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Zoe had insisted on making dinner so Wade could get his things unpacked, but he was quick to dismiss that thought. He wasn't going to move in with them and not take care of them. He's not going to make Zoe cook them dinner when she has spent her afternoon at work. It wasn't going to take him long to unpack his clothes. Having dropped his bags off in the bedroom, he quickly noticed that there wasn't a second dresser, and he didn't feel very comfortable looking to see if there was room for his stuff. Most of his things can be hung up, and tomorrow when he has a bit more time he can grab his dresser.
Dinner was a funfair. He couldn't wipe the smile off his face even if he tried to. Which he found that he didn't want to. Sitting around the table now, felt different than when he had done so previously. A content feeling settled over him as they shared laughs over stories. Everything was better than he imagined it would be. It was different than when he was a kid having dinner with his brother and his parents. Having dinner with a family, that is yours, it feels your heart. As much as he loves and adores Sofia, he can't wait to have a kid of his own sitting at the table with them.
After dinner Zoe forced him from the kitchen, stating that since he made dinner the least she could do is wash the dishes. It gave him time to unpack his clothes, for the most part. Zoe had made him a lot of room in the closet for his clothes. Surprising with the amount of clothes she has stuffed in there hanging up. Putting his clothes away didn't take long, with the rest of his things in the living room in boxes and no idea where to place them, he made a stop at Sofia's room.
The few times he's been there, he hasn't seen her room. Peeking into her room he wasn't expecting to see three of the walls a light pink color with a dark purple splattered all over them. The fourth wall is white with a rainbow of colors splattered on it. The blanket on her bed a magical mermaid show picture, if he had to guess. A white and purple toy box overflowing with toys opposite her canopy bed. With everything in her room, his eyes zeroed in on the drawing hanging up over her dresser.
"Wade, come look," Sofia said, running to Wade to pull him further into her room. She pointed out everything in her room, complete with where she holds tea parties with her dolls and stuffed animals. "Mom let me paint them," she shrugged, motioning to her walls.
"They're the best walls I have ever seen," Wade commented. "Your mom should have let you paint all of the walls," he smiled, gently nudging her with his shoulder where they sat on her bed.
"Yeah cause they're boring," Sofia exasperated, rolling her little eyes causing Wade to laugh.
"That they are, Sofia," Wade agreed.
"Sweetie, it's time for bed," Zoe said, stepping into her daughter's room.
"Can Wade read to me?" Sofia asked, looking at her mom.
"Go pick a book," Wade told her, moving off the bed for when Sofia returns she can climb under her blankets. His eyes grew seeing the small stack of books that Sofia grabbed. "What happened to one book?" He asked, taking the books from Sofia.
"One's never enough," Sofia giggled, getting into bed. Zoe is right there to tuck her daughter into bed, pressing a kiss to Sofia's forehead.
"Night sweetie, love you," Zoe told her softly, running a hand through her hair.
"Night mommy, love you," Sofia smiled, giving her mom a hug.
Zoe gave Wade a smile, a small glint in her eye, and walked to the door. If Wade wasn't down in twenty minutes she'd have to go check on them to see exactly why her daughter wasn't going to sleep, but for now, she'd let them have the moment. It's not often that she can relax longer than a few minutes without worrying about Sofia. With a glass of wine, she settled on the couch, a book of her own in hand.
Wade placed the books back in their place. He made sure Sofia was covered and left the room switching the lights off, forcing the night light to turn on. He shut the door behind himself. He checked the bedroom seeing it was empty he headed to the kitchen grabbing a beer, joining Zoe on the couch.
"Did she fall asleep fast?" Zoe asked, placing her book on the table next to her, picking her glass of wine up.
"After the sixth book," he commented, swallowing the mouthful of beer. "Does it always take that long for her to fall asleep?" Wade asked, pulling Zoe into him, dropping a kiss to the crown of her head.
"Some times," Zoe answered, laying her head on his shoulder. "Depends on how wore out she is and how hard she fights going to sleep," she told him.
Wade nodded, he'd keep that in mind for any references in the future. He didn't mind reading to Sofia, he rathered enjoyed it. Adding in different voices for the characters. He could tell around the third book she was growing tired. Her head and eyes drooped, but she kept fighting the sleep telling him that she wasn't sleepy yet. He nodded and kept reading, waiting for her to fall asleep, even if his back was starting to hurt from sitting there.
