Lemming 2.8: Awkward but Romantic Moments

A/N: This breaks my heart, but I don't think I'll be able to continue with this story. I have pictures for it, and I wrote this stuff ages ago, so I'm going to post the chapters anyway. Maybe my hard drive didn't crash like my husband now thinks. Maybe I can save something of this. At any rate, I've uploaded the Mitchell, Monique, Justin, and Jenny family, so I can maybe age up the kids. Still, to lose Emmett just kills me.

Since I've not been able to play on my desktop due to the crash/death of it, I've started playing a family on my laptop, and I love the youngest daughter Brielle. I know...the last thing I need is to start something new, but if I've lost the Lemming story due to my desktop crash, I want something to replace it.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emmett

     Jenny's step-mom, from her own financial troubles, has to stop sending her money to help pay Jenny's rent. Jenny could probably afford a tiny place on her own now that she has a steady income. Still, Katherine gives Jenny the option of moving back home, but when I hear about it, I offer another solution.
     "What if we rented a house together, sleeping in separate rooms?" I ask. I realize this is a huge step for her, for us both, but I know I'm ready to move. With both of us wanting and needing to move, we could possibly live together. After all, we were almost doing so in the duplex. This way, we have a single rent payment.
     Jenny acts like she definitely doesn't want to move back in with her step-mom and brothers. My recommendation sounds better to her with the pretty-much half a rent payment. I make sure she knows that we're roommates that happen to be dating. I won't expect anything of her that would make her feel rushed. If she still wants her space, I'll give it to her.

     This is how it looks when we move in. The Maker immediately gets rid of the TVs, not liking them in the bedrooms. My room is the one in the back, and hers is the one in the front. We get to redecorating it the way we like, only changing a few things.

     I'm really excited to try out a new career path, the scientist! It's right up my alley, and I immediately quit my job in the tech guru one. Justin acts bummed, and I try to get him to change with me. But he likes his job too much. I have to take a pay cut of 14 an hour, but I plan on rising quickly and getting back to the level I was. Thankfully, Jenny reaches level three in the painter career path.

     True to my word, I give Jenny her space. I spend a decent amount of time in my room either working on gaining my scientist-type skills or just reading books. Jenny, still the better cook of the two of us, cooks most of the meals. I try to lessen the task for her, but she just shrugs it off, saying that she'd have to cook for herself anyway if she lived alone.
     I'm going to take this moment to say that I...love...living with Jenny. I try not to get too gooey about it around her for fear of looking needy/pushy, but I truly love having her around, even simply knowing she's somewhere in the house. I wish I could describe this feeling a little better. Things just feel right.
     She comes in the room and tells me breakfast is ready. I smile. I hadn't even thought about eating, but it's probably a good idea. I close my book and eat with her in our pretty, little kitchen. Afterwards, since it's Saturday, she goes to work. My first day is on Monday.

     While Jenny's at work, Mom stops by for a visit to see my new place. The Maker created me as a teen, so my parents are closer to me in age than Jenny's.

     "Where is Jenny? I remember when she came over that day to introduce herself how sweet she was."
     I had to tell my parents that Jenny and I are living together. I know they've already jumped to conclusions. It's not like I wouldn't love for those conclusions to be perfectly true, but I also have to remind myself that Jenny's timetable and my parents' one don't match. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to hear my mom ask-
    "So, when am I going to have a grandchild?" She smiles brightly at me, and I'm eternally grateful that Jenny isn't home.

    I let out a nervous laugh. "Uh, Mom, it's not exactly like that."
    "You two have been dating for months, right? I keep waiting to hear that you've decided to get married. After all, you're living together..."
    "In separate rooms, Mom." I wouldn't call it months either, but I don't feel like explaining my romantic life to my mother. Jenny and Hugo broke up about six months ago, but Jenny and I haven't officially been dating but for a little while. We had that several months' time when we were just a little more than friends. Don't get me wrong: I loved that then too. It meant that I stood a chance with her, something I'd thought I would never have.
    "Suuure," she says in a leading way like she'll play along with some charade I'm doing.
    "No, really. Jenny needs it this slow after everything that's happened to her. It's a big leap for us to live together." Uh, parents! Are they all like this? Do they all have to try to get into our personal lives? I remember that night Jenny had her mom over for dinner and how she behaved.
     Mom lets me know she thinks it's really sweet of me to be so patient, but she also strongly hints that she'd love to have Jenny as a daughter-in-law. Her visit doesn't last too long, and she tightly hugs me before she leaves.

