a moment both Marnie and Philip froze. The thought of being caught in the act was simultaneously hilarious and frustrating, and fortunately, both of them decided to laugh it off.
"That's good, honey. Go get your pajamas on."
"Okay!"
Marnie pressed against Philip's shoulder, and after a moment, he sat up with a sigh.
"So this is what being a parent is like," he joked, and she shook her head with a giggle.
"Really, this is the easy version. But it's probably just as well she stopped us. I mean … I don't know about you, but I'm really not sure where we're going with this …"
"Oh, I have a good idea," Philip quipped, but he nodded. "You're not wrong. There's a lot going on, and if we're going to make the best choices for ourselves and for Victoria, well, we shouldn't rush into things."
"That sounds about right …"
"What does?" asked Victoria, who had come out in her rabbit pajamas.
"Nothing to worry about, sweetie," Marnie said affectionately. "But you're just in time to say good night to Philip, who's leaving."
Was that a flash of disappointment across her daughter's face? It seemed far too soon for Victoria to get attached.
"Goodbye," she said, hiding her face in her mother's thigh.
Philip looked as if he longed to say more, but he only nodded. "It was wonderful getting to spend the day with you both," he said softly. "Thank you for having me."
Marnie reached down to touch her daughter's dark hair. It was still soaked, and in a bit, she would go towel it off for her a little better.
"Don't worry, Victoria, Philip will be back. He's visiting for a little while, so we'll see him soon."
Victoria looked up, dark eyes suspicious. "Really?" she asked.
"Really," Philip answered.
For just a moment, it looked like Victoria might rush over to give him a hug. Then she remembered herself and clung a little harder to her mother.
"Yeah, that's our cue that it's time to wrap things up," Marnie said with a sigh. "Someone's getting a little too tired to stay up."
Philip sighed, a soft regretful sound, but he nodded. "I definitely will be back," he said. "But for now, good night, and I hope you have sweet dreams, Victoria."
He waited for a moment, but Victoria only clung to Marnie's leg.
" 'Good night, Marnie."
"Night, Philip."
For one mad moment, she thought that she was going to reach out and kiss him. It would have been ridiculous. It would have been too many things to explain at once and far too much to fit into that day. Instead she thought of it, imagined the soft brush of his lips and the gentleness of his hand as it brushed over her cheek.
Then he nodded, and the door clicked shut behind him. After a moment, she locked the door and threw the bolt, turning down to her small daughter.
"Did you have a good day, baby?" she asked softly.
"Yeah," said Victoria, pulling back a little. "Tired now, though."
"Okay, well, why don't we heat up some soup and have some quiet time, all right? Does that sound good? "
Victoria nodded, and Marnie breathed a silent sigh of relief. Quiet time was time spent together with no need for words or interruptions, and it was one of her favorite times to be with her daughter. However, today, more than just being a silent and strong connection between them, there was a sense of recovery and thoughtfulness as she heated up their soup.
Her mind was buzzing with everything that had happened, and at the bottom of it all was Philip. She had never expected him to come back in her life, and she had certainly never expected him to come back like this. However, now he had, and her heart beat faster just thinking about it.
She wasn't a headstrong girl anymore, however. She couldn't be that reckless graduate throwing herself after the man she wanted like breathing. She was an adult now, with all of an adult's responsibilities. She had a daughter to look after.
Still, when she was settled down with Victoria sprawled across the other end of the couch, she wondered what it would be like to have
"That's good, honey. Go get your pajamas on."
"Okay!"
Marnie pressed against Philip's shoulder, and after a moment, he sat up with a sigh.
"So this is what being a parent is like," he joked, and she shook her head with a giggle.
"Really, this is the easy version. But it's probably just as well she stopped us. I mean … I don't know about you, but I'm really not sure where we're going with this …"
"Oh, I have a good idea," Philip quipped, but he nodded. "You're not wrong. There's a lot going on, and if we're going to make the best choices for ourselves and for Victoria, well, we shouldn't rush into things."
"That sounds about right …"
"What does?" asked Victoria, who had come out in her rabbit pajamas.
"Nothing to worry about, sweetie," Marnie said affectionately. "But you're just in time to say good night to Philip, who's leaving."
Was that a flash of disappointment across her daughter's face? It seemed far too soon for Victoria to get attached.
"Goodbye," she said, hiding her face in her mother's thigh.
Philip looked as if he longed to say more, but he only nodded. "It was wonderful getting to spend the day with you both," he said softly. "Thank you for having me."
Marnie reached down to touch her daughter's dark hair. It was still soaked, and in a bit, she would go towel it off for her a little better.
"Don't worry, Victoria, Philip will be back. He's visiting for a little while, so we'll see him soon."
Victoria looked up, dark eyes suspicious. "Really?" she asked.
"Really," Philip answered.
For just a moment, it looked like Victoria might rush over to give him a hug. Then she remembered herself and clung a little harder to her mother.
"Yeah, that's our cue that it's time to wrap things up," Marnie said with a sigh. "Someone's getting a little too tired to stay up."
Philip sighed, a soft regretful sound, but he nodded. "I definitely will be back," he said. "But for now, good night, and I hope you have sweet dreams, Victoria."
He waited for a moment, but Victoria only clung to Marnie's leg.
" 'Good night, Marnie."
"Night, Philip."
For one mad moment, she thought that she was going to reach out and kiss him. It would have been ridiculous. It would have been too many things to explain at once and far too much to fit into that day. Instead she thought of it, imagined the soft brush of his lips and the gentleness of his hand as it brushed over her cheek.
Then he nodded, and the door clicked shut behind him. After a moment, she locked the door and threw the bolt, turning down to her small daughter.
"Did you have a good day, baby?" she asked softly.
"Yeah," said Victoria, pulling back a little. "Tired now, though."
"Okay, well, why don't we heat up some soup and have some quiet time, all right? Does that sound good? "
Victoria nodded, and Marnie breathed a silent sigh of relief. Quiet time was time spent together with no need for words or interruptions, and it was one of her favorite times to be with her daughter. However, today, more than just being a silent and strong connection between them, there was a sense of recovery and thoughtfulness as she heated up their soup.
Her mind was buzzing with everything that had happened, and at the bottom of it all was Philip. She had never expected him to come back in her life, and she had certainly never expected him to come back like this. However, now he had, and her heart beat faster just thinking about it.
She wasn't a headstrong girl anymore, however. She couldn't be that reckless graduate throwing herself after the man she wanted like breathing. She was an adult now, with all of an adult's responsibilities. She had a daughter to look after.
Still, when she was settled down with Victoria sprawled across the other end of the couch, she wondered what it would be like to have
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