Once Upon a Time

“Ugh!” I sigh, falling back onto the hardwood floor. Grace’s room is finally done. It’s every little girls dream room. She just stands there, though, looking down at me. She cried for a good half hour this morning after Noah left. Since I fainted yesterday I don’t think Noah will be happy that I spent all freaking day working on this room, but I figured maybe if the room looked inviting to her, she’d be more willing to sleep in it. I don’t really mind Grace sleeping with us, though. We just tucked her in next to me, and that was it. I don’t know when Noah came to bed – he was up most of the night with Mark and Erin, still bringing things in and putting things away.

I actually wasn’t awake but maybe five minutes when he left. I just walked around the house, bouncing Grace, trying to get her to stop screaming and looking at the house. They got a lot done. There are still boxes everywhere but I think at least half of everything is up.

“Momma,” Grace says, her eyes red. She stopped crying a few minutes ago. She just followed me around her room wailing all day. “Momma,” she says again.

“Yeah, baby?” I ask, looking at her.

She says something in baby talk and walks towards me, squatting down and wrapping her arms around my neck.

“I know, baby,” I mumble into her neck. “I miss daddy, too, but he’s coming back.”

“Daddy,” she says now. “Want daddy.”

“What about mommy?” I ask. “I’m here.”

“Momma,” she says again.

I just laugh. “Daddy is at work, he’ll be home soon, sweetie.”

“Or he’ll be home now,” he says and I look up at him. He’s grinning at me cheesily from the doorway. “How are my two girls?” he asks, walking over to us and laying down on the floor next to me.

“Daddy!” Grace shrieks.

He laughs and hugs her tightly to his chest. “Hey, baby,” he chuckles. She snuggles up to him, her arms an iron vise around his neck.

“She’s never letting you leave her again,” I tell him.

He laughs. “What about you? Are you pining away for me every second I’m gone?”

“Maybe,” I laugh. “Maybe not. Maybe my other boyfriend keeps me company while you’re gone.”

He looks over at me, pretending to be upset. “Oh, is that how it is?” he asks. “I see, maybe I’ll just have to find me a girlfriend to keep me company while you’re gone.”

“No,” I say smoothly. “You’re not allowed.”

He snorts. “Whatever! If you get a boyfriend, I get a girlfriend!”

“I don’t want anyone but you,” I sigh.

“Yeah?” he asks me softly.

“Yeah,” I answer and then push his shoulder playfully. “You should already know that Noah Roberts.”

He leans over and kisses my cheek. We lay there like that for a while, his arm around my shoulders, Grace wrapped up in his other arm, humming quietly. After a few moments of silence Noah turns to me.

“I’ve got a surprise for you,” he says.

I grin at him, suddenly excited. “What?”

“Promise you won’t be mad,” he tells me as shifts Grace from him to me and gets up. She lifts her head and watches him go, her face pained. We are definitely going to have to work on this. It’s only been a day, though, so I guess I shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up that she’d be better by now.

Noah sticks his head back in before she can start screaming and she hiccups and then calms down.

“Now, I know that we have a lot going on right now. I know we have Grace and the baby and the house and everything but…” he starts, slowly stepping into the room. My mouth drops open. “I just couldn’t say no, and I thought that maybe you’d like having someone to keep you company while I’m at school,” he explains.

“Noah!” I exclaim, pushing myself up. “Oh my God, it’s a puppy!!!”

He laughs. “I know, and he’s yours if you want him.”

I stare up at Noah with big eyes as I pull my fingers through the puppy’s fur. “I love him!”

He kisses me softly on the mouth. “Good.”

Grace starts grunting, aggravated, trying to get our attention. I lean over and pick her up. She giggles and pats the puppy on the head. “Cubby!” she squeals.

“No, Grace, this is momma’s puppy, she gets to name him,” Noah tells her.

“No, I like Cubby.”

“Really, Teag, you can name him whatever you want.”

“No, I like it. So… why’d you get a puppy?” I ask.

“This woman at work has a dog, and this was the last puppy left and she was going to have to take it to the animal shelter if no one took him, and I have a soft spot for dogs.”

“Really?” I grin. “I didn’t know that! That’s so cute!”

“We don’t have to make a big deal out of it,” he says, embarrassed.

“Why?” I ask.

“It’s just like a chick to get all gooey over a puppy, and here I am, picturing all malnourished and lonely in some kind of dog prison.”

I laugh. “Aw, baby, you would not believe how attracted I am to you right now.”

He just chuckles and runs a hand through his hair. “So, I see you’ve finished Grace’s room,” he says now. “I thought I told you to stay in bed.”

“You did,” I say defiantly.

“And why didn’t you?” he demands.

“I didn’t want to,” I huff, pouting like a toddler.

He kisses me lightly. “Can we try not to overdo it, please?”

“We can try,” I respond childishly.

“Good,” he answers. “Now, you wanna go for a ride?” he asks.

A wicked grin spreads across my lips. “To where?”

“Petsmart,” he answers. “Take our newest baby out and get him something to eat, something to sleep in.”

“I’m sorry, Noah, but we have too many babies.”

He chuckles. “Come on, sweetie,” he urges, taking my hand and pulling me through the house. I grab my things and let him drag me, Grace, and Cubby to the store.