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Lily

*Now You’re Getting It*

He wasn’t kidding. He really is getting me back for my naughty office flirt-bomb shenanigans. Seeing Uncle Weth carrying Spencer around on his shoulders while singing and dancing with Charlotte toYo Gabba Gabbaon YouTube is making my ovaries melt. His dimples have been working overtime. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many of his teeth on display. He’s happy. It’s adorable. And hot. And every time I try to signal to him to meet me in the bathroom for a quick make-out session, he smirks and looks away. So be it. I’ll just clean up the mess we made at dinner while they have fun in front of the big screen.

I’m not even jealous that the kids like him so much more than they like me.

Okay, I’m a little jealous.

But I don’t blame them.

And also, the only reason I don’t seem like as much fun right now is because this silk blouse and pencil skirt limit my dance moves.

And maybe for just a minute, I’m remembering that ache I felt after I left here the first time I visited Alecia for lunch. I didn’t want to name it then, but I can now. I want this. I want a family. I want a cozy house and noisy kids, and I want my people. I want a home. I want to be happy. I want Wes.

And it only scares me a little to admit this to myself. Maybe one day I’ll even be able to admit it to another person. Totheother person.

“You gonna dance with us, Lily B-Face?”

I try so hard to frown at him, but I just can’t.Some actress.“I can’t really move very much in these clothes.” I smile at Charlotte. “But I love watching you guys!”

“Can we bwush my pwintheth hair?!” she shouts.

“Yeah!” I shout back, even though I’m not sure what she’s talking about. She runs over to grab my hand and leads me out of the living room, up the stairs. I glance back at Wes, who’s letting Spencer down onto the floor. We exchange a look that I can only describe as “fuck hungry,” and I smirk at him.Soon. Not soon enough. But soon.

Charlotte drops my hand when we enter her bedroom so she can pick up her princess hair—the long blonde wig I gave her. “Here,” she says, shoving it at me. “You hold. I bwush.”

“You got it.”

She picks up a pink plastic hairbrush, and I kneel down on the carpet, holding the wig up so she can go at it.

“Is Uncle Weth your fwiend?”

“Yes, he is.”

“He’s my fwiend too.”

“Yes. He likes you very much.”

“I’m gonna mawwy Uncle Weth when I grow up.”

“Oh really?” I actually feel an insane pang of jealousy because Charlotte is super cute and Wes really is fond of her. “Are you sure you don’t want to marry someone a little closer to your own age?”

She shakes her head vehemently. “When I’m older, we’ll be the same.”

Yeah. Hopefully I’ll be the same as him when I’m older too.“Oh, well. Guess you got it all figured out, then. What if you meet someone else you want to marry?”

She shrugs. “I’ll mawwy them too.”

“Good for you.”You leave Wes for me, you sweet little turd.

I hear heavy footsteps running up the stairs. “Lily! Your phone!” Wes runs in, carrying Spencer in one arm and holding my phone out to me with the other. “Answer it. Hurry.”

I grab it from him and answer, worried that it’s an emergency. “Hello?” I signal for him to take my place holding the wig for Charlotte and only pause for half a second, thinking maybe I should keep her away from my man…

“Hello, Lily?” It’s the rich voice of an older woman who I recognize and adore.

“Yes!” I pull the phone away from my ear as I walk out into the hallway and see that it’s Samantha Naylor—Mrs. Naylor, my high school drama teacher calling me. “Mrs. Naylor?”