    I take a shower, eat leftover pancakes for lunch, and sit down to study rocket science for the rest of the afternoon. Jenny comes home, kisses me on the cheek, and says that she simply must go outside and paint something or she'll explode. She tells me she's not hungry.
    "Okay," I tell her with a smile. Then I have leftover pancakes for dinner.
     Speaking of Jenny and painting: Our house --Our house: that sounds nice-- is full of her artwork, all the art she doesn't want to sell. I love it. It's like living in a museum without the stuffy feeling. Maybe an art show would be a better description, a Jenny Keilani art exhibit. I don't have a speck of talent like she does, but I can definitely appreciate what she paints. She pours her soul into her paintings, and I see them as a clear expression of her inner thoughts and how her mind works.

     Speaking of paintings... It's back! Somehow, be it because of the move or the update, the painting that Jenny painted when we found out we were neighbors is back! The Maker is glad She didn't toss it and kept it in Jenny's inventory.
     I love this painting. I'll never forget that day. I'd figured out someone had moved next door, and I was so nervous about meeting someone new. Then, to my utmost surprise, I find out it's Jenny! --a much, much more beautiful Jenny than I remembered, even with the paint on her nose. It was at that moment that I wanted to bang my head into the wall several times and call myself a stupid fool for what I did when we were teens. The number one reason I turned her down was that I didn't want to have a girlfriend, but that afternoon, I realized that in turning Jenny down that I may have ruined future happiness.
     Now, that painting hangs in my room where I can see it, first thing in the morning, when I wake up. It stands as a reminder about how lucky I am that I'm getting a chance.
     And Mom and Dad are expecting to hear about wedding plans any day now. That, or hearing that they're going to become grandparents. Not that I wouldn't love that, but geez! My crazy parents need to slow down. If Jenny caught wind of the things they're thinking, she might panic. I'll go whatever pace she wants as long as we're together.

     More paintings. The Maker cringed in horror as the game revealed that Jenny was painting the clown picture that has been around since Sims 2. She can't stand that painting. That one got sold instead of kept.

    I spend Sunday morning with my new toy. Um, I mean, studying with my new analyzer. On the wall behind my desk, there's a picture of my mom that I took while she was here. The Maker wanted to test out the new portrait studio thing, and She's really looking forward to using that more often in the future. The fact that photography was part of the new expansion pack is what sold Her on it.
    "Whatcha doing?" Jenny asks after lightly knocking on my open door.
    I turn my head and smile at her. "You're home! I thought you had to work today."
    She shrugs. "I decided to take the day off and called in." She watches the analyzer do its thing in a curious manner.
    I remember I haven't answered her question. "I'm analyzing a rock I found, nothing special. Just practicing for tomorrow."
     That wonderful smile shows up on her beautiful lips. "You're excited. Looking forward to it?"

      Because she won't expect it, I take her hand and gallantly kiss it. She does a small gasp, but even in that small noise, I can tell she likes it. Jenny's a romantic, I've discovered, and she eats this stuff up.

     "Yes, I'm looking forward to tomorrow, so I thought I'd practice some skills. But that was before I knew you wanted to stay home today. I'm liking today more than I'm looking forward to tomorrow." I look up at her with a debonair grin and see that she's definitely eating this up.
     I remember that afternoon when I finally got to kiss her. I'd been wanting to in the worst way for weeks, but I held myself in check, thinking she wasn't ready for anything physical. Then, we cuddled while watching a movie for two nights in a row. Other than brief hugs, that was the most physical contact we'd had, and I liked knowing that she'd healed that much. I almost blew it the second night; I almost kissed her. It felt natural, like I didn't even think about it. I'm glad I stopped myself. It was better that I made sure she was okay before I kissed her the next day.
     The morning of the day I kissed her, at work, I nervously consulted my best friend...made all the more awkward that he's her brother. I'd never kissed anyone, and I didn't want to screw up should I get the chance to kiss Jenny later in the day. Justin was cool about me asking him for advice. He told me to just go with it, be myself, and put my emotions into it.
     Put my emotions into it? I was scared out of my mind that she'd freak out. So, I put 'scared out of my mind' into it? I panicked, afraid I'd chicken out, so I made myself quickly kiss her. I pulled back rapidly, worried she would freak out from shock. She didn't! When she stepped forward and kissed me on the cheek, I took that to mean that she was ready for more than what I gave her. Put my emotions into it, huh? I remember thinking. I think I did okay.

