Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Lily and I often talked about organized chaos. We were alike in many ways. Her toy boxes could look like war zones, but she knew exactly where she had everything, and if anyone messed up her chaos, the world came to an end.
I was discovering I was that way with relationships. I wanted the spontaneous playtime, the involvement of strangers, the mindfucks, the emotional masochism, and the outside play partners. But hell, it had to be organized. Structured. And just like Lily needed her room to be her safe space, I needed my dynamic with Jack to be set in stone so I could appreciate the chaos.
In just a week, Jack had become that foundation of comfort I needed. I trusted him. He was so very good at listening and finding a balance between surprising me and making sure I was doing all right.
With him, I also felt like we were navigating this together. It wasn’t him deciding everything. He didn’t have all the answers. He was getting to know me. I was getting to know him. Despite his experience, despite my own, we were beginners at us.
I spun around when I finally heard keys turning the lock, and Jack walked in a second later with two packed grocery bags in his arms.
“Hey.” He seemed almost surprised to see me, though I had no clue why. “You ready for lunch?”
“Are we cooking?” I lifted my brows.
He chuckled and closed the door behind him with a bump of his hip. “Just reheating. I bought a grilled chicken and some sides at the store. Grocery stores outside New York are next level. There’s a whole deli in there.”
I smiled and joined him to be of use. “Maybe it’s just the New York stores that are subpar.”
“That too.” He blew out a breath and kissed my cheek. “How are you feeling today?”
A lot better now than I had twenty seconds ago. It was insane how his mere presence put me at ease. “Just before you walked in, I was fretting about how attached I’ve grown to you, and I was wondering if we could possibly establish some ground rules before you go home.” I set the grocery bags on the kitchen island and glanced at him hesitantly.
He was smiling, so hopefully I had nothing to worry about. “You don’t know how refreshing it is to be with someone so honest with their worries and…I guess, level of attachment.” He snuck close and kissed me firmly on the lips, coaxing another smile from me. “Before we dive into the world of ground rules—because I come prepared—I was more wondering how you’re feeling after last night. We got pretty intense at the party, and I stupidly left you to your own devices for too long.”
Oh. That. Domly concern. Of course. “I’m fine. I feel great. Sore. You?”
He laughed and started unloading the groceries onto the counter. “Same, without the soreness.”
I got distracted by some of the items he’d bought, such as the fixings for Lily’s grilled cheese sandwiches—the bread she preferred, the cheese, and the approved snacks. More than that, he’d bought other snacks and fruit cups marketed for children.
I picked up a snack box with crackers and cubes of cheese with a cartoon princess on it, and Jack cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck.
“Right,” he said. “So this is just an idea. I don’t know how it’ll work for children with autism, but the way I see it, she’s more than that, yeah? She’s still a child. She’s a girl into princess things and Lego and when the Hulk goes smash.”
I felt my mouth twist a little. Lily did love the Hulk.
“There’s a reason for the never-ending debate on whether corporations should be allowed to market things to kids,” he went on. “They fall for anything. But in Lily’s case, if seeing the new Disney movie or a cartoon on food packaging makes her more willing to try something new, it can’t hurt, can it?”
He was going to make me fall for him, wasn’t he? His words went straight to my core where I stored my love and protectiveness for Lily. And Jack was still Claire’s son. He didn’t do this to score points. He’d always had a soft spot for Lily—and just like Claire, Jack went the extra mile for people he cared about.
“You’re amazing, you know that?” I murmured. “This means so much to me.”
I hadn’t realized how tense he’d been until he visibly relaxed right in front of me, and he let out a chuckle and a “Whew.”
“I’ve tried the tactic before, but it’s been a while,” I said. “If there’s one thing autism parents are good at, it’s playing dirty. We have to. Otherwise, our kids with food issues never eat. Or they only eat one thing for the rest of their lives.”