Missy POV“Everything okay?” I asked as we walked towards the house together.“Everything is fine, but, uh, I might not be about to spend the night tonight like I’d planned.”I furrow my brows at his worried expression. “Oh, well, that’s okay. You have a big day tomorrow. You must have a lot to get ready for tonight.”He laughs without any humor, “You could say that.”His response leaves me confused, but I don’t want to press him. If he wants to talk about whatever is bothering him to me, he will. We walk together into my kitchen and he sets my bag down on the table. I guess I can put away the food I bought for dinner. I’ll just bake myself a baked potato tonight and we can eat the rest of the food later this weekend, I’m sure. Maybe I can get a few more steaks and bring them to his house for Sunday dinner. “I, uh, have to get my stuff loaded up and then I’ll come back in to tell you bye.”I nod and offer him a small smile, but my heart isn’t really in it. I know something is bugging
Adrian POV“And I have no right to be upset, I suppose. It’s not like we are more than sex partners right now anyway. My opinion doesn’t matter, Adrian, so just do what you have to do.”I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Does Missy really just see us that way? Sex partners? Like, friends with benefits? What the fuck? I’m thinking about marrying her, but she just sees us as sex friends? Is that all she wanted from me?No. I can’t believe that. She was a fucking virgin before me. And just this morning she was talking about Hailey having her own room here. She wouldn’t offer something like that if all she saw me as was a sex friend. She isn't the type of girl to have a sex friend. She’s just mad. I can’t blame her, since I would be pissed too if the roles were reversed, but the way she called us just sex partners has anger burning in my chest. Fuck being sex partners. I could have that with any woman. I wanted to be with Missy for the long haul, and when she talks like that, it so
Missy POVWhat a horrible night. My eyes are swollen and puffy from crying all night. After Adrian left and I calmed down, I felt so guilty and awful for lashing out at Adrian the way I did. I let my own insecurities dictate the way I had handled the situation. I knew it wasn’t my place to make him feel bad for things out of his control, but the similarities between what he was telling me and what I overheard my father say to his mistresses all those years ago had all my defenses going up. Hearing him tell me he loved me before he walked out the door did me in. I curled into a ball on the couch and cried for hours until the smell of burning potato broke me out of my delirium. The kitten was roaming the house, mewling for her bottle of milk, my dinner was ruined, and my heart was breaking because of my own flippancy. I turned off the oven, set the burned rock that was once a potato in a bowl of water in the sink, fed the kitten, then went to bed. My guilt was eating away at me, but
“Did you see those two at the market earlier? Adrian and Monica with their little girl? It’s about time those two worked out their differences. A child needs both of her parents.”“That little girl looked so ecstatic holding both of their hands. It was picture perfect really,” the women talk amongst themselves. I cringe at the topic. Was Adrian at the farmer's market with Monica and Hailey?“She looks just like her mother. I know she was a bit wild before, but Monica Anderson really did look like a mother with her child today. And the way Adrian Brewer was doting on them. Did you see the way he would smile at his daughter? Monica had stars in her eyes while watching him help the little girl ride that pony in the petting zoo.”“It’s about time they settled down and became a real family. Do you think that wedding bells are coming soon? Is that why Monica was back in town? She hasn’t been back in years.”“Lord, I hope so. Like I said, a child needs both of their parents in their life. Ad
24 hours prior…. Adrian POVMissy’s face as her tears spilled over tore at me the whole way while driving to the bank. I wish I had time to stay and make things better, to kiss away her worries and reassure her that she was the only woman that could ever have my heart, but I can’t let my daughter down. After tomorrow, I will do whatever I can to make this up to her. I believe in us. I believe that we can overcome this. I parked in the lot, and before I went in, I decided to count the money Missy paid me to see exactly how much I needed to withdraw while I was there. I pulled the thick stack of cash from the envelope, my brows pulling inward when I saw it was all hundreds and not twenties like I was expecting. My eyes filled with tears by the third time counting it. She overpaid me. By a lot. Even while pissed at me, she paid me knowing I would need the money for my daughter, and she had made it so I didn’t have to pull another cent from the bank. This, combined with the money I ha
“You have a girlfriend? I thought you said you didn’t?” Monica scoffs. I shrugged, “I didn’t when you asked. It’s a new thing. We started dating this past week. I’ve liked her for a while, but just got brave enough to go for it when I saw other men were interested in her too.”She scrunches her face, tilting her head while thinking. “Wait. Is it that one girl? The one you said was dating Chris?”I said nothing. I didn’t tell her Missy was dating Chris. That was Britt, but I didn’t deny it either. I don’t want to call my sister a liar in front of my ex. “Wow, she making her way through all the decent men in this town?” she huffs, crossing her arms. I glared down at her at the hypocritical and untrue statement. “No. She never dated Chris, but Chris tried. She is not that kind of woman.”She scoffs at me. “So you have some other woman lined up to play mother to my daughter?”Hailey was momentarily distracted while looking at a booth with homemade candies, cookies and other sweets, but