     Emotions into it... I think simply as I stand up and grab her around the waist. She looks momentarily surprised.

     But I don't give her much time to be surprised.
     Since that afternoon, Jenny and I have kissed many, many times. I've done my best to make each one special, even the little ones. I'm not as good as some at expressing myself, definitely no poet, so I use kissing her as a way to show her how much in love with her I am.
     She lets out a little, feminine noise that's probably supposed to tell me to give her a chance to breathe, but if she knew what that little sound did to me, she'd know that it does nothing but drive me wilder. She'd probably do it less, and that would be a shame. All the same, I do give her a chance to breathe while I kiss the neck of the absolutely beautiful woman in my arms.
     "Oh, Emmett, sometimes you get so romantic," she says airily while continuing to catch her breath.
      I do?! I think with an internal smile. Score!
      I pull up some so I can say down to her, "You do it to me. If it weren't for you, I'd just be a bookish geek, not interested in anything more than his next experiment or project." Yeah...That didn't come out quite like I wanted it to. Ugh! There's surely a better way to say it! "What I mean is, um," Stop talking and making this awkward. "You bring it out of me, make me want to be romantic."
     She smiles, and I feel a little less like a dork. "I'm glad."

     I turn and stand her on her own two feet.
     "I love you," she quickly says and kisses me before I can tell her the same.
     I grunt like I wanted to say something, but she doesn't pull back. Okay. I get it. Shut up, Emmett, and just kiss me. No problem at all.

     Justin comes over to check out our new place. Today, he has great news. He's engaged! He tells me Annalise has to work in her new store or she'd be here with him.

    To celebrate, Jenny makes brownies. Dam-, she can cook! Justin and I dig into them like a pack of wild hounds.
     "So, when's the wedding?" Jenny asks Justin right before he stuffs brownie in his mouth.

     "Whemer nyont goingato haff idfer a whale," Just replies with his mouth full.
     "Oh," Jenny says, looking a little disappointed. I guess she speaks 'mouth-full' because I have no idea what Justin just said.
    "I'm sorry, Jenny. Mind translating that for me?" I ask in a laughing manner.
    "Not for a while," she tells me.

     "Eager to have your brother married off?" I ask teasingly, but I closely watch her for her reaction. I'd love to ask Jenny to marry me, but I'd wager a very educated guess that that's quite a ways off. I'm okay, really. Still, it's a dream of mine right now.
    Jenny smiles a small smile. "Well, they've been together ever since your family and hers moved to town. Honestly, I'd thought they'd already be married by now."
    I inwardly laugh. She sounds exactly like my mother.
    Justin's head pops off to his left, looking out the window. I glance up to see what he looks at, and I see a very attractive woman walk by.

     Jenny sees her brother staring, and she looks at him and asks, "Really?" Her voice drips with exasperation like she can't believe her brother would look at another woman like that. I lean over a little to see the woman walk past the house and to the little fishing area.
    "What?" Justin asks innocently.
    I consider pointing out to Jenny that men frequently look at her like that, but I decide against it, not wanting to make her uncomfortable.
    "You're engaged," she reminds her brother.

     "So I can't acknowledge the fact that a cute chick just walked by the window?" Justin asks playfully, and Jenny glares at him. "Annalise is prettier than her, but that doesn't mean she's ugly. I was just looking."
     Jenny rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Okay, Mom."
     I decide to defend my friend. "Jenny, it's sim nature. You see an attractive person, you look." I make a point to lean my elbow on the table and rest my head in my hand as I stare very hard at my gorgeous girlfriend, who blushes.
     Justin picks up from where I left off. "It doesn't mean I'm going to do anything or that I even want to do anything. I love Annalise."
    "And I love your sister," I get in. Jenny goes from pink to scarlet.
    I hear a grin in Justin's voice as he says, "And he was looking too. See? It doesn't mean anything."
    I kick him in the shin under the table. He laughs maniacally.
    "Sim nature," I remind her. "It's why I can't prevent myself from staring at you every chance I get."
    "Smooth, bro," Justin tells me, and I debate kicking him again. Jenny had started to pout but stopped, and I don't want one of my rarely-perfect romantic moments getting ruined.
    Thank goodness, Justin changes the subject to when he thinks his wedding will be, and we talk about that for a while. We find out that he plans on staying in the same house he grew up in, worried that Katherine may die before Mickey gets old enough to be on his own.

