Total pages in book: 88
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84247 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
“I love you too, Daddy.”
We hugged again, and she cried into my chest. When she finished, I didn’t rush to go inside. I sat with her, talked with her, enjoyed time with just the two of us, knowing Logan was okay with Callum.
An hour or so passed, when she said, “I, um…I really like Callum. I don’t hate him. He’s fun. It was really hard to stay mad at him. Sometimes I would forget I wasn’t supposed to like him.”
I chuckled. “Oh, kiddo. You’re gonna be a whole lot of trouble, I think.”
“Trouble is fun,” she replied.
“Don’t tell me that. I’d like to stay in the dark for as long as possible,” I teased.
“Can we go inside now? I want to see Logan.”
“Yeah, of course we can.”
I took her hand, and the two of us went inside.
When we got to Logan’s room, Callum was standing outside, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed. “He’s, um…he’s asleep.”
“Thank you for staying with him,” I replied. Charlie let go of my hand.
“Of course. Whatever you need. I—umpf,” he said when Charlie flung herself at him. She encircled his waist with her arms, buried her face in his stomach, and cried.
“I’m sorry for being mean to you. I don’t hate you and—” She dissolved into tears again.
Callum hugged her back, smoothed her hair down. “Don’t worry. It’s fine. It’s all scary and new. Please don’t cry.” He looked over at me like he didn’t know what to do, his pupils wide, but a smile stretched across his face.
“I don’t care if you’re Daddy’s boyfriend,” she said after she calmed down. “Maybe we can do stuff too? Like you and Logan do?”
Callum knelt and looked her in the face. “I would like that a lot. I think we’d have lots of fun together.”
He wiped her tears, and then…then she wiped his. Callum stood up. I took Charlie’s hand in one of mine, then wrapped my other arm around him, pulled him close, and kissed him.
The three of us went in to see Logan. All the rooms at the hospital were single, so we didn’t have to worry about someone else being in there. There was a small couch, and I managed to get Charlie to lie on it and go to sleep.
Callum and I sat in two hard plastic chairs on the other side of the room. I told him what had happened outside. He told me that Logan knew about us and was ecstatic. Neither thing surprised me.
I reached over, squeezed his hand, and didn’t let go. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
We sat there the rest of the night, watching the kids sleep.
Around seven the next morning, the nurses had a shift change, the hospital was beginning to wake up, and the kids did too.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner about me and Callum,” I told Logan.
“It’s okay. I was wondering…hoping. I think it’s awesome.”
“Me too, buddy.”
“Mommy!” Charlie shrieked suddenly and ran for the door. I turned to see Carol and—
“Mom?” Callum added. “You didn’t go home last night?”
“No way.” She shook her head. “I couldn’t leave you.”
“I found her downstairs,” Carol said. “I was trying to see what room Logan was in because someone’s phone died.” She eyed Knox.
He held his hands up. “I don’t have mine. Sorry, but Charlie’s died. I should have called you.”
“I’m here now. Anyway, Mary Beth heard me and told me. I found out she’s Callum’s mom. They tried to say we couldn’t all come up, but she said she was Logan’s grandma. I would have smuggled her in if I had to.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were here all night.” Callum went over and hugged her.
“I wanted to be here if you needed me,” she replied with more emotion than I knew the meaning of.
“You are, Mama. Always.” Callum pulled away.
“Come here.” Carol hugged him. “It’s so good to meet you in person.”
“You too.” He looked at me over her shoulder and gave me a shy smile.
“Mom, did you know Callum is Dad’s boyfriend?” Logan asked.
“Exciting, right?” Carol replied. “Look how much our family is growing! Families can never be too big, if you ask me.” She came to me then, patted my chest, and hugged me.
“Thank you,” I whispered in her ear.
“He’s soooo hot,” she replied softly. I rolled my eyes.
“Now, how’s my sweet boy doing?” Carol pushed Logan’s hair off his forehead and kissed him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Callum
They discharged Logan around ten that morning. He had a new inhaler and directions to see his allergist. They insisted on pushing him out in a wheelchair, and Logan’s expression seemed like a cross between him thinking it was kind of cool and annoyance at being babied.
“How about we all head to the house for breakfast?” Knox asked.
“Can we make chocolate-chip pancakes?” Charlie asked him.
“Of course we can.” He kissed her head.