"Daddy, you have to see what Emily bought me. It's so cool." Riley called out as she, Kylie and Emily entered the loft.
"Em, what did I say?" he asked smiling up at her.
"Oh stop it. I like spoiling them." she laughed looking down at him as she put her shopping bags down.
"Oh yeah, that's all they need. Someone else to spoil them. Where's Kylie?" he asked looking up at them.
"Come on in sweetie." Emily called out turning to the door. When Kylie walked in, Roger couldn't believe his eyes. She was wearing a light purple dress and semi heels. Her hair was a little shorter and clipped up. She was wearing a little blush and clear lip gloss.
"Kylie, you look beautiful." he smiled looking up at her as tears rose to his eyes.
"Really daddy?" she asked looking down at him.
"You look just like your mother." he said standing up from the couch.
"Thanks daddy." she smiled looking up at Emily.
"Why don't you go in your room and try on your new outfit so daddy can see it, OK Riley?" Emily smiled looking down at her.
"OK Emily." she smiled taking the bag with her clothes and bringing it in her room.
"Dad, are you OK?" Kylie asked looking up at him as he stood over her.
"Yeah, I'm fine princess. I just can't believe how grown up you look." he smiled looking down at her.
"Thanks dad. I'm gonna go in my room and call Carrie. Thanks for taking me out Emily. You're the best." she smiled leaning up to hug Emily.
"No problem sweetie. Anytime." she smiled watching Kylie go into her room. "Are you OK Baby?" she asked looking up at Roger who was looking at Kylie's bedroom door.
"I can't believe how grown up she looks. She looks exactly like Keira." he said walking around the loft.
"I'm sorry Roger. She wanted a make over and I thought it would be fun. I didn't think about her looking like Keira." she said looking up at him.
"It's OK. She looks so beautiful." he said looking over at her.
"She's growing up Roger. I know you hate that, but it's inevitable." she smiled touching his arm.
"It's just, when I look at her all I see is that little 4 year old and today I looked at her and saw Keira. She's becoming a young woman." he said wrapping his arms around her.
"If it makes you feel any better, she took my hand every time we crossed the street." she smiled looking up at him.
"You have no idea how much it does. Thanks Baby." he smiled leaning down to kiss her.
"Daddy, look what I got." Riley called out coming out of her room. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans with glitter, a pink t-shirt and a denim jacket.
"You look so beautiful little one." he smiled looking down at her.
"Thank you daddy. Am I as pretty as mommy?" she asked looking up at him.
"Yes you are little one." he smiled leaning down to pick her up.
"Why don't you go get your sister and we can go out and show off your new outfits?" Emily suggested smiling at Riley.
"Cool. Thank you Emily." she smiled as Roger put her down.
"Your very welcome my sweetie." she smiled watching Riley go to Kylie's room.
"How did I get so lucky to get a woman who is so good with my girls?" he asked looking down at her.
"You have great girls." she smiled leaning up to kiss him as Kylie came out of her room.
"Dad, can I put more lip gloss on? I promise it'll be clear." she asked looking over at them.
"Sure princess." he smiled looking down at Emily.
"Thanks for being so cool dad." she smiled looking up at him.
"Well, you're growing up. I've learned I can't stop that. No matter how much it sucks." he told her as she smiled at him.
"Let me get your lip gloss sweetie." Emily smiled looking up at Roger before going to her purse.
"Thanks Em." she smiled leaning up to hug her before going into her room.
"I'm gonna go put my shoes on daddy." Riley yelled running into her room.
"OK little one." he laughed looking over at Emily. "Thank you for being so good with my girls." he whispered taking her face in his hands.
"Well, thank you for letting me be a part of their lives." she smiled kissing him.
"I was thinking, maybe later we could drop the girls off with Mark and Mimi and I can go to Jersey with you. Maybe spend the night." he smiled looking down at her.
"I would love that." she smiled wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him close. They had been dating for almost a month and hadn't slept together. Not because they didn't want to, it was just complicated with the girls.
"OK, I'm ready." Kylie announced coming out of her room smiling at them.
"OK sweetie. Come on Riley, we're ready to go." Emily called out as Riley came out of her room.
"OK I'm ready." she smiled looking up at them.
"So you and the girls had fun today?" Roger asked smiling at her as they drove to New Jersey.
"Yeah, we had a great day. They're really great girls." she smiled as she drove the car.
"They've taken to you. They really like you." he smiled taking her hand.
"I like them too Roger." she smiled looking up at him. They listened to the radio as they continued the drive to Emily's apartment. When they got there, Emily put the stereo on and they sat on the couch.
