Hey all! A bit of a late update with this chapter. Last week, this week and next week have been and will be hectic for me. With saying that I am not certain if I will be able to get a chapter up next week or not. I am trying to write the next one, it all depends on how much time I will get over the weekend to sit down and write. Just know that I am trying my hardest to get chapters written and posted for everyone.
Enjoy!
"Mommy, mommy, watch," Sofia yelled, getting her mother's attention while she walked past the park. Smiling Zoe gave her daughter her attention. Praising her daughter on the swings and the slide, Zoe informed her daughter that she would be sitting with George and watching all the amazing things that she did.
"Had a nice little chat with Wade this morning," George commented, his focus on Sofia as she found a friend to play with. The one thing they promised when they first started to co-parent was they wouldn't be keeping secrets from the other. They need to be on the same page when it comes to parenting Sofia. They can remain friends and be parents to Sofia at the same time. It is what works best for them.
"Wade told me," she nodded. "It's not some big secret, it's Bluebell, the news would have gotten out regardless," she stated rolling her eyes. "Why wait, on what was going to be something that happens regardless?" She asked, laughing softly seeing her daughter having fun and laughing over something being said with the little boy she's playing with.
"I'm happy for you," he said, nudging her with his shoulder. "I'm surprised it took as long as it did," he teased with a serious tone.
"What's that mean?" Zoe asked, turning her attention away from her daughter. She thought she was rushing into things with Wade, and yet, people act like they should have solved all their problems night one of Wade being in town and living together the next night. "Sorry to disappoint," she muttered.
"Because this whole town knew that it was only going to be a matter of time before things between Wade and you escalated. This whole town, minus Graham has been rooting for the two of you since you were little," he pointed out.
"I am well aware of that," Zoe snorted. "As easy as it is for everyone to be on the bandwagon, it hasn't been that easy with Wade," she sighed. "There's so much history between us, that I wonder half the time if it's going to end miserably for everyone involved," she told him, shrugging.
"Despite everything that has happened in the years we've all been away, you see the Wade the rest of us are having a hard time getting to know again. That is worth everything," George told her.
Zoe nodded, not even realizing that the rest of them was getting some hidden version of Wade. She got all of him, but she always gets everything when it comes to Wade. Ever since they started off on the wrong foot, they've had a hard time being able to lie to each other. They've had their secrets over the years, but the other always knew they had a secret just didn't know what it was.
"That may be so, but what happens when…"
"Zoe," George said, cutting her off from finishing her thoughts. "You need to take these concerns you have about Wade to him, he is the only one that can assure you and put your fears to rest."
"I know and we have talked about it," she sighed. "And maybe I'm overthinking everything," she shrugged, watching her daughter play a game of tag.
"You know what it's like to come back here and to have people second-guessing how long you plan on staying because you left before," George said, he had been through it as well. Someone waiting on you to decide that the pull of being elsewhere is pulling you off because small-town living isn't for you any longer. "What I meant to say is that I am happy that you're finding that one for you with Wade," he smiled.
"Thanks," she smiled.
"Maybe you can assure Wade that I'm not mad that you guys didn't bring moving into together to my attention before doing it," he said. "We both know that it was going to be a matter of time and I was ready for it, but your life is yours and I don't need to be a part of it, not unless it comes to Sofia," he shared. "She says she's okay with it, but how is she really?" He asked, seeking his daughter out.
"She's good with it," Zoe nodded. "The biggest thing for her is understanding that while certain things are changing, not everything is," she sighed. "She's used to her routine in the mornings and at night, she wasn't sure how she fit into that routine with Wade there," she told him.
"I get that, it was the same with AB," George nodded. "Any set time you want her home tomorrow?" George asked.
"Any time in the afternoon, I've got to work in the morning," she told him.
"Why don't you let us know when you're off work and we can meet up for lunch or ice cream or something before I part ways with her for the next few days," he suggested.
"That's fine with me," Zoe nodded, getting up. "I'll see you tomorrow, George," she said, heading over to her daughter to tell her bye.
The walk back to the carriage house is one filled with all the little facts that she knows about Wade, or what she used to know about him. His favorite color, his favorite food, favorite pastime, the things he may be allergic to. All those things she knew better than her favorites, and now she can't be for sure. They may be little things, but they are things that are equal to the major things. Maybe she had let the moment and her feelings for Wade overtake the rational thinking that should have happened. The one thing she is certain of is her love for Wade.
Taking a deep breath she slipped into the tub with a book, and a glass of wine to relax while having the house to herself. Sipping her wine as the lavender and chamomile scent of the bubble bath swirled around her. Closing her eyes she thought back to where her mind was earlier on the walk home. Her love for Wade is enough until she can figure out all things that make Wade, Wade. All those things that she doesn't know about Wade she can figure out while they build their lives together, it's not a huge make it or break it situation. She needs to believe that, she wants to believe that.