“Yay! I’ll go tell my friends bye,” she cheers, running back to say bye to the group of girls. Monica heads back to the bench to get her jacket and bag while I stand there talking to my sister and dad. “What about Missy?” Brittany hisses at me. “What if she comes? I already told her a few days ago that I would see her there tonight.”I pursued my lips, thinking about that possibility. “Well, I told Monica about Missy. She seems okay with it now, and after what happened with Missy yesterday, I think she will likely give us space tonight. If she does show up, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Monica knows Missy is my girlfriend and not to mess with her.”“You think the witch will listen?” Brittany grumbles. "Don't be an idiot. You know she isn't the type to listen to shit you tell her."I gave her a disapproving look. “You guys will be there and it’s her last day with Hailey. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”My dad huffs loudly. “Well, what’s one more meal? You can play nice for a bi
As soon as we were back at home, I apologized to Hailey, gave her a big kiss on the forehead, then ran to my father’s truck to head straight out to find Missy. He always keeps his keys in the cupholder, so I was out of our driveway, speeding down the gravel road before the rest of my family even had time to fully get out of my truck. Brittany flipped me the bird as I drove past, still pissed at me over letting Monica join us. She didn’t talk to me the whole way home, and took the passenger seat like a brat while my dad drove, forcing me to sit in my own backseat. I didn’t fight with her over it. I know I fucked up and she’s right to be pissed at me. Shit. I forgot my phone was dead. I pulled my phone out to try and call Missy, but it was still off. My dad doesn’t keep a charger in his truck either. I tried going to her house first, but she wasn’t there. No one was. The ugly green Saturn was nowhere to be seen. I don’t know why she didn’t have her car earlier, but it’s not at her h
Christmas Morning “Mommy!” Hailey hisses, shaking my shoulder. “Is Quinton awake?” I grumbled, not wanting to open my eyes yet. “Mama!” I felt little hands tapping my face. “Mama, up! Santa!” Landon says loudly. That’s right. It’s Christmas morning. We were up so late last night putting pieces of Hailey’s new doll house together, and setting up Landon’s new toddler roller coaster track around the living room that I forgot to set my alarm. “Where’s your dad,” I groaned as I rolled over, trying to force my eyes to open. “In Quinton’s room. He said to let you sleep until there was light in the sky, and now there is light in the sky!” I looked over at the window, and just as Hailey said, there was a small sliver of sunlight peeking above the trees. I chuckle hoarsely, my throat dry from sleep and the cold air, then somehow manage to find the strength to swing my legs out from under the covers and onto the floor. “Okay, I’m up,” I say as I stretch. Hailey jumps in the air, c
Missy POV“Ready baby?” Adrian asks, helping me out of the wheelchair with one arm, his other hand holding our son who is sleeping in his carseat. The nurse waves goodbye to us at the door, then heads back into the hospital. “Yeah, but I feel like I’m wearing a diaper,” I complained, the chafing burning like you wouldn’t believe. “I’m going to look funny walking to the car.”He drove my mini van up to the curb, but I still have a good 30 feet to wobble, and I feel awkward and self-conscious walking in public. “You look hot in your diaper, babe,” Adrian tells me, kissing my head. “But lucky for me, you can’t tell you’re wearing one. Your coat is hiding all your goodies, so just watch your step and hold onto me until we get there.”I grin up at my amazing husband, so thankful for everything about him. Only he could make me believe that he really thinks I look hot in my oversized maxi pad and postpartum panties. This morning when I put my nursing bra on and had the cups unhooked while
Adrian POV“Push, baby,” I told her, holding one of her knees, and letting her break every bone in my hand. She’s doing so, so fucking well with this. If I have to get reconstructive surgery on my hand after this is done, it will be worth it. I was so scared when she told me a few weeks ago that she wanted to try and do this birth naturally. I know she hated the effects of the epidural last time, but it did take the pain away. She is doing so amazing, handling this all on her own. I’m so amazed by her. More than ever. She’s like a superwoman, her superpower being able to still look absolutely beautiful while pushing a watermelon-sized human out of her body. “You’re doing so, so good, Missy,” I told her as the contraction eased up just a little. Not a lot, but enough for her to take a breath and take a few seconds' break from pushing. Hun-Stev-Rick-Quin, which is what I’ve decided the baby will be named since we can’t ever fucking decide, is crowning, and I know she only has seconds
