Page 55 of The Roommate Situation
The best part of the day, though, is when Parker steps through the door. He is the best partner a guy could ask for, and he adores the kids. He just started his fourth year working at the local elementary school as the physical education teacher, and he does some personal training on the side. He’s busy, but he loves his work and we’re always so excited to see him at the end of the day.
I work from home, doing illustrations for children's books, a couple of which have been Amazon best sellers and helped me gain more traction and a large and steady following on social media. I also do artwork for authors who reach out wanting character art done for one of their stories and I enjoy it very much. The twins keep me busy, of course, but I get in as many hours as I can while they nap and at night after they’ve gone to bed, or on the days they’re with Ruth.
We visit with Parker’s family a couple of times a year, and while I wish we all lived within ten minutes of each other, wehave time with them every Christmas and spend a good deal of our summers in California.
Our house is a mess like always, because we’re busy little bees and it’s like they say, cleaning a house with a toddler in it is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos. And with two toddlers it’s nearly impossible. There’s toys everywhere, and Peppa Pig playing on the TV when we make our way back into the living room.
Parker just grins at me as he surveys the mess and settles on the floor to play with the kids for a bit. I join him as we stack blocks, let the kids make a treat in their toy kitchen and rave about how amazing it is, and then read a story, before we let them entertain themselves while we make dinner. The open floor plan allows us to have a view of them while we cook, and I smell something that most definitely isn’t dinner a moment later.
“I’ll get it,” Parker says, and moves to the living room to decipher who the culprit is. He pulls Ethan’s pants back to check his diaper and then Emily. He wrinkles his nose and then scoops her up, hauling her over his shoulder to her bedroom and the changing station as she giggles and kicks her feet.
We eat dinner as a family, and then Parker tells me he’ll clean up while I take a break. I hide in our bedroom upstairs and run a bath for myself, bubbles included. I stick my headphones on and listen to music as I relax and soak, knowing our children are safe and cared for by their Papa.
He is the best man I know, the love of my life, and I can’t believe I get to spend the rest of my life with him. He proposed on my birthday our senior year, with all of friends there celebrating, and I’m pretty sure my squeal of “yes” was heard all over campus.
Who would have thought that a horrible first encounter in a bathroom stall when I was just trying to find someone to helpme get over a sleazy ex boyfriend, would lead to where we are now? I’m thankful everyday that my eyes were opened to how much better I deserved and that I found someone who loved me for exactly who I am, who encourages me, strengthens me, cares for me and loves me in a way that I hope our children one day experience with their partners, should they choose to have them.
After putting the twins to bed that night we curl up on the sofa to watch a movie, me in one of Parker’s T-shirts and him in the sweats he still has from college. We’re both exhausted, and I’m nodding off on his shoulder an hour later. He turns the tv off and scoops me up. I sigh contentedly as my head rests against his firm chest, and I feel us moving up the stairs.
I curl up on my side when he lays me in bed, and hum as his warm body presses against mine, his strong arm coming around to hold me close.
He presses a kiss to my ear. “Goodnight,” he murmurs, his warm breath tickling my skin. “Love you, little rabbit.”
I grin at his use of the nickname for me. “Love you, too.” I grip his arm and pull it tighter around me as we drfit to sleep, feeling safe and loved and so very happy.
The End