     Speaking of Mickey, he decides to visit us as well, and The Maker can't believe his ridiculous outfit. She goes in to fix that right away.
     Jenny starts doing some dishes, but I stop her.

     Mickey giggles when I sweep his sister into my arms and kiss her. I feel like a heel for even looking at that woman, and I need to make sure that she knows that I think she's the most beautiful creation that Sims 4 has ever seen. If I try to speak, odds are that I'll screw it up, so, I decide kissing her is the best way.
    Her little brother gets a brownie, and we sit down with him. He scarfs his brownie down in two bites. I have another one, but I eat mine much slower.

     "When are you two getting married?" Mickey asks innocently. I suddenly have difficulty chewing since my mouth has gone bone dry.
     Jenny answers for us. "We haven't been together as long as Justin and Annalise have."
     Mickey doesn't get the notion that he needs to stop asking awkward questions. "Aw, but they've been together forever! She's the only girlfriend he's ever had. Well, I guess Emmett is only your second boyfriend, but I like him better than that other one. I like how he helped us with you when you freaked out. You should've seen him. I'm just a kid, and even I could tell he loved you."
     I nervously look at Jenny. I always try my best not to remind her of those days, and I worry she'll get agitated. She smiles at her little brother in a happy way.
     "Well, I guess it's just a matter of time then," Jenny tells him, and I'd swear my chair starts floating a few inches off the floor.
     I finally manage to swallow my food, and Jenny reaches over to hold my hand. I wordlessly kiss her fingers, a feeling of tremendous hope filling me.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Their house is Albergue Alfarero by lumosnox92

Lemming 2.7: What Really Matters

      Emmett puts my feet back on the ground and takes a step back, holding my hand. I close my eyes against the intense expression in his, and I feel his hand reach up and stroke my cheek.
      I guess I'm doing it again. I'm in a real relationship again. It's Emmett this time, sweet, singularly-focused Emmett, the Emmett I had a crush on until Hugo helped me get over his rejection. Then, Emmett grew up and realized there was more to life than school and books. Then...Hugo...and...
     "Are you okay?" Emmett asks.
     "How do I know?" I ask, not explaining myself. "I mean, how do I know you won't..." I can't finish.
     "I will never do what he did, Jenny," he says gently.
     "Everybody has their breaking point," I counter.
     "Then his was set much too low. Jenny, even if you attacked me, I wouldn't retaliate. I was raised better than that."
     My hand starts shaking in his, and he lightly squeezes it, his thumb running back and forth across the back of it.

       I pull my hand free and wipe under my eyes before the tears can fall. Emmett is so wonderful. What if I ruin him? What if it was my fault that Hugo hit me? I made him lose it.
      "Jenny, I'm okay with taking a step back again if this has turned out to be too much," he says carefully.
      "What if it's all a bad idea?" I say in a choked up voice. "What if it was me that made him snap?"
      "Stop that train of thought right there," he tells me sternly.
      Why is this coming up NOW? Why haven't I put these worries aside already? I guess it took actually taking that step with Emmett to bring these emotions up.
      He wipes my cheeks and takes my hands.

       "Do you know? I thought the same things for months," he admits while looking at my hands.
       "You think you caused him to snap?" I ask, my surprise showing through my voice.
       He offers up a half-smile crossed with a wince. "He told me to stay away from you. He threatened me that if I tried anything that he'd be sure I'd regret it. He gave the reason that you didn't need to be confused, that you were happy and I shouldn't mess with that. I didn't want to test him, so I did as he asked, well, ordered. It was true; I thought you were happy. I told myself I'd blown it when we were teens and that now I was paying for it. So, I kept my distance. Then, you brought me that second painting, and I couldn't help it: I stepped across that line and hugged you. I don't know how, but somehow, he found out about it."
     There was once a time when hearing a story like this about Hugo would've seemed unbelievable, but having seen Hugo's bad side the hard way, I believe Emmett. Still, I need to correct him.
     "You think that's why he snapped?" I ask incredulously.
     "Yes."
     "No. He snapped because I started screaming at him." I can't get Emmett's eyes to meet mine.
     "Well, I'd thought I'd put in a major contribution to his mood. If I'd just declined the painting and not touched you, he wouldn't have gotten furious and hit you."
     "Emmett..."
     A happier half-smile shows up, and his eyes finally meet mine. "Do you at least see where thoughts like these get you? Get us?"
     "The point is that he shouldn't have done what he did, whatever caused him to snap," I say definitively.

