn’t even stir when I put her pj’s on her.
“She’s out for the count,” I say when I walk back out seeing Addison drinking a glass of water by the counter. The only light on in the house is the one beside the couch. “I’ll get going.” I point at the door, even though I don’t want to go.
Addison follows me to the door and I open it right before I turn back and see her. “Thank you,”
she says, standing by the door as I step outside, “for today.” Her hand comes up to hold the handle of the door. “She is never going to forget it.”
I turn to face her. “It was my pleasure,” I reply softly to her. “It was one of the best days I’ve had in a long, long time. Actually, every single time I’m with you guys, it’s the best time of the day.”
She looks down, not sure what to say, and I know I should leave. My head is saying one thing, but my heart is the one in charge here. I take steps toward her to close the distance. She looks up at me.
“The only thing that would make this day even more perfect,” I say to her, my head bending, “is kissing you.” It’s the last thing I say because my lips are crushed to hers.
addison
. . .
I don’t know if it happens in slow motion or not, but all I see is Stefano in front of me. All I can see is his green eyes, which were light all day, but now in the semi-darkness of my entryway, they are a deep green. The scruff on his face is a bit longer than usual, but all I could do all day long was wonder if it would prick my lips when he kissed me or if it would be soft. I spent the whole day trying not to fall in love with him because how could I not? The way he treats me and our daughter, my heart is no match for him. I know I have no right to him. I know I have to stop the ridiculousness of this and remember he goes home to another woman every night. I know I should put that thought front and center, especially when it’s dark and he’s close to me, and the smell of him just makes my stupid body forget it all. My hand grips on to the door handle tighter and tighter as his body gets closer and closer to mine. His head lowers to mine and my head screams out No, while my body moves in closer to him. I think my breath hitches right before his lips smash onto mine, but I’m not sure.
I’m not sure of anything at this moment. The only thing I’m sure of is this kiss is one million times better than I remembered it was. His hands reach out to grab my face, and I swear my body melts into him as his tongue slides into my mouth. I don’t know if I moan into his mouth or if my mouth swallows his moan, either way my whole body awakens for him, just like it did five years ago. He tilts his head to the side to deepen the kiss, our tongues going around and around. I’m lost in this, lost in the kiss.
Lost in the fact, even after all these years, his kiss still cuts me off at my knees. Lost in the fact I think I could kiss him for the rest of my life and still get butterflies when he’s around. But he’s not yours, my head screams. My eyes flicker open, right before my hands go to his chest, and my eyes close for one more second before I push him away from me. “That was a mistake,” I say, my hand coming up to my mouth as my fingertips touch my lips that can still feel his lips on mine. “That was a big mistake.”