"Are you sure you're ready for this Roger?" she asked looking up at him.
"I haven't been with a woman in 6 years. Yeah, I think I'm ready." he whispered leaning in to kiss her. It was like no other kiss they had ever shared. It started off tender and turned intense in a matter of seconds. He swept her into his arms and carried her to her bedroom where they made love.
"Are you OK Baby?" she asked looking up at him.
"Yeah, I've never been better." he smiled leaning down to kiss her.
"Good. What time do you have to be home?" she asked looking up at him.
"I don't. Mark and Mimi are gonna cover for me in the morning with the girls." he smiled caressing her face.
"Are you sure that's such a good idea? Aren't the girls gonna be suspicious?" she asked sitting up in the bed.
"It'll be OK Em, don't worry." he said looking up at her.
"I worry Roger. I don't want the girls to think I'm taking you away from them." she said looking down at him.
"Everything you've done this past month has shown them the opposite. You spend more time with them than you spend with me, and that's great. I'm glad you're getting along. It's one night Em. It's not like I do this all the time." he said looking up at her.
"But what about when it happens again? Or when I spend the night with you at the loft? You don't think that's gonna have an effect on them? To see their father with someone other than their mother?" she asked turning to him.
"Em, they've seen us kiss. And it's not like you're just some random woman. We have feelings for each other and you have feelings for them and vice versa. Baby, it's gonna be OK." he said looking up at her.
"I'm sorry Roger. I do have feelings for them. I love those girls. I just don't want them to hate me for taking you away from them." she said looking down at him.
"You're not taking me away from them. You've made ever effort to make them a part of our relationship. We take them on dates and they sit with us when we're just hanging out at the loft. Em, they could never hate you." he told her sitting up to hold her.
"I don't know if I could handle it if they did." she said leaning her head on his shoulder.
"I know Baby, it's OK." he whispered caressing her hair as they laid back down and fell asleep in each others arms. The next morning Roger woke up first and looked down at Emily. He leaned down to kiss her head before getting up and slipping on his boxers. He reached into his jeans pocket and took his pills out. He removed one from the bottle and went into the kitchen to make coffee. As he put the pill into his mouth, he took a sip of water.
"Good morning Roger." Vivian smiled as she came out of her room.
"Good morning Viv." he smiled as the coffee perked.
"I didn't expect to see you standing in the kitchen when I heard footsteps." she teased looking up at him.
"Em's still sleeping. Do you guys have anything here for breakfast? I wanna make Em a special breakast." he asked looking down at her.
"I wanted to go to the city and take the girls out for breakfast." Emily smiled from her bedroom doorway.
"OK. We'll get dressed and pick them up." he smiled looking over at her.
"OK." she smiled looking up at him as he approached her.
"Good morning Baby." he whispered leaning down to kiss her.
"Good morning Roger." she smiled kissing him back. "I'll be in in a minute, OK? Viv has a blouse I wanna borrow." she said looking up at him.
"OK Baby. I'll see you later Viv." he said looking over at Vivian.
"OK Roger." Vivian smiled as he closed the bedroom door and Emily walked over to Vivian dragging her into her room.
"It's about time. How was it? Was he as amazing as I think he is?" she asked smiling over at her.
"It was incredible, but is it bad that I feel like I betrayed Keira?" she asked looking over at her.
"No sweetie, it's not. But you've never even met her." he said looking over at her.
"But I feel like I know her. I mean, Roger's told me everything about her and Kylie and Riley... I don't know if I can do this Viv." she said as tears came to her eyes.
"Sweetie, Roger's over her. I highly doubt he would have slept with you if he wasn't." she said putting her arm around her shoulder.
"I love him Viv, I don't want to hurt him. Or the girls.." she cried looking up at her.
"How are you gonna hurt them? You love their father and I'm pretty sure he loves you too." she said looking over at her.
"He is no where near telling me yet. That much I know. And I haven't told him either." she said looking over at her.
"What are you gonna do?" Vivian asked looking over at her.
"I don't know Viv. All I know is, I don't want him and the girls to get hurt." she said looking over at her as she wiped her eyes.
"I don't want you to get hurt either." she said looking over at her.
"That's the last thing I'm worried about at this point in time." she said getting up from the bed.
"Just don't do anything stupid Em." Vivian said looking up at her.
"I'll see you later." she said turning to open the door.
"Do you want some coffee before we leave?" Roger asked standing in the kitchen.
"No thanks. I'm gonna get dressed." she said looking up at him.
"OK Baby." he smiled drinking his coffee as she went into her room to get dressed.