Wish Come True (The Blogger Diaries Trilogy Book 3) (8 page)

I lay Josalyn down between my legs and place my right hand on her stomach so she won’t roll and crawl away, and reach down with my left to the floor to pick up the diaper, wipes, and outfit I sat there last night when I came up to bed. I get her all changed and dressed and head downstairs to the kitchen, where Mom, Buffy, and Tony are sitting at the table.
 

My brother wipes his mouth on a napkin and then claps his hands at Josalyn where I have her hiked up on my hip, spreading out his hands to her, which she immediately throws herself into. I lean down and kiss my mom on her head before sitting down on the bench with Buffy, next to Tony.
 

“We’ve got sausage and cheese, ham and cheese, and sausage, jalapeno, and cheese kolaches, and then a shitload of different donuts. Grab what you want, kid,” Tony points out.
 

I pull a paper plate off the stack in the middle of the table and pick out a sausage and cheese kolache and a blueberry-filled frosted donut. Before I dig in though, I go over to the counter and fix Josalyn’s breakfast of rice cereal mixed with banana baby food, sitting back down and placing the bowl next to my plate. Tony has her facing the table, sitting on his knee closest to me, so I Velcro her bib around her neck and spoon her some of her sweet concoction, taking a bite of my own food while she chews.
 

“So how was it?” Buffy asks excitedly. She was already in bed when I got home last night, so she didn’t hear the recap of my date with Jason when I told it to Tony and Mom, who were sitting in the living room chatting when I came in. Josalyn had been as I thought, fast asleep, but instead of in the bedroom, she was drooling face down on Tony’s chest. I scolded him for it, telling him he was going to spoil her and throw her off her routine, and he fired back, saying by that time, we’d be headed back home and it would be me who had to deal with it, not him. Ass.

“It was awesome. It was a roller coaster of feelings the whole time, bouncing between feeling just like old times, and then the newness of being a couple after not actually seeing each other in so long. But it was amazing. He’s still my Jason, still my best friend, and still a fan-freakin’-tastic kisser.”
 

I smirk at Tony when I say the last bit, who shakes his head and complains, “La-la-la-la-la… I can’t hear you!” Josalyn turns her head and looks up at him after she jumps at his antics, and he coos down at her, “Your Uncle Nony doesn’t want to hear about your mommy getting it on with her boy toy. She’s still his baby sister, no matter how old she gets.” Josalyn’s eyes sparkle as she giggles up at him like she knows exactly what he’s talking about.

“Hey, I didn’t get it on with him! We just made out like teenagers; that’s all.” I lean over to stage whisper to Buffy, making sure Tony can hear, “But I couldn’t tell you a damn thing about that movie,” and he starts shaking his head again while Buffy lets out a loud and boisterous laugh. It’s infectious, and everyone at the table ends up laughing along with her, Josalyn’s surprised face looking at each of us, trying to figure out what all the ruckus is about.
 

“Damn, he
must
be a good kisser if he was able to distract you from your McDreamy fella,” Mom interjects, snickering when Tony starts his
La-la-la
-ing again.

“So when do you get to see him again?” Buffy asks, taking a bite of her donut.
 

I feed Josalyn the last of her cereal and wipe her mouth with a damp washcloth, replying, “Today. He gets out of class at one, so I’m going to leave here around noon. He and his parents really want to meet Josalyn, so we’re going to spend the day down there. I’ll probably head back around seven so I’m not driving in the dark.”

“Why can’t you drive in the dark?” Tony questions, leaning down to inhale the top of Josalyn’s head. He loves that clean baby smell; he did it several times last night too while she was sleeping on him.

“Ever since I had her, for some reason, driving at night messes with my eyes. It’s like I have no depth perception anymore. Headlights look like big starbursts, and I can’t tell how far away cars are. I think it’s called being night blindness,” I explain.

“Have you been to an optometrist for it? You need to get that checked out, sis.”

“I don’t have any insurance anymore. I don’t really go places at night anyways, so it’s no big deal.” I shrug. “Jason said he wants to take me out sometime while I’m here, so he’s going to come and get me then bring me back, but tonight we’re just going to hang out at his house and get some dinner.”

“If your eyes get any worse, just let me know. I don’t mind paying for you to get your eyes checked, kid. You kinda need them,” he offers, and I nod.
 

