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“Nope. I’m coloring in with Wolfe.”
I snuck a look at him, smiling to myself when his indecision switched to, “Can I, too?”
“Yes!” Belle didn’t hesitate to hand over yet another book.
“Do you think we should ask Ariel, too?”
“Can’t hurt to ask, Tee,” I said, carefully shading my mermaid’s hair a vibrant shade of pink.
Of course, Ariel joined us and that’s how I found myself spending nearly an hour doing something I don’t think I ever did as a kid.
“This makes mesohappy!” Belle exclaimed.
And that was the funny thing about it. It made me happy, too. Deeply happy, actually. Well, not the coloring in, obviously, but the kids. It seemed my hedonistic days of clubs and bars were over. Nothing made me happier on a Friday night than coloring with a bunch of school kids. Who’d have thought?
The front door clicked open, and Esme stepped inside, her face lighting up at the sight of us. “What’s all this?”
My heart did that strange twist it always did at the sight of her, setting off a deep ache. An overwhelming yearning that made me want to pull her into my arms and hold her forever. Christ, I was so deeply in love with her I could feel it in my soul. “Belle got us all coloring in.” There was nothing in my tone to give away the strength of the feelings coursing through me. “How did the exam go?”
“Really good, I think. It helped that I had that extra time to cram before it, so thanks very much for that.”
“You’re welcome.” I stood up from the table, ready to leave. I always tried so hard not to impose too much on the family time, respecting the boundary that Esme had put around that after what had happened to Belle.
I was about to grab my jacket and head for the door when Tiana’s voice stopped me. “Can Wolfe stay for dinner, Esme? Please?”
I went completely still, feeling a weird weight on me while I waited for Esme to reply. It seemed ridiculously important, somehow.
“Sure, if he wants to. I was thinking we could get pizza, since I really don’t feel like cooking.”
I couldn’t tell if Esme realized what she’d just done, how she’d just changed the dynamic between us. Then she shot me a look, a little hesitant and unsure, and I recognized that yeah, she did know what she’d just done. “My shout?” I teased, wanting to keep things light and disguise the fact that I was reeling a little.
She hesitated for a moment, then said, “Fine,” rolling her eyes good-naturedly. “You all choose what you want to order while I sort out the laundry. I didn’t get a chance to do it this afternoon.”
I sat back down, ready to sort out the kid’s pizza requests. But I subtly watched Esme walk into the laundry, stop short when she saw that a load was already running while another was in the dryer. My lips curved in a little smile when I heard her mutter, “I swear, it’s like having a fucking fairy godmother in the house.”
With the pizza devoured and plates cleared, I said my goodbyes to the kids and headed for the door. Esme followed me outside, her expression troubled. As we stood on the porch, I sensed she had something on her mind. Her eyes were searching, and I waited, allowing her the space and time she needed. The silence between us became a little strained, filled with Esme’s nervous tension. Still, I waited patiently.
“How long will you keep doing this for?”
“What?”
“This. Looking after us.”
“Until my last breath.”
“Why?”
“You haven’t figured it out yet?”
She shook her head, toying nervously with the diamond necklace. That she never took off.
I smiled. “Because I love you, Esme.” The words hung in the air between us, a confession laid bare. Esme’s eyes searched mine, as if trying to find the truth in them, and I could see her processing what I’d just said.
She took a step back, her expression a mix of surprise and something deeper, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. “Wolfe, I…” she trailed off, her voice cracking.
I reached out and took her hand, feeling the warmth of her skin and the way her fingers trembled. “Esme, I know this is sudden, but it’s the truth. I’ve felt this way for a while now, and I can’t hide it any longer.” In fact, it felt so good to finally get the words out that I was sorry I hadn’t said them before. Well, loud enough for her to hear, at least.
Her eyes welled with tears, and I could see the conflict in her. The longing, the fear, the hope, the confusion. “I don’t know how to trust that,” she finally whispered, her voice full of vulnerability.