Missy POV“Shit! Shit! How do you spell contraction?” Rick asks, looking at his phone while pacing around frantically.“C-o-n-t-r-a-t-i-o-n,” one of the nurses tells him, looking amused while watching him freak out in the corner of the room.“Rick, you can go. I’m sure Adrian will be here any second,” I tried to tell him for the tenth time. “No, no. I’m staying. Let me just search Google for what to do during a….”Oh my gosh, he’s seriously googling what to do right now. It would be hilarious if it didn’t feel like a watermelon was trying to explode inside of me. Lord, I need Adrian. I didn’t want to get an epidural, but I don’t know how much longer I can deal with this pain without him. Just then, another gargantuan searing contraction makes my entire body tense with stabbing, all-consuming pain. My spine feels like it’s going to break and my pelvis is so tight that I bet you could bounce a ball on it, though I would kill anyone who tried. “Fuuuahhhhh!” I screamed out, one of t
Adrian POV“Daddy? Why are you picking me up? Where’s mom?” Hailey asked, looking confused as she approached my truck after walking out of school. I scoff, and pretend to be offended. “Why? Are you disappointed to see me?”She giggled, walking into my arms and hugging me. “No. Mom is always the one that picks me up, though,” she smiles, looking up at me. I kissed the tip of her nose, then opened the back door for her. “We’re going shopping,” I grinned, helping her to buckle her seat belt after lifting her up. “For Christmas?!” She asked excitedly. “Yes ma’am. We got to get your mama presents.”“Oh, can we get her a puppy?!” Hailey asks, jumping up and down in her booster seat. I chuckle at her request. She’s still got Pickles, but has been asking for a dog for months now, and Missy finally talked me into getting her one. She’s going to be one excited little girl on Christmas morning. The chocolate lab puppy that Missy found for her is at my dad’s for the next week until Christma
“I’ll give you something you can lick like ice cream all you want,” I smirked at Adrian in the mirror. “Whoa, woman. Who taught you how to talk like that?”I giggle at the face he’s making staring at me. “You.”A proud grin stretched on his handsome face. “Oh yeah.”His hands move down my arms as he starts to kiss behind my ear, making me moan. When his tongue flicks out against my earlobe, I whimper out, feeling it down there too. His hands move to my belly, gliding under it, and when he lifts the weight of his child off my bladder, I cry out, “Thank you!”, making him chuckle. “Gawd, you’re adorable,” he husks in my ear. I smirked slightly at him in the mirror, my eyes half-closed in relaxation with him supporting most of my weight. “I know,” I replied, mocking his tone, since that was totally something he would say. “Humble too,” he laughs. “Learned that from you too.”“Mmmh, I’m such a good teacher. Think you can waddle to the bed and let me teach you a few more things?”I gri
“Hey, guys,” I started to get up, pushing myself up from the couch, until a dishrag hit me in the back of the head. I turned to glare at my husband. “You stay put,” Adrian scowls back at me, pouring water into my mug in the kitchen,“You can all go to her to say your hellos. She’s not allowed to get up”Roseanne and her family chuckle while Brittany rolls her eyes again. “Are you in timeout, Missy?” Roseanne came to hug me from the couch after handing the pie I'd been waiting for all night to Rick. “Seems so,” I sighed, hugging her back. “What did you do this time?”“Dishes,” I shrug. She tutted her tongue, shaking her head, “Such a crime. I’m surprised he didn’t tie you to the bed after such an offense.”“Oh, I plan to later,” Adrian smirks, coming around the couch to hand me my tea before hugging Roseanne. She laughs at his cheekiness, used to his crude jokes. “How are you all? How was your thanksgiving?” Adrian asks, moving to hug Isabelle and shake Mike’s hand before giving
Missy POV “Mama, Dad said to tell you to stop,” Hailey tells me, coming in from the back door. “Stop what?” I asked, trying to get a grease stain out of my roasting pan, scrubbing vigorously at the supposedly non-stick material. “I can’t say the whole thing because he said curse words,” she scrunches her nose, making a face. Brittany chuckles from where she is sitting at the counter across from me, typing away at some final essay she has been working on since coming home for thanksgiving break. “Paraphrase. Leave out the bad words,” she mutters. Hailey sighs, “Well, he said to tell your stubborn butt to stop and be beeping patient. Then he said more beep words because Landon ran into his ankles with his tractor. When he stopped yelling and threatening to run over Landon’s tractor with the real tractor, he said to tell that beep woman I’ll do the beeping dishes in a sec, so she needs to sit her beeping butt down.” I rolled my eyes. If I wait for him and his
2 years later….This is bliss. I’m floating in my jetted tub, engulfed in sweet-smelling foamy bubbles and soft music wafting out from the mounted speaker. The house has been quiet for 3 songs now, so I think Adrian finally managed to get Landon to sleep. I volunteered, but he insisted on me taking a bath as I cleaned the kitchen after dinner and told me he had bedtime covered. I know what that means. He wants me relaxed, energized and in a good mood. I bet any second, he comes waltzing into the bathroom too….“Oh, honey!” Adrian’s excitement from the other side of the door made me giggle. He opens the door then pops his head in, wiggling his eyebrows. “Mission accomplished.”“Good job, daddy,” I told him, floating to the edge of the tub and resting my head on my arm. “Want some company?” He asks, even though he is already stripping out of his clothes. “If I say no, will that stop you?”“Not a chance,” he grins, tossing his sock and boxers in the hamper with his jeans. He slips