Taylor POV, again.

Chapter 9

I don't want to open my eyes just incase it was all a dream. Just in case I'm really not laying in the bed with my ex-husband. If it is a dream I really need to make it a reality because it's exactly what I want with him right now. I want him back in my life. I know I shouldn't be so selfish. I know I was the one to push him away and leave him but right now I don't want that to matter anymore. I just want us to work on this. To work on us being us again. I need my family back.

I decide that maybe opening my eyes would be a good thing. That maybe this isn't a dream. So I open them but the other side of my bed is empty. I could have sworn that Ryan had shown up the night before last and we had sex. I could have sworn we spent yesterday being lazy around the house with our girls.

I sit up in bed feeling defeated.

That is all until I hear the door open and Ryan comes through it. He's smiling and carrying in two suitcases with him. "I thought it was all a dream." I whispered to him. He dropped the bags on the floor and walked over to me. He sat on the edge of the bed and kissed my forehead.

"I left you a note." He laughed. I hadn't even looked at my nightstand. "I figured you would have woken up and freak out that I wasn't still here…"

"As long as it's not a dream then everything's okay."

"No, it's not a dream. This is real." He kissed me on my lips lightly.

"Good, now what are those?" I pulled away and pointed towards the bags that he had brought in.

"Clothes?" He shrugged.

"So…you're staying here?" I raised an eyebrow. He looked a little shocked that I asked.

"I mean…for a little bit I guess? I can get a hotel room if you need…I just thought…"

"You thought right. I just…I think we should talk…and soon." I twisted my hands together laying back down against my pillow. "I don't want anything else to happen between us until we do that…and I don't mean just a silly little banter between us I mean a real talk. A talk where everything that has happened between us since we married 17 years ago…all of it, okay? And you are not allowed to give me one words answers. I won't take it." I pointed my finger at him. He laughed at me before kissing my forehead and standing up.

"Got it, are the girls already at school? And why aren't you at work?" He questioned.

"They should be at school. I don't have any appointments today. I can work from home. And why aren't you at work?"

"It's my company. I can do what I want." He shrugged.

"Ryan…I mean…isn't this going to be a long drive for you to drive from here to Newport so much?" I asked him.

"Well, yeah but I can make it work. It's only an hour drive, half hour or so with traffic."

"If the girls weren't in school here and had all of their friends…and I didn't love my job…you know I would move to Newport, right?"

"I don't want us to move to Newport. LA is just fine." He tapped my nose with his finger.

"This is going to all work, right? We can be like we used to be, right?"

"All we can do is try. We're different now, though but I think we can make this work." He nodded resting his hands on his hips.

-

"So you're going to live with us now?" Kelsey pointed her fork at her father a few minutes after the five of us had sat down to eat dinner. "I should warn you about Jason if you are…" I rolled my eyes at Kelsey. My daughter was most worried about the way Jason looked and how Ryan was going to react to the fact that he in fact had a lip ring, his hair was a little long and he was a tiny bit dark. I really had never seen Kelsey with a guy like Jason but…my daughter is a little different. He's the type of guy that I could see Jory running after but I don't even want to think about my 13 year old with any guy right now. I'm really not looking forward to Jory once she reaches dating age.

"Warn me? Why? Your mom said he was a good guy." Ryan looked from me to Kelsey.

"He is, Daddy it's just…" Kelsey looked down at her plate messing with her food. "You are going to judge him when you meet him and I just want to go ahead and prepare you for…meeting him."

"I'll always judge any guy you date, so don't think this will be any different." He told her.

"Well…Jason's got a lip ring…but Daddy he's a good guy just because he has a lip ring doesn't mean he's a bad guy! Mom has met him and she really likes him. He's sweet and he wouldn't hurt a fly. Please don't embarrass me when you meet him, Daddy." Kelsey never rambled like that unless she was nervous and it was usually only with Ryan. Ryan let out a 'humph' before going back to eating his dinner. "No opinion?" She questioned him.

"You said he's a good guy. I trust you." He said this all looking me in the eyes. I gave him a smile happy that he wasn't going to freak out on our daughter or her little boyfriend.

"You do?" Both Jory and Kelsey asked at the same time.

"I wasn't expecting that one." Jory snorted. "I was waiting on a huge blow up. Plus I'm pretty sure you guys never saw your precious little Kelsey with a bad boy. Now me on the other hand…would you be angry if I like dated a biker? Say he had tattoos and did drugs?" I glared at Jory.

"Jory." Ryan scolded. "No biker's. No tattoos. No drugs." He pointed at her.

"Whatever." She rolled her eyes before going back to eating.

"So…when Jason comes over later tonight to study you're going to be okay with that?" Kelsey slipped in. I had already told her could without telling Ryan.

"Sure." Ryan nodded. I could totally tell he wanted to say something else. He wanted to say that he wasn't allowed over. I could see it in his posture and how he had to close his mouth tightly so he wouldn't say anything that Kelsey would get upset over. "Just…work in the kitchen?"

"Of course." She nodded smiling. I had already told her she couldn't be alone in her room with him until I knew him better and before I could really trust him with her. "Thanks."

"Are you really going to date a biker with tattoos and who does drugs?" Millie innocently asked Jory. She had been pondering what her sister had said for the last five minutes. I laughed as Jory glared her down. "That would be funny…" She giggled out.

"Shut up, Millie." Jory stuck her tongue out at her little sister.

"Stop it, Jor." I scolded.

This was perfect, having my family all together eating dinner. It was strange how normal it felt. I don't deserve this, I really don't but I'm happy that I have it. I'm happy that we can maybe go back to being the family my girls have always needed. I want Millie to know what it's like to finish growing up with both of her parents and not just one.