Room for Just a Little Bit More
involved, so I’m trying to do as much as I can on my own. In between that I’m trying to see the girls as often as I can. Oh, and there’s that working thing that actually pays my bills.” He laughed. “I try to do that as much as I can too.”
    “I’m proud of you.” I smiled. “Once you get this thing up and running, it’s gonna be great.”
    “Thanks. It’ll be small to start, but baby steps, right?” He tapped his hands nervously on the counter. “I actually wanted to talk to you about the girls, if you have a second?”
    “Yep.” I took a quick peek at the monitors. “I only have two mommies and they’re both sleeping.”
    “Before you start,” Darla jumped in before Zach could talk, “I’m gonna head out.” She blew me a kiss. “We’ll catch up soon.”
    I blew her a kiss back and swiveled my chair to face Zach head-on. “What’s up?”
    “Funny you should say that, actually. My sister is up, from Kentucky. She just had a baby a couple months ago.”
    “Awww. Tell her I said congrats.”
    “I will.” He nodded, his eyes darting all over the place. “Anyway, her and her husband came up with the baby and they’re going to be here this weekend. I was wondering if I could have the girls overnight?”
    I was happy with the place Zach and I were in. Over the last year, he’d visited with the girls a couple dozen times, always at my house or he’d just take them out for the day. I hadn’t been comfortable with him taking them to his apartment overnight, and up until this point, he’d let me drag it out, but I knew I couldn’t dodge it forever.
    Swallowing the selfish lump that had formed in my throat, I put on my most sincere fake smile and tried to sound as upbeat as possible. “Sure.”
    He tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow at me. “Thanks for that.”
    “No problem.”
    “No, not for letting me have them. Thanks for trying to sound happy about it.”
    Cringing, I covered my face. “I’m sorry. Was I that obvious?”
    “Kinda.” He laughed. “But I get it. It’s okay.”
    I dropped my hands into my lap and looked up at him, feeling horrible. “It’s not you. I’m just not used to being away from them.”
    “I know. I understand. If you’re not comfortable with it, Kacie, we can just skip it.”
    “No,” I insisted. “You’ve been a constant part of their lives for almost a year. It’s time. I need to get over my issues.”
    His face flushed as he dropped his gaze to the ground. “Thanks. I appreciate it.”
    “Excuse me,” a man’s voice called out. “My wife just woke up and said the contractions are getting really bad. She wanted me to ask if you can check her?”
    “Absolutely.” I stood up and walked out from behind the desk area, whispering at Zach as I walked by. “We’ll talk later, okay? But let’s plan on that.”
    He nodded and thanked me again.

    Fast forward to Friday night and I was a nervous wreck. I’d packed, unpacked, then repacked the girls’ bags four times just to make sure they had everything.
    “Kacie, they’re only going for two nights,” Brody teased as he watched me rifle through the bags and pull everything out for the fifth time.
    “I know, but I want them to be comfortable and have their stuffed animals and—”
    “Babe. They’re good.” He walked over and took Lucy’s pajamas out of my hand, gently tucking them back into her Princess Sofia duffel bag. “I know this is tough for you, but in the long run, as much as I hate to admit it, it’s probably best for them,” he said. I could see the tension in his jaw.
    “Is this hard for you too?”
    “Of course,” he admitted. “Selfishly, I want them to love me more than Zach. I know he’s their biological dad, but they’re such an important part of me, it would sting like a motherfucker if they ever chose him over me.”
    I nodded and looked down at their duffel bags filled with four pairs of pajamas, stuffed animals, and toothbrushes.
    “Kind of

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