Page 113 of Falling Back to You

“What about Uncle Cy?” Dial asked.

“Uncle Cy would be the ringmaster, because he’s always running his mouth.”

Dial and I whooped with laughter at our daughter’s shade. “You clocked your uncle with that one,” Dial said.

“I like it when we’re all together. Daddy, Mommy, and me.”

“So do I,” Dial said. She and I exchanged glances, and she nodded. We’d agreed to tell Maple, and today seemed as good a day as any. “How would you feel if we hung out like this more often?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Well, Daddy and I were thinking maybe…” Dial nudged me in my ribs, looking for help.

“Maple baby, you know Daddy loves Mommy a lot?”

“Yes.”

“And Mommy still thinks Daddy is the coolest guy she’s ever met,” Dial added.

The simple compliment made me smile. Dial’s approval was like being granted a knighthood by a queen.

“Are you two getting back together?” Maple’s eyes narrowed as she tried to understand where this was going.

Reaching for Dial’s hand, I said, “Yeah, I think we are.”

This was all I needed for the rest of my days. Dial and Maple were my whole world. Building a life with these two incredible people was more than I deserved. I’d spend each day finding joy in the little things. Being able to have dinner as a family while we each shared bits of our day. Dial’s face, right when she woke up, serene and calm before she climbed into her protective shell to shield herself from the world. Most of all, I’d relish the laughter as we built new memories and dreamed new dreams.

“Is Daddy gonna move in with us?”

Dial cleared her throat. “We still have a lot of things to figure out, but being together is what we want. And we hope you want it too.”

“It’s about time.” Maple’s tone was matter-of-fact as she reached for a French fry.

“Excuse me?” I said. It seemed like everyone, including our daughter, had been waiting for us to get our acts sorted.

“Uncle Eddy said you can lead a horse to water, but they have to be willing to drink. And you two were pretending not to be thirsty for years.”

“Edison said that?” Dial asked.

“Yep, but it looks like you both are gulping down that water now. Which is great, because we belong together.”

“That’s your child.” Dial chuckled.

“Maple’s right—we’re better together,” I said. “Because it allows me to love my two favorite girls at the same time.”

Dial claimed Maple’s hand, and I grabbed the other. “Together is better… I like that,” she said.

23

Dial

My childhood home and the surrounding property was starting to look unrecognizable. Part of me wished I’d sided with Edison to purchase the place and keep it as it was. Walking through the house, I noticed the modern furniture and sage-green drapes, which were chosen to please strangers but totally missed the mark on the homey vibes. Everything was new, and it would take years to create a rustic, lived-in feel.

“What?” Cy pried his gaze from a stack of papers he was scanning before quickly signing.

“Nothing.” I shrugged a casual shoulder, knowing good and damn well that I had a ton of thoughts.

“You’re judging something, so just say it.”