Page 65 of Ruin Me Sweetly

“Call me Daddy, and I’ll get off you,” I said, holding him pinned to the floor.

“Never, boomer.”

I chuckled and released him. He groaned and flopped onto his back as I stood.

“Never change, son,” I said, offering him a hand.

He grinned and gripped it, trying to yank me down, but I was ready for him. My ass was clenched, my footing solid.

He sighed heavily and allowed me to help him up.

“How’s everything going?” I asked, noticing the destruction.

I walked over to the broken ornament that had fallen off the side cabinet, gathering the pieces off the floor and leaving them on the cabinet for now.

“Really good. Living with Amber has been far better than anything I could have anticipated. It’s like we each have a separate rhythm, but together it’s a vibe.”

“Hm,” I hummed. “That’s quite perceptive of you.”

“This is the Gen Z class,” he said, smirking.

I nodded like I knew what the fuck that meant, but I’d look it up later.

It made me feel much better when he squealed like a girl at the sight of Bella feeding Lewis, before launching straight into dramatics until my poppet finally dragged him out of the living room.

It didn’t bother me that Bella called me out for my own immaturity at the wrestling match. I never wanted to lose touch with any of the kids, no matter their age. Somehow, the victory felt sweeter with Zach, precisely because of his initial resistance.

I sat beside Bella as Lewis suckled away, far more finesse in him than I’d ever managed myself.

Operation Baby Newbury’s First Christmas was underway.

Tomorrow was the big day.

I leaned in to kiss Bella’s cheek.

“It makes me so happy that everyone is home,” I murmured.

She reached up and smoothed my hair back into place. I knew it was dishevelled from wrestling Zach. Her hand drifted to my cheek, her thumb tracing gently over the skin.

“Look how much has changed since last Christmas,” she said, glancing at Lewis.

His eyes were drooping now, his suckling gone sporadic, slowing toward sleep.

There had been bumps along the way, but they’d almost entirely come from outside factors. Zoe’s fake lawsuit against me had gone nowhere, and Sadie remained locked away in a secure facility.

The soft, twinkling lights of the Christmas tree caught my eye.

“It’s because I picked out the tree this year,” I told her.

Her fit of giggles was everything.

❧ ❧ ❧

My eyes snapped open.

Everything was quiet.

It was Christmas morning.