came out when she got worried. Rosette had some kind of anti-aging cream hidden in her dresser that she used for it, but he pretended he didn’t know.
She was battling herself, debating whether to say anything. He hurt for her and said, “You know, we’re adults. I’ll be up and down anyway, so it’s perfectly fine if you want to sleep in here too. If it becomes a problem, I’ll pull out the sleeping pad.”
It was a long foam pad they kept under the bed. He used to have night terrors, flashbacks in his sleep, and he’d jump out of bed yelling. The soft bed had bothered his sleep too, after sleeping on a hard military bed for so long. He’d kept the pad around to sleep on when he became too restless for the bed. Rosette nodded, which might have been an agreement, but one that she wasn’t completely happy about. He couldn’t be sure. It’d gotten hard to read her lately.
Hope was quiet now.
“Do you want me to take her?” he asked.
“Maybe she’ll lie down.” Rosette gently laid Hope down in the crib. The blanket was still wrapped around her, the way Rosette had wrapped up Candice and Jake when they were tiny. She had told him babies liked it because it reminded them of being snuggled into their mother’s womb.
Hope hardly reacted to being laid down. Rosette straightened and watched her a minute, and then turned her attention to the bed. “I’m lying down too.”
He reached over to the baby monitor by the crib and switched it on. They had the speaker downstairs in the kitchen, he remembered. He leaned toward Rosette to kiss her forehead but caught himself. She was so exhausted she didn’t seem to notice.
He turned off the light and closed the door on his way out.
Rosette waited until she heard Trey go down the stairs before she released her breath and let herself cry. She wasn’t ready for this. She couldn’t handle a crying baby, two fighting kids downstairs, and a husband who didn’t want to be here. What had she been thinking? She couldn’t believe Trey did this to her.
A piercing headache had tapped away behind her right eye all day. Her stomach was unsettled and her body was aching like she was fighting off the flu, but she knew it was stress and lack of sleep.
She wanted a hot bath and a glass of white wine, but she was too tired to even think about getting back up.
Trey felt awkward throughout dinner with Summer there and Rosette gone, but Alex got the kids talking. That covered for Trey and Summer both being quiet. He didn’t have a read on her, either. She’d been a troublemaker, but now she was just quiet. And apparently living with them for the time being. He didn’t feel like talking to her about it any time soon, not when she looked like she was still in shock over her sister’s death, and not when he had no idea what would happen with his family.
Neither Rosette nor Hope woke up during dinner or while he bathed the kids and put them to bed. Summer slipped back out to the fifth wheel trailer parked alongside the garage, which was basically functioning as her apartment. Alex went out with his friend TJ, who had gotten his license two months ago, so they were enjoying their newfound freedom and mobility. Alex would get his license soon; he had a car ready now. Trey had helped him restore an older race car, but it was actually Alex who knew more about engines.
Trey went upstairs and entered the bedroom quietly. He undressed and slipped under the covers, feeling very much like he’d snuck into the girls’ dorm room. It wasn’t his bed anymore.
How would this work? What if rolled over in his sleep and wrapped himself around her?
Suddenly he wanted her so badly he almost got back out of the bed. Instead he lay there, stiff like a mummy, listening to Rosette breathe. She wasn’t snoring, but it was her deep sleep breathing. Either she’d taken a pill or she was so exhausted nothing would wake her.
That relaxed him enough to close his eyes and let go of the
She was battling herself, debating whether to say anything. He hurt for her and said, “You know, we’re adults. I’ll be up and down anyway, so it’s perfectly fine if you want to sleep in here too. If it becomes a problem, I’ll pull out the sleeping pad.”
It was a long foam pad they kept under the bed. He used to have night terrors, flashbacks in his sleep, and he’d jump out of bed yelling. The soft bed had bothered his sleep too, after sleeping on a hard military bed for so long. He’d kept the pad around to sleep on when he became too restless for the bed. Rosette nodded, which might have been an agreement, but one that she wasn’t completely happy about. He couldn’t be sure. It’d gotten hard to read her lately.
Hope was quiet now.
“Do you want me to take her?” he asked.
“Maybe she’ll lie down.” Rosette gently laid Hope down in the crib. The blanket was still wrapped around her, the way Rosette had wrapped up Candice and Jake when they were tiny. She had told him babies liked it because it reminded them of being snuggled into their mother’s womb.
Hope hardly reacted to being laid down. Rosette straightened and watched her a minute, and then turned her attention to the bed. “I’m lying down too.”
He reached over to the baby monitor by the crib and switched it on. They had the speaker downstairs in the kitchen, he remembered. He leaned toward Rosette to kiss her forehead but caught himself. She was so exhausted she didn’t seem to notice.
He turned off the light and closed the door on his way out.
Rosette waited until she heard Trey go down the stairs before she released her breath and let herself cry. She wasn’t ready for this. She couldn’t handle a crying baby, two fighting kids downstairs, and a husband who didn’t want to be here. What had she been thinking? She couldn’t believe Trey did this to her.
A piercing headache had tapped away behind her right eye all day. Her stomach was unsettled and her body was aching like she was fighting off the flu, but she knew it was stress and lack of sleep.
She wanted a hot bath and a glass of white wine, but she was too tired to even think about getting back up.
Trey felt awkward throughout dinner with Summer there and Rosette gone, but Alex got the kids talking. That covered for Trey and Summer both being quiet. He didn’t have a read on her, either. She’d been a troublemaker, but now she was just quiet. And apparently living with them for the time being. He didn’t feel like talking to her about it any time soon, not when she looked like she was still in shock over her sister’s death, and not when he had no idea what would happen with his family.
Neither Rosette nor Hope woke up during dinner or while he bathed the kids and put them to bed. Summer slipped back out to the fifth wheel trailer parked alongside the garage, which was basically functioning as her apartment. Alex went out with his friend TJ, who had gotten his license two months ago, so they were enjoying their newfound freedom and mobility. Alex would get his license soon; he had a car ready now. Trey had helped him restore an older race car, but it was actually Alex who knew more about engines.
Trey went upstairs and entered the bedroom quietly. He undressed and slipped under the covers, feeling very much like he’d snuck into the girls’ dorm room. It wasn’t his bed anymore.
How would this work? What if rolled over in his sleep and wrapped himself around her?
Suddenly he wanted her so badly he almost got back out of the bed. Instead he lay there, stiff like a mummy, listening to Rosette breathe. She wasn’t snoring, but it was her deep sleep breathing. Either she’d taken a pill or she was so exhausted nothing would wake her.
That relaxed him enough to close his eyes and let go of the
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