I clap my hands at Josalyn and she reaches up to me as I stand. “Let’s go wash that cereal down with some milk, big girl,” I tell her, holding her on my hip while I gather up my trash and her empty bowl. I rinse the bowl and spoon off in the sink, throw away my paper plate, and then head upstairs to nurse her. No matter how cool my brothers and I are, it’s still weird to breastfeed her in front of them. Even if they don’t look, it’s awkward. So I grab my book out of my bag and read while sitting up in the bed as she tops her fat little belly off with her morning meal.

After a few hours of hanging out with Tony, Buffy, and Mom, it’s finally time to start heading to the south side. As much fun as I’ve had conversing with them, getting to know Buffy, and telling pregnancy and baby stories about Josalyn, time has crawled waiting for the clock to strike noon so I could leave and see Jason again.

I’ve spent the last hour getting ready, packing up Josalyn’s diaper bag, and making sure I have everything I need for the day. Mom, in her usual way, is running off a verbal checklist, double-checking what I’ve already triple-checked myself. By the time I’m headed out the door, I’m so freaked out that I’m ready to leave everything here and run. I’ll just buy whatever I need when I get there. But seeing she’s making me nervous, Mom stops her pestering, gives me a hug and Josalyn a kiss on her chubby cheek, and tells me to be careful as I hop in the car.
 

It’s surreal driving my old path to Jason’s house after this long. God, I used to drive this forty-five minute route every single day, just to see that boy. How did I do that? Nowadays, I can’t even stay up very late without feeling hungover the next day, even if I don’t drink! How the hell did I used to drive down there, stay out playing pool until the bar closed at 2:00 a.m., spend like an hour at IHOP sobering up enough to go back to his house and make love, and then drive all the way back home, putting me in bed at 5:00 a.m. before having to be in class by eight? What in the world was I thinking?

I smile a secret smile. I was in love. That’s what. And as I take the exit for Dixie Farm Road, I get an overwhelming feeling of coming home after a lengthy time away. Everything looks exactly the same, and as I pull into the Robichauxs’ driveway, I can’t help the happy tears from welling up in my eyes. I’ve missed this place and the people inside so very much, and for a long time thought I’d never see them again.
 

I glance into the backseat and peek over the back of Josalyn’s carrier, seeing she is fast asleep. There are a couple of SUVs in the garage, but Jason’s car isn’t here. Looking at the time, it’s a quarter ‘til one. The school is just five minutes away, so I decide to wait for him to get here instead of going inside without him. I have just enough time to feed her before he gets home. I love his dad to death, but I think it would feel too awkward showing up without Jason here. Plus, I want Jason to be the first one to meet Josalyn.
 

I get out of the car and walk around to the passenger back door to gently wake my daughter up. She makes the most adorable scrunched faces as she stretches herself into consciousness, and then looks at me with glazed hazel eyes. I unbuckle her, close the door, and carry her back to my driver seat. It’s actually really comfortable breastfeeding in cars, because you have the armrest to prop your elbow on while the baby nurses.
 

Just as she’s finished and I sit her up, Jason’s car pulls into driveway, and he parks next to me. I quickly rearrange my bra and straighten out my shirt, pulling everything back down into place. He opens my door for me just as I’ve covered up my stomach. I grip Josalyn as I stand up out of the car, and the way I had to tilt her and then pull her back upright, she lets out a gigantic belch, and Jason bursts out laughing.
 

“Oh, my gosh, baby, that was so not very lady-like!” I chuckle then kiss her cheek. At least she didn’t spit up all over the place the first moment Jason met her. It’s a little chilly, so I pull the hood of her pink cherry-print zip-up sweater over her head, making sure her ears are covered.
 

“Hey there, Tooty.” Jason leans down, smiling into her happy face, and my heart swells at his use of her nickname. I’ve called her that since the day she was born, because the tiny girl can rip ass as loud as a grown man. I told Jason about it when we first started talking again, and he thought it was hilarious, sounding quite proud of her, especially the first time he actually heard it over the phone. Gassy little thing. “Let’s get y’all inside. It feels like the temperature dropped,” he comments, and he leans into my rental and pulls out my purse and the diaper bag from the passenger seat without me even asking.
 