"I noticed something quite interesting in her bedroom," he commented, twirling some of her hair around his fingers. "I was surprised to see the drawing hanging up in her bedroom," he told her.
"Yeah, it was in the hallway," Zoe nodded. "I needed a picture to place in her room. I had every intention of replacing it, but it wasn't an urgent matter and she loves it as much as I do," she explained.
"I figured it would have been tossed in the garbage years ago," he sighed, not wanting Zoe to know how much his own sentence hurt him to say. He's actually touched that she still has the picture and that it's on display even if it's in Sofia's room.
"That's never going to happen. My best friend drew that for me, long before he was my best friend, and the guy I love," she told him, tipping her head up to look at him.
"Is that so?" Wade smirked, grazing his lips over hers.
"Mhm," Zoe hummed, pressing her lips against his a bit harder.
"How much love are we talking about here?" He whispered against her lips, plucking the glass of wine from her hand to place on the table next to his bottle of beer.
"Let's go to bed and I can show you," she purred in his ear, tugging on his ear lobe with her teeth.
"That can be arranged," he husked out. He stood up, holding a hand out for Zoe, to take her to bed. To their bed. A huge smile came to his face at that fact alone.
Zoe woke up to find her daughter standing by the bed, an unsure look on her face. She lifted the blanket for Sofia to crawl into bed for their morning cuddles, something she greatly missed when she was gone with George and spending nights with Harley. Zoe tightened her hold on her daughter, pressing a kiss to her head.
"Want to tell me what's wrong?" Zoe asked softly, not wanting to wake Wade up. Sofia shook her head, closing her eyes. "Is this about Wade being in the bed?" She asked, kissing Sofia's head once more.
"Kind of," Sofia sighed. "I didn't know if we could still have cuddles," she shrugged the best she could from where she was wrapped in her mom's arms.
"Don't let me being here, stop you from having cuddles with your mom," Wade stated sleepily from behind Zoe. "I feel bad that you would think you couldn't have cuddles with your mom because of me Sofia," he said, sitting up slightly to look over his girlfriend at the little girl.
"You're always welcome to our morning cuddles, Sofia, nothing is going to change that," Zoe promised. She's certain something in the near future when Sofia gets older will change when it comes to their cuddles. She's not looking forward to the day her little girl gets too old for cuddles.
"Okay," Sofia nods a smile on her lips, getting comfortable in the cuddle with Zoe.
"I'm going to go take a shower," Wade commented, not wanting to ruin the morning cuddles between mother and daughter. Zoe nodded, reaching over to give his hand a gentle squeeze saying thank you.
It didn't take long for him to shower. He tried to take his time, not wanting to make Sofia think she can't spend time with her mom, in their own little traditions. He tossed the towel in the hamper in the bathroom, before stepping out into the hallway. He entered the bedroom seeing Sofia and Zoe pretending to be asleep. He laughed shaking his head.
"Alright little fakers, I'm going to go make breakfast," Wade suggested, wanting to give mother and daughter more of their alone time. He doesn't want to intrude on their little cuddle session. "Girts and pancakes coming up," Wade smirked, catching the look of horror on Zoe's face. "Ya know for being raised in the south, you should have a love of all things grits," he tossed out with a chuckle, stretching his muscles out.
"I guess somethings from the north stick with you," she tossed right back at him.
"Yeah, maybe it does," he laughed lowly, walking to the bedroom door. "I'll make you some oatmeal, is that better?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"That will be perfect," Zoe smiled, snuggling up to her daughter, with Wade out of the room.
Wade quickly made his way down to the kitchen. The first thing he did was make a pot of coffee. He had to wonder how much use the coffee machine got with a Keurig sitting on the counter next to it. With coffee started, he looked for two different pots, and a pan to get started on the grits, oatmeal, and pancakes. The only problem is that when he looked, he found a box of pancake mix and oatmeal, he couldn't find any grits. And it's not like he can go into Bluebell for a box of grits. He doesn't have any over at the gatehouse. His only option is looking to see if Lavon has any grits.
