Not to sound like a pussy, but I got this fullness in my chest that gave me a warm feeling. Ah…fuck it, who was I kidding? I didn’t give a shit if I sounded like a pussy. I was happy—really fucking happy. It had been years since I’d felt like I had a real family, and even though I’d only known Stella a few months, and this was the first time the three of us had hung out, my house felt like a home today.

I’d been looking toward the kitchen, but I must’ve zoned out while I was thinking, because when my eyes came into focus again, Stella was squinting at me. She smirked, as if to say, What’s going on in that head of yours?

She probably assumed I was picturing her naked in my kitchen or remembering all the places I’d fucked her in my house over the last week, rather than daydreaming about spending nights with my two ladies, playing board games and making a fire for them this winter in the fireplace I never used.

A half hour later, the table was set, and I was finally allowed to see what the two of them had been concocting.

Stella set a towel-covered casserole dish on the table, and Charlie leaned across, looking at Stella, who gave her a nod.

“Ta-da!” My daughter ripped the towel off.

“Macaroni and cheese? You two find a new box to try out?”

Charlie shook her head. “We made it from itch!”

Stella smiled. “That’s scratch, sweetie. We made it from scratch.”

“It looks delicious.” I looked around the table theatrically. “But where are yours? That one is just for me, right?”

Charlie giggled. “We have to share it, Daddy. There’s enough for all of us.”

I salivated as Stella dished each of us a heaping plate of my favorite food. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

“This is really good,” I said a few moments later.

“Thanks. I…called my mom for her recipe today.”

I hadn’t expected her to say that, and I didn’t want to mention anything around Charlie, so I spoke cryptically. “How did that go?”

Stella shrugged. “It was pleasant, I guess.”

I nodded. “Well, thank you. It really is delicious.”

She smiled. “It was time.”

Oblivious to my meaningful exchange with Stella, my daughter spoke with her mouth full. “Daddy, after dinner can we have ice cream and play secrets?”

I pointed to her dish with my fork. “You’re not even halfway done with what’s in front of you, and you’re worried about dessert? Maybe you’ll be too full for ice cream.”

Charlie snickered as if I’d just told a joke. “There’s always room for ice cream, Daddy. It melts once it’s in your belly, so it’s not even really food.”

“What’s the secrets game?” Stella asked. “I don’t think I’ve ever played before.”

“It’s not really a game. We just eat ice cream and take turns telling each other secrets.” I didn’t want to explain in front of Charlie that it was something my dad had done with my sister and me after our mom first got diagnosed with cancer. It was his way of teaching us that we could always confide in him—trust him to keep our secrets and tell us his.

“Can it be any secret?” Stella asked.

“Whatever you want,” I said.

She grinned. “I’m in.”

The macaroni and cheese left us all full, so we retreated to the couch after dinner to watch a movie. Charlie laid her head on my lap with her body spread out to my left, and Stella sat on my right. Halfway through Inside Out, Charlie was snoring. I couldn’t blame her. A nap sounded pretty good after that meal, and we’d watched this movie at least fifty times.

At one point, Stella got up to go to the bathroom, so I slipped out from under my daughter and carefully set her head down. Then I waited in the hall. When Stella opened the door, I grabbed her arm and yanked her into the adjoining guest bedroom.

She giggled, and I put my hand over her mouth. “Shhh…she has stealth hearing.” Stella nodded, so I took my hand away.

She whispered, “What are you doing?”

“I wanted to say thank you for dinner.”

“You already did.”

“I meant properly.”

Cupping the back of her neck, I sealed my lips over hers. “You always smell so damn good,” I groaned.

She sucked on my tongue. “You always taste so good.”

Fuck. This was probably a dumb idea. I could feel myself getting worked up already. But I hadn’t had a minute alone with her since she got here, and I needed it. Pressing her against the door, I took her mouth in a rough kiss. When I was done, we were both breathing heavy.

I wiped her bottom lip as I spoke. “You called your mother.”

Her face softened. “Yeah. I don’t think I’ll be going over there for dinner any time soon, but what you said really resonated with me. Life is short, and you never know what tomorrow is going to bring. I don’t want to have regrets, and I’m ready to move on.”

I looked back and forth between her eyes and cupped her cheek. “I’m glad.”

She turned her head and kissed my palm. “Do you think Charlie’s asleep for the night? Maybe I should get going.”

“Definitely not. She’s going to wake up and demand ice cream any minute now.”

Stella smiled. “And then I’ll get to hear one of your secrets. I was kind of looking forward to that.”

“Oh yeah?”

She nodded.

“Well, let me tell you one now.” I crooked my finger for her to come closer. When she did, I moved my mouth to her ear and whispered, “I’m fucking crazy about you, sweetheart.”

She looked at me and smiled. “I’m crazy about you, too.”

***

Sure enough, Charlie woke about ten minutes before the movie ended. She stretched her arms over her head. “Can we have ice cream now?”

I chuckled. “You’re barely awake.”

“I’m awake enough for ice cream.”

“Alright. Why don’t you two go sit at the table, and I’ll make us bowls. You want the works?”

Charlie nodded fast with a toothy smile.

I lifted my chin to Stella. “How about you?”

“What’s in the works?”

“Whipped cream, sprinkles, nuts, banana slices, and chocolate sauce.”

She licked her lips. “Definitely.”

In the kitchen, I whipped up three bowls. Setting them down at the table, I said, “Alright. Who wants to go first?”

Charlie pointed to Stella. “Stella! I want to know her secret.”

“Oh boy…” Stella said. “You need to give me a minute then so I can think of one.”

We shoveled ice cream into our mouths until eventually Stella raised her hand. “Thought of one!” She leaned over the table toward Charlie and lowered her voice. “No one knows this. Are you sure you can keep a secret?”

My daughter’s eyes were wide with mirth, and she nodded rapidly.

“Okay. Well, when I was about eight or nine—not too much older than you—I found this turtle at the park. It was only about this big.” Stella made a circle the size of a golf ball with her hands. “I brought it home and asked my parents if I could keep it, but they said no because they thought he belonged outside. So the next day, I went back to the park and tried to set him free. I put him back in the area of the grass where I’d found him, but he blended in so well that at least a half-dozen kids almost squished him while they were running around playing. I just knew if I left him there, he’d get hurt. So that night, I snuck him back into the house and kept him in a drawer in my room. A week later, my mom found him when she was in my room putting away laundry. She made me go put him back again. I did, but every chance I got, I’d go check on him. I tried putting him in a corner of the park that was safer, but he would find his way back to areas where kids ran around. I worried about him a lot. A few weeks later, my family was going to Florida for vacation—to Disney and SeaWorld. So I tucked the turtle into my backpack, snuck him into SeaWorld, and set him free inside the turtle exhibit. I figured he’d be safe there.”