Lock Lips

“Dad’s home!”

Jax and Eveline rejoiced once they hear the sound of their father’s keys jingle and the door opening.

“Hi, everybody!” Dylan calls from the entrance of the house. I hear him drop his keys on the dining table behind he makes his way in the family room.

Dylan kneels down to the floor and captures Jax and Eveline into a bear hug. They giggle at their father’s tickles and run across the room while laughing together.

“You have to see what Eveline made at school,” I happily say to Dylan as he chases the children as the the Tickle Monster.

Dylan stands straight once I catch his attention. “Before you want me to see anything, I demand a kiss from my beautiful wife, Kendra.”

This guy somehow manages to make me weak on my knees after seven years of being married to him. I did not know what to say because Dylan always knew how to make my face hot and mouth dry. After he pulls me into a tight hug, I ask him, “How was work?”

“And I was about to ask you the same question,” Dylan whispers while arching his head to the side. “Tell me about your day.”

“I put a bad guy behind bars today,” I say lightly.

He kisses my forehead. “That’s my girl.”

“Then I picked up the kids from school and started decorating the tree.”

“I could see that,” Dylan muses while lifting a yellow ornament up with his pointer finger.

Jax wobbles to our feet and pulls on Dylan’s leg. “Daddy, can we have tacos for dinner?”

Dylan kneels down on one knee and high-fives Jax. “Sure thing, buddy.”

While Jax smiles at his father’s quick response, he crawls on his lap. I watch Eveline make her way towards me as I hold out my hand towards her. She smiles at me, while she holds up a small ornament in her chubby hands.

“Dad, look it’s a mistletoe!” Eveline laughs at the homemade ornament.

“It’s literally toes.” Dylan joins Eveline and laughs. He turns to me while talking to our kids, “If you hold the picture above mommy and me’s head, something magical might happen.”

Dylan is smirking and I can’t help but feel my face flutter at his wicked comment. I shake my head and let out a nervous laugh. I look at down and ignore his sneaky request.

I look down at my daughter as she plays with her red jumper. I notice a brown stain around her mouth as she smiles at me.

“Eveline, have you stolen all of Santa’s chocolate chip cookies?”

“Only some,” Eveline whispers.

“You know,” Dylan says to Eve, “I once read that if little kids ate some of Santa’s cookies, you have to tickle them.”

Eveline springs to her feet and runs aways to her room, while shouting, “Noooooooooo!”

Dylan looks at Jax, “Have you gotten a piece of Santa’s cookies too?”

“No.” Jax smirks. But before Dylan can do anything, our son is dashing through the hallway and away from the Tickle Monster.

“Well, he was guilty.” I giggle.

Dylan inches a few steps closer to me and wraps a hand around my waist. He looks at me playfully and whispers, “That mistletoe ornament may not be over our heads, however, the offer still stands on my end.”

“You weirdo.”

Dylan tangles his fingers around mine while he’s sporting a half smile.

I kiss him full on his lips and let out a small chuckle. “It’s like we’re teenagers again.”