"What are you doing?" Lemon asked, giving him a smug look, entering the kitchen in a pair of pink silk pajamas.
"Trying to make breakfast," Wade commented, a smirk forming on his lips. "What are you doing?" He asked. He's been in Bluebell long enough to know the gossip of who's dating who. Lemon and Lavon is a brand new development, one he hasn't heard anything about.
"Getting coffee," she pointed out, holding up her cup. "The gatehouse doesn't have a kitchen," she stated the obvious.
"Who said I was making breakfast at the gatehouse?" Wade asked with a frown.
"Oh, so you make breakfast for all your neighbors?" She asked with a smirk of her own.
"I have no idea what you're talking about Lemon," he shrugged, heading out the door, certain that before they finished breakfast, they were going to be the hottest topic in town for several days on end. He groaned, wishing to have thought of making a deal with Lemon about the situation they had found themselves in.
"We just started to wonder where you ran off to," Zoe commented when he returned to the kitchen.
"Needed grits," he stated, holding the box up. "Someone doesn't have any in our kitchen," he sighed.
"Because my dad makes her grits or she gets them at the Jammer," Zoe shrugged. She would make her daughter the food, she's not evil to keep food from her daughter that she likes just because she can't stand the food. Except Sofia can get grits from any house or establishment they visit throughout the day.
"Well I guess that will have to change if she wants me to make her grits in the morning," he suggested, getting busy on starting breakfast. "Or for dinner," he commented.
"There's always room in the cupboard for them," she told him, sipping on her coffee. "Sofia is playing in the living room, and I am going to go take a shower, can you handle cooking and Sofia?" Zoe asked him. Wade nodded, it can't be that hard. If anything he can have Sofia help him with breakfast.
"I think I can handle that," Wade nodded.
"I won't be long," she told him, pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth, heading to the living room to inform Sofia that Wade will be watching her until she's done in the shower.
It's not long after Zoe headed upstairs to shower that Sofia walks into the kitchen. Without asking Wade has something for her to do that won't be at risk of her being burned.
"Wade," Sofia said in a timid voice. Wade flipped a pancake, giving Sofia his attention the best he could without any food getting burned. "Do you love my mommy?" She asked, playing with the pancake batter.
"I love your mommy very much," he told her, being honest. He doesn't have a reason to lie to her about his feelings for Zoe. "Why do you ask?" He questioned, turning the burner off, placing the pancake on the pile of the others. This conversation is going to take all of his attention. Frankly, he wants Sofia to see that she gets all of his attention.
"Cause Daddy loves Mommy," she shrugged.
Wade nodded things slowly starting to click in his head. He picked Sofia up, sitting her on the counter, so he can look into her eyes. It's not going to be easy to assure her that things aren't going to work out the same way things did between Zoe and George.
"Your parents do love each other, but that love isn't the same as the love I have for your mother," he started to say. "I've known your mommy pretty much my whole life, much like your daddy has, but I've loved her nearly as long as I have known her. Being here with her and with you, it's the only place I want to be," he assured her.
"How so?" She asked shyly and couriously.
"Because love comes in many different ways, in different forms. We love our friends differently than we love those close to us. That's the beauty of love, Sofia. I love your Ma, there isn't going to be anything that will ever change that, okay?" He asked, explaining it the best way he could without making any promises, not sure how well Sofia can understand a promise with so much weight behind it.
"I think so," Sofia nodded. "Can we eat now?" She asked, her little tummy rumbling.
"Yes we can," Zoe spoke from behind them, scaring Wade.
Wade helped Sofia down from the counter, helping her get her plate filled with food and a bowl of grits. Zoe taking the plate from him to get the pancake buttered and basically drenched in syrup. Getting Sofia situated at the table, she kissed her daughter's head, walking to wrap her arms around Wade. He was quick to pull her close, sharing a quick kiss with her as to not scare Sofia too much.
"How much did you hear?" He asked, handing Zoe a plate and bowl. Part of him was scared that she heard enough to tell him he somehow overstepped an unwritten boundary.
"Enough to make my heart melt and fall more in love with you," she shrugged. "Let's eat before we don't have time to do so," she shared. Wade chuckled, fixing his own breakfast joining his girls at the table to enjoy their breakfast together.