     "Yes," he readily agrees and kisses my fingers. I sense a reigned-in passion from him that begs to be released. "That was my eventual conclusion." He turns one hand over and kisses my palm, and my knees start shaking with the sensual feel of his lips on more sensitive skin.
     "I really don't want to talk about him," I decide.
     "But...is this too much? You never answered that question," he reminds me, and he momentarily squeezes my hands with his fingers before loosening them.
     "It's not too much," I say, and he releases a held breath, "but I... Well, I... can't help but worry."
     "Okay," he says, surprising me.
     "Huh?"

     "It's okay that you worry. I don't want you to worry, but the best way to prove to you that I will never do that is time. Before this afternoon, we were only a little more than friends, but now, now I have another way I can finally show you how much I love you."
      Um..a...eh? He said love.
       Emmett smiles, probably also realizing what he'd just said. "Let me prove it."
       This is Emmett Crews saying this to me, I think while little bubbles repeatedly pop in my stomach. I have to remind myself to breathe.
       Then, a glow fills me while I look at the man standing in front of me, holding my hands and baring his heart. He's so... so... For a moment, all I can think is 'grown up,' but that's not the term I want, even if it's part of what I'm thinking. So true...honest... and it's HOT.
      For the second time this afternoon, I throw my arms around his neck and kiss him. His reaction this time isn't as gentle as before. He kisses me hard, lightly fisting his hand in my hair to hold me to him. His other arm crushes me to him while his lips beg me to understand his feelings. For only half a second, I think about being scared, but it's fleeting and evaporates as I kiss him back.
      Eventually, he leaves my mouth to kiss my neck and chin, and I run my fingers through the longer hair on the top of the back of his head. His haircut suits him.
      "Let's order a pizza," I say after my stomach grumbles.
      Emmett laughs happily, and we walk hand-in-hand back to our duplex.

     A week goes by, and I enter the actual artist career path. Thankfully, the hours coincide well with Emmett's job.
     Emmett sticks to his promise to prove to me the kind of man he is. He never pushes for more, relishing in being able to kiss me. We do quite a lot of that. Justin accuses us of abandoning him, complaining he's had to form pick-up-groups in the game, but he's also thrilled that his best friend is dating his sister. Emmett tells him to stop worrying about the game and pay more attention to Annalise.

     I have Mom over for dinner one night so she can officially meet Emmett. She's still in the adult phase of life. She'd taken a youth potion when I was a kid, saying she still had stuff she wanted to accomplish.
     She takes a seat next to Emmett, and I watch her eyes size him up like a piece of meat. Mom!
     "Does Jenny not give you enough time to eat, Emmett?" Mom asks suggestively. "You're thin."
     Emmett keeps his gaze forward and swallows hard while I complain, "Mom!"

     I know Mom, so I know I'd better give her the answer she's looking for or she'll keep trying different things until she gets it. I sigh. "Yes, Mom. We're too busy to eat."
     Now this Emmett doesn't look prepared for at all, and he reaches up to run his fingertips along his forehead. He gives me a worried look, and I wink at him, telling him to chill.
     Mom replies, "Well, you should remember that you need to eat. You have more energy that way, you know."
     Emmett looks like he wants to sink under the table. Still, he says, "Ms. Keilani-"
     Uh oh.
     "Gillian," Mom harshly corrects him. Then, her voice sounds sweeter, "But just call me Monique."
     Is Mom flirting with my boyfriend?
     "I apologize," he says, meaning he's sorry for assuming Mom has the same last name I do. He clears his throat. "Monique," he says, and Mom bats her eyes at him, "Jenny and I are eating healthy and exercising, especially after what happened to her father."
     "Oh, you mean the heart attack Mitchell had," she says crassly. "Well, I figured it was a matter of time. After all, the man hardly has a heart to begin with-"
     "Mom," I say sternly, "please don't talk about Daddy like that in front of me." Ever since Dad threw Mom out, Mom has repeatedly convinced me that Daddy was scum, and I've had to remind myself every time that she was full of crap. I'm tired of listening to it.
     Emmett smiles encouragingly at me, and Mom shrugs, not fazed at all by my scolding her.

     Through the dinner, she makes other inappropriate comments, but Emmett and I successfully shake off each one. I am so embarrassed by my mother, and in some ways, I'm just like her! Do I behave like this?
     "I like him," Mom tells me quietly while Emmett escapes to do some dishes.