What is this sorcery?

I follow him to the door inside the open garage, having flashbacks of the first time I walked up the driveway and spotted him as he came out from underneath his truck, covered in streaks of oil and cursing up a storm. God, he was breathtaking back then, and still is as he hitches both the bag and my purse up on his shoulder, giving zero fucks of what someone might say. Not that anyone would dare make fun of Jason for anything—not if they wanted to keep all their teeth.
 

As he opens the door, everything looks exactly the same. We enter into the utility room, which houses the washer, dryer, and the extra refrigerator his mom always kept stocked with her wine and the guys’ beer, passing by the half-bath I used to run to during our poker games on the back porch while the boys always just relieved themselves in the yard.
 

Walking through the doorway, the dining table I had many a dinner at still sits, surrounded by its six green-checkered cushion-seated chairs, and the kitchen straight ahead. But we turn right through the archway, and there, in the same squeaky green-leather recliner, sits Steve Robichaux, Jason’s wonderful dad, who hops up when he hears us walk in and immediately wraps Josalyn and me in his strong arms. When he pulls back, he’s smiling ear-to-ear, and he pets Josalyn’s plump cheek with the side of his pointer finger. “Well, ain’t you just the cutest?” he clucks at her. “Gosh, you look just like your momma, you pretty thang.”
 

She grins and then goes off on a baby-babble tangent, ending with a loud, “Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma!” as the three of us laugh at the serious face she makes when she’s done.

“And how you doing, baby doll?” Steve asks, giving me a quick peck on my cheek before reaching up to pull Josalyn’s hood off her head, running his big hand over her soft hair. It warms my heart seeing him be so comfortable and affectionate with her. His dad has a ton of nieces and nephews, so it’s not surprising, but it makes me feel good that he’d be that way with my daughter too.
 

“I’m fantastic,” I beam, looking up at Jason.
 

“Well, I’ll let you get all your stuff put down and relax for a little bit after that drive. I was just watching one of my episodes of
King of Queens
I recorded. If you need anything, just ask Junior there.” He winks, lifting his chin at his son and making me giggle. He sits back down in his chair and turns the TV back up, effectively relieving us of small talk so we can head back to Jason’s bedroom.
 

We walk through the foyer, and visions flash through my mind of Jason and me sneaking down this very hallway in the pitch-black hours before dawn. Unable to keep our hands off each other, we tried to be as quiet as we could as we’d make our way to his room, always starting the festivities with him tossing me onto his queen-sized bed before he’d close his door. My face heats and I smile, remembering how wonderful it felt every time he’d grip me by the ankles, haul me to the edge, and then lay himself between my legs, kissing me fiercely before deciding what he’d do to me that night. It was always different, always an exciting surprise to see what he’d introduce me to each evening, never ending until I was completely satisfied.
 

As we turn left at the end of the hall into his bedroom, I have to stop in the doorway and take it all in. It’s arranged differently than the way it was before. His bed is up against the far wall, the one with the window, with his TV on his dresser facing it from the left of us. On the right wall is a long black leather sofa, the other end of it stopping just at his walk-in closet’s doorframe. Jason sits the bags down on the sofa, takes off his black pea coat, and then turns to face me, still standing with Josalyn on my hip and looking around his room. Even the smell is bringing back blush-worthy memories. I’m so glad he still wears his Realm.

“I haven’t worn it since you left,” he says, my eyes snapping to his. Did he read my mind? “You used to close your eyes and inhale deep like that all the time back then. I could never bring myself to wear it without you here to tell me how
intoxicating
I smelled,” he emphasizes as he paces toward me, using the word I always had to describe his scent. I could happily drown in the dark depths of his eyes as they twinkle down at me, but then he breaks the spell when he turns his gaze on the little girl in my arms. “God, she looks just like you, babe. Can I hold her?”

“Of course you can,” I breathe, shifting Josalyn off my hip to face forward so Jason can take her easily.
 

He slides his hands under her armpits and lifts her into his embrace, and she instantly latches onto him with her pudgy fingers. Grasping his faded black T-shirt, she leans back to look into his face, giving him a thorough once-over. Then, letting out a long stream of intelligible words, she lets go of his shirt with one hand and grabs ahold of his nose.