Page 91 of One More Chance
"Thanks, kids. I'll be back. Listen to your father." And then she was gone. The door shut behind her, and I was left with unease crawling under my skin, refusing to quiet.
I spent the afternoon trying to focus on the kids. We ate out on the deck, and when evening rolled around, they showered and curled up for a movie. I’d baked a new batch of gluten-free brownies, this timeusing sweet potatoes instead of that awful black bean recipe I'd tried before.
Violet took one bite, grimaced dramatically, and slathered it with hot fudge. “Needs more sugar!” she declared, giggling like mad as she added a tower of whipped cream.
Liam hovered nearby, eyeing the brownies like they might bite back. “So... they’re bad?”
Violet made a noncommittal shrug. “Hmmm… they’re okay." She turned to me, "Wanna build another base or castle later, Daddy?”
I laughed as I started on washing the dishes. "Absolutely, baby girl. I have this idea for an automated chicken egg collection assembly line."
Her face lit up, "Oh that sounds awesome!" Then she ran off, sugar tower in tow.
And if I'm lucky, we'll bump into a new friend.
I had still been on the hunt for my monster: Prince_Harming. He was out there, somewhere, lurking in the anonymous darkness of the internet. It was only a matter of time before he attempted to make contact with Violet in this life, and I was going to be waiting there when he did.
“You okay, Dad?” Liam asked. His tone was thoughtful and too grown for his years.
He'd been watching me scrub dishes and plot a murder, and I had no idea what expression was on my face.
I'm fine, boy. Just torn between strangling or stabbing your sister's kidnapper.
“Yeah, bud," I said with a nod. "Just happy to be home.”
And that was not a lie. Despite the fucked up state of the world, the looming threat of Angie, Charlie being a thorn in my plans… I was happy. Being there, being with them, that part never stopped feeling like a gift. He gave me a small smile and returned to the couch.
Time crawled.
When Sloane finally came home after texting me she was on her way, night had already settled. She walked in, looking tired but peaceful in a way I hadn’t seen in a long time. She helped tuck the kids in, humming under her breath as she moved through the motions.
“We grabbed takeout and watched the sunset,” she told me later, leaning against the counter, her voice dreamy. “It was nice.”
Simple. Romantic. Thoughtful.
Fuck, why hadn’t I thought of something like that?
I knew corporations and businesses were willing to stay open during this turbulent time and could have tried ordering us something one night.
She reached for a brownie, took a bite, her expression twisting as she thoughtfully chewed. “Maybe more honey next time?”
“You can say they suck,” I muttered, half-laughing.
She smiled, licking a crumb off her thumb. “No. I appreciate that you try. Especially the gluten-free thing. It means a lot.”
“Of course. It's important for you and Violet and since I’m not eating gluten either…” I trailed off, not needing to finish the thought. We both knew why I was being careful. Those stolen kisses. The lingering closeness.
I rubbed the back of my neck, heart hammering. “Sloane?”
She looked up. “Yeah?”
I stepped toward her and my voice caught on the jagged edges of my fragile confidence. “I’ve been thinking a lot about us… about everything. I know I screwed up and I know I put you through hell but I was wondering... would you be willing to try virtual marriage counseling?”
I was taking a shot because I felt like I was going to lose her if I didn't.
She froze in that quiet way she does when she’s deciding how much of herself she can safely show me.
“I’m not asking you to forgive me,” I continued. “Not to promise anything. I... I want to talk. I want to work on this. Even if we don’t know where it’s going yet.”