     My swanky work duds. The Maker has no idea where this came from. She figures it's part of the art career because Her artistic daughter is known for dressing like this (with no obvious rhyme or reason).

     Emmett doesn't mind.
     We're on an actual date! He convinced me to go out after he came home from work. He finally got a promotion to level 3.
     The Maker can't stand it anymore and has me change clothes.

     I worry that Emmett worries that I haven't told him that I love him. He's told me twice, both times like they accidentally slipped out. I think he doesn't expect me to tell him. I'm glad in a way, but also, I wish I could be comfortable enough to tell him.
     I know that if I brought it up that he'd just wave it off and tell me that he understands that I need to take things in a cautiously slow manner. He's just happy we're together--at whatever phase.

     He makes me feel special...and normal. When I'm with him, my insane trait almost disappears. If I've done something in an odd way, it only occurs to me later because he acts at the time like that's how whatever-it-was is supposed to be done.

     When The Maker moved Emmett and me in together, Emmett was suddenly about twelve days older than me when we should be the same age. He aged to full adult, and this is what he looks like. However, She went in and de-aged him back to young adult with plans to age him up when I age up.

     While doing that, She noticed something.... someone missing...

      My dad died!
      This stupid game didn't notify me at all, and there's no urn, no tombstone, no nothing to use to mourn. That is beyond lame. I go to Dad's house and look for something, and there's nothing. NOTHING!
     I look around the living room and have a zillion memories come back to me, everything from Emmett turning me down to Dad telling Mom to leave to Hugo telling me he liked me. Too many bad memories...even the good ones tainted by bad circumstances to follow.

     I go and have a seat on his bed, trying to commune with his spirit. My mood lifts when I think of some of his silly jokes. He could always make people laugh.
     The paintings behind me, Mom painted those. I wonder if he ever told Katherine. He never took them down. I leave them put.
     I go home. That's when the tears hit...hard. Emmett comes home from work at about that moment, and he holds me while I cry, both of us standing silently on the sidewalk.
     I don't want to be alone in my apartment tonight. I miss my Daddy, and I can't help but remember that first night after Hugo hit me how Daddy stayed with me, making me feel safe.

      I sleep in Emmett's bed tonight. We stay fully-clothed and on top of the sheets. Sometimes, he holds me, but mostly we just lie facing each other and talking.

      That is, until we both pass out from exhaustion.

      I wake up to the smell of pancakes, and when I open my eyes, I'm momentarily confused as to where I am, then I remember I'm at Emmett's apartment.
      I drowsily make my way to the kitchen. In the trashcan in front of me, I see about six or so burnt pancakes. Sweet Emmett stands at the stove, and a very small stack of pancakes rests on a plate next to him. The simple sight warms my heart. He tries so hard to get things right, perfectly right which isn't really necessary, but I know that's what he wants.
     He flips the next batch of pancakes over, and I wait for him to finish that task before I quietly say, "Good morning."
     A surprised expression controls his face before he smiles at me and crosses the room to wrap his arms around me.
     "Good morning," he echoes and kisses my forehead. "I'm trying to make pancakes, and I think some might be edible."
     I laugh at his insecure way of describing his cooking ability, and I tell myself that everything will be okay. I may have lost my Daddy, but I found a man that's like him in so many ways.
     We both call in and take a vacation day before we sit down to eat his actually-very-good pancakes. Afterwards, he goes to check his email, and I offer to do the dishes. He tries to stop me, but I won't hear of it. Once I finish, I go into the living room.

      "Thank you," I tell him when he hops up out of his chair and wraps his arms around me.
      "For fixing a sustainable amount of edible and not burnt food?" he laughingly asks.
      I smile a small smile. "Well, there's that. But I mean for last night too. You know...I'm not good at handling stuff. I feel better this morning than I expected I would."
      "What else would a good boyfriend do?" he asks with a smile mirroring mine, relishing the word 'boyfriend.'
       I continue, "I'll miss Daddy, but I know at the same time that I'm going to be okay."
      He runs his fingers through my hair. "And don't be upset if the crying returns. I read that's normal. And of course, I'll be here."
      I have to say it!

      "I love you, Emmett," I tell him simply. I could list all the reasons I do, but what really matters is that I do.
      He quickly blinks once, takes in a big breath, holds it for several seconds, and lets it out.