Page 20 of Time Served in New York
“I can guarantee I won’t ever be able to afford this type of thing, Sweets. Hell, even if I could afford it, I’m not sure . . .”
“I looked online to find this room’s rate, Tyler, and let me say that if you did lose your mind and rent a room like this, I would probably have to kill you.”
Tyler laughed, and I felt the rumble of his chest against my back. “God, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“You’re aching to call them again, aren’t you?”
“And you’re not?” I asked as I reached for my phone on the nightstand. “We’ve gotta start getting ready for dinner in an hour, and they’re gonna be . . .”
“Call them, Sweets. I miss them too.”
I smiled at his admission, then hit the button to video chat with Mary so I could see the girls before she put them to bed.
It had been eight months since the first time I met my daughters, and even though there had been some rough patches adjusting to the change, I wouldn’t trade a single minute. Since the girls came to live with us and Tyler was no longer killing himself trying to work all day and night with a million chores in between, the two of us had really enjoyed adjusting to married life and parenthood.
Together, we’d gotten through ear infections and stomach viruses and watched the girls blossom and explore their new home. They’d had a wonderful life with Carl and Mary, but since they’d come to live with us full-time, their worlds had expanded to include the Time Served families along with the Ares couples.
Blue hadn’t lied when she said Luxe would be her little friend. They were inseparable when they were together. As a matter of fact, a week after Luxe started calling me ‘Mama,’ she said ‘Blue’ for the first time.
Blue had been beside herself and danced around the bonfire with Luxe in her arms as I soothed Tyler’s hurt feelings. Shortly after, Luxe called out for ‘Dada’ after she’d fallen and bumped her head. I saw tears in Tyler’s eyes as he took her from my arms. She’d laid her head against his chest, the place she felt most safe and comfortable, no matter what was going on around her.
“Hello, New Yorkers!” Mary said as our call connected. “How was your day out in the wilds of the big city?”
“It was awesome! We went to the Bronx zoo and then had lunch at a bistro Stamp’s family owns. When we were finished there, the driver took us back to Central Park and we had a carriage ride.”
“That sounds like a lot of fun! What are you doing tomorrow?”
“Frankie made arrangements for us to spend the day with Sis and Soda. We’ll have a tour guide that’s going to take us on a private boat to see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.”
“Wow. What’s everyone else doing while y’all tour the town?”
“They’re doing wedding stuff. They had to go to their dress fitting and get their shoes today,” I explained. “Apparently, they went to a very bougie place and drank way too much champagne while they shopped. When we got here a few hours ago, we rode up in the elevator with some of them. Dad was giving Aunt Matalie a piggyback ride because she said she couldn’t feel her feet, and Pandora was draped over Kitty’s shoulder because she was out cold.”
“Oh my,” Mary said before she started laughing. “They must have had a great day.”
“Yeah, right as the elevator doors closed on the scene in the lobby, I saw Blue and Brea sitting on a luggage trolley while Hammer spun it like a merry-go-round. Paula and Jenn were passed out on another cart while Boss and Hook waited on the next elevator so they could wheel them up to their rooms.”
“Maylee, Frankie, and Bernadette were in much better shape and dragging their guys out shopping,” I explained. “I’m pretty sure this hotel hasn’t seen anything like our bunch before.”
“I googled that place, and I think you may be right. I’ve certainly never been anywhere that elegant.”
Tyler laughed and replied, “Mary, the only ones that have seen anything this fancy are Frankie, Paula, and Stamp because they grew up in this lifestyle and then Maylee because . . . well, because she’s from Vegas.”
I bit back a grin at Tyler’s explanation of Maylee’s previous life, which I’d heard stories about, and watched as Mary walked out to her sunroom. I could hear a television in the background playing Luxe’s favorite show and the twins chattering and squealing at one another. The sound of the television disappeared just a few seconds after Mary turned the camera around so we could see the girls.
“Say something,” Mary whispered.
“Hey, cuties,” Tyler said with a grin as he scooted closer to the phone screen. I lifted my head so he could put his arm under it as we watched the girls get excited at the sound of his voice. “How are my girls?”
“Dada! Dada!” Luxe squealed as she got to her feet and wobbled toward the camera. Mary turned the view around again after she sat down on the couch, and we watched Luxe come into the frame as she grabbed for the phone.
“Hi, sweetheart!” I said to my grinning daughter. “Are you having fun?”
Luxe chattered at the screen and then tried to pull the phone out of Mary’s hand, probably so she could put it in her mouth. Mary rescued the phone and turned the view around so we could see the twins crawling toward her.
“They’ve had a pretty exciting day. We spent the morning in the garden, then had macaroni and cheese before their naps. Carl brought home a wading pool for them and set it up while they were sleeping so the water could get warm. They spent almost two hours splashing around before we came inside.”