Wade entered the carriage house, dropping his set of keys on the side table. He double-checked he locked the door, slipping his shoes off by the door, heading upstairs, stopping halfway up the stairs to yawn. He'd really like to fall asleep where he stands, the bedroom feeling like it's miles away rather than a few feet in front of him. Entering the bedroom he was surprised to see Zoe sitting up in bed, the same book from last night in hand. He wasn't sure if she was actually reading it or finding the answers to whatever is going on in her mind.
"It's nearing 2 in the morning, why are you sitting in here contemplating the world's problems?" Wade asked, moving about the room, taking his things out of his pocket, before he stripped his jeans and shirt off.
"Not the world's problems, just other things," Zoe shrugged, closing her book to place on the nightstand.
"What things?" Wade asked. "Hold that thought, while I use the bathroom," he told her, darting across the hall to finish getting ready for bed. "Okay, let's get these thoughts out there so we can crash for the night," he told her climbing into bed. He opened his arms for Zoe to move into his embrace. Which she did relaxing into his body.
"Did we rush into things because it was going to be inevitable? Or did we do it because it's what we truly wanted?" She asked, finding comfort in the beat of his heart thumping in her ear.
"I've never cared about what others thought, and that goes the same for now. I didn't agree to move in here with you and Sofia because the whole town thought it was going to happen. I moved in because it's what I wanted and I thought it was what you wanted. Do you not feel that way?" He asked, explaining to her where his head was at, and where he still stands on moving in with her.
"I do want you here," she assured him, placing a kiss on his chest. "I didn't factor in the rest of this town when making the choice," she told him, catching his gaze. "Everything we do I want us to do because it's what we want and not because someone thought it was going to happen," she sighed.
"You know as well as I do that's not what we do," he replied, tenderly kissing her forehead. "What's brought this on?" He asked.
"George," she shrugged. "He made a comment and it's made me think of what we actually know about each other. When we were growing up we knew everything about each other and now we've changed since then and really in certain aspects of our lives we don't know each other," she explained to him.
"Can we do the whole 20 questions tomorrow over lunch?" He asked, he half expects that tomorrow when he wakes up he is going to have a pissed-off girlfriend on his hands because he fell asleep while they're having a serious conversation.
"We're not having it out tonight," she commented. "One of us needs their beauty sleep and I'll give you a hint, it's not me," she teased him.
"That's because you're always beautiful," Wade cheesily told her, capturing her lips in a kiss before she could refute what he told her. Cheesy or not, he means it.
They laid curl up in the middle of the bed, as their kiss went from tame to scorching in a matter of seconds. Wade went from being dead on his feet to being wide awake. Wade laid in bed, drawing random patterns on Zoe's bare skin. Zoe does have a point about the way they don't know the little things about each other these days, but that isn't going to make him tuck tail back to the gatehouse. If anything it's going to spur him on to show Zoe that they have plenty of time to get to know each other's little quirks that have changed since they've last spent any real amount of time together.
"What happened to sleeping?" Zoe asked, covering her mouth when a yawn hit her.
"Sleep goes away when there's a little temptress in the bed," he teased, twirling some of her hair around his finger.
"As true as that may be, there's more to it," Zoe sighed, reaching up to stroke his jawline with her thumb. "Talk to me, Wade," she pleaded softly.
"And you say we don't know each other," he sighed with half a smile. Zoe said nothing, reading Wade and his emotions have always been like reading her favorite book, one that is worn and well-read. "Do you ever wonder how we ended up here?" He asked her.
"That part is pretty simple," she responded. "But the more in-depth part of that question is no," she told him shaking her head. "After leaving here, I wasn't focused on having a relationship. School, and work that's what I focused on. Everything else could come after I had my dream job at my dream hospital," she told him.
"Then Sofia happened," he voiced.
"She did and she was the blessing that brought me home. I don't resent coming home, or regret having her. She's showed me what's really important. If I would have stayed in New York, I wouldn't have such a close relationship with my daughter, it would be much like the first 8 years of my life, and that's not a life I want my daughter to know," she explained to Wade.
"I didn't even try to have a relationship while I was out in the world living my life," Wade said. "Being at war, I felt it was more of a risk to have my mind on something that wasn't the task at hand," he stated. Zoe remained silent. She can easily count on one hand how many times he's talked about being a part of the war. She can see it in his eyes at times that his time there still haunts him. "Being famous wasn't all it was cracked up to be," he scoffed. "I do prefer the quiet life Bluebell offers," he tacked on.
"So far I like our quiet life," Zoe nodded, running her hand through his hair. "I love you, Wade Kinsella," she smiled, kissing his shoulder.
"I love you, Zoe Wilkes," he responded, kissing her palm. "It wasn't a very quiet life a few moments ago," he teased tossing a wink her way, making her cheeks burn a pink color.