Zoe’s P. O. V.
I’m sitting on the floor with Zeke as he happily plays in his room, surrounded by toys. His tiny hands grab at blocks and plush animals, his giggles filling the air.
I lean back against the wall, utterly exhausted after chasing this little troublemaker all day. But I admire him with a smile on my face because, no matter how tired I am, his laughter and adorable face are enough to take away all my exhaustion.
All of sudden, I hear the sound of the front door opening and my smile widens. “Sky is home!” As I exclaim, Zeke squeals in excitement as if he understands, causing me to laugh.
After caressing his hair, I get to my feet and rush toward the door. But in my haste, my foot catches on one of Zeke’s building blocks, sending a sharp pain shooting through my foot.
Again trouble! What the hell is wrong with me?
“Ouch!” I cry out, stumbling and grabbing the edge of the table for balance.
Sky appears in the doorway in an instant, his eyes wide with worry. “Zoe… Oh, God.” He rushes to me and scoops me up into his arms.
“Damn, Trouble,” he scolds, his voice exasperated yet full of love, “you’ve got a son now. Can you stop getting into trouble for at least one day?”
“I guess I can’t.” I laugh, though the pain in my foot still stings. “And don’t forget my nickname is trouble.”
Sky carries me to the sofa and gently sets me down before immediately kneeling in front of me. His brows furrow in concern as he examines my foot, his fingers brushing against it with care.
I always wonder how can anybody love me so much.
“How bad does it hurt?” He asks, his worried eyes fixed on me.
Before I can respond, Zeke crawls toward us with a sad pout. He pulls himself up by the sofa and rests his tiny head on my lap. “Mama…” he murmurs, his voice soft and full of concern.
Oh, my baby!
I smile through the pain, running my fingers through his silky hair. “Mama is alright, sweetheart. Don’t worry.”
Sky glances at Zeke with a faint smile and kisses his hair before he stands and heads out of the room.
I continue to stroke Zeke’s hair, and Sky returns a moment later with the first aid box in hand and kneels once more in front of me.
“Let’s take care of this.” He carefully cleans the small scrape on my foot and applies a bandage. Once he’s done, he leans down and presses a gentle kiss on top of it, causing the corner of my lips to lift.
“There,” he flashes a small smile at me. “All better.”
Zeke watches his daddy closely, his curious blue eyes taking in every move. Then, as if understanding, he bends down and plants a sloppy, toothless kiss on my foot, copying his daddy.
One of his favourite things to do is mimic his parents, and we love it so fucking much. When he does, he looks so adorable that I want to scoop him up and smother him with kisses every time.
“Good boy.” Sky chuckles, stroking his hair.
I pull Zeke into my arms and shower him with kisses. “Oh, you two are impossible. Can’t stop spoiling me with all the love.”
Zeke giggles and Sky leans forward to kiss my lips. “I’ll gladly do that for the rest of my life.”
As Zeke cups my cheeks and does the same, Sky wraps his warm arms around both me and him. “I never thought I’d let anybody else kiss you, Trouble, but this little guy changed my mind.”
I giggle, my heart full as I hold onto my two favourite persons: my best friend, my husband and my little troublemaker, my son. They both are my world.
***
I’m pacing across the room, rocking Zeke gently in my arms as he stubbornly refuses to fall asleep tonight. His tiny fists grab at my shirt, his eyes wide and alert, as though he knows I have something planned.
“Come on, baby.” I sway him from side to side. “Mama needs you to sleep. I’ve got a surprise for your daddy.”
But Zeke has other plans. He gurgles, letting out an excited squeal as if to say, Not tonight, Mama. I can’t let you spend alone time with my daddy.
I sigh, glancing at the clock. Sky will be out of the shower any minute now, and I need to get everything ready. Now I have to do the remaining preparation with Zeke.
“Alright, troublemaker. You win. But you’re helping Mama with this surprise, okay?” He lets out an excited squeal as if he understands me.
“My adorable baby.” I cover his cheeks with kisses, causing him to laugh. “You love it when Mama kisses you, right?” I plant a few more exaggerated kisses, and his giggles echo through the room, the sweetest melody to my ears.
I carry him to the kitchen and take out the cake I baked from the refrigerator. Zeke sticks his tongue out at the sight of it.
I shake my head with a smile. “No, this isn’t for you, baby. Sorry.”
He pouts at me as if to say, You can’t do that to me, Mama. That’s very bad.
I chuckle and place the cake on the counter, then grab his favourite candy from the fridge. “Here, take this. Tomorrow, Mama will bake a cake just for you. Okay?”
He squeals in delight, snatching the candy from my hand, making me laugh and shower him with more kisses.
Balancing the cake in one hand and holding Zeke with the other, I head to the balcony, which I’ve decorated with fairy lights. A cosy mat, cushions, a bottle of wine, and two glasses are already set up. After placing the cake down, I scatter rose petals over the area, adding the final touch.
I take a step back to admire my work, a satisfied smile spreading across my face. “Now it looks perfect. Right, Zeke?”
But when I glance down, I find him asleep, his head resting on my shoulder.
I let out a soft sigh of relief, pressing a kiss to his head. “Finally, he’s asleep. Now I can celebrate our special with Sky.”
I carry him to his room, his soft snores warming my heart. Gently, I lay him down in his crib before tucking his blanket around him. For a moment, I just stand there, watching him sleep. This little troublemaker is the centre of our world.
After pressing my lips on his forehead, I tiptoe out of the room and carefully shut the door, super excited to surprise my husband.
When I return to our bedroom, Sky has just stepped out of the bathroom. His damp hair is tousled from the shower. He’s wearing sweatpants and a simple T-shirt, yet he looks as tempting as ever that I feel like devouring every inch of his body.
God, will I ever get enough of this man?
A grin spreads across my face, and I rush toward him. “Sky…”
“You just got hurt, Trouble.” He looks at my feet, his eyes filled with concern.
“It’s fine.” I reassure him.
“Are you sure?” He raises his brows at me.
I nod at him. “Hundred percent.” I grin as I add, “I have a surprise for you.”
A smile spreads across his face. “I knew you’d have something planned. You never forget this day.”
“Of course not. Today changed everything for us. It’s the day you kissed me for the first time, Sky.” I smile, recalling about that night. I was completely taken aback when he captured my lips in a heated kiss all of sudden.
“I can also never forget that day. For the first time, I tasted your luscious lips.” He brushes his thumb on my lips, coming closer to my face.
But I take his hand and pull him toward the balcony. “First surprise, then romance.”
As we step onto the balcony, Sky sees the setup, his eyes widen, and his lips curl up. The twinkling fairy lights, the soft cushions, the cake, and the wine-all of it feels so perfect. Perfect like us.
“Zoe…” he murmurs, his voice filled with awe.
“Do you like it?”
He pulls me into his warm arms, his lips brushing against my forehead. “I love it. But not as much as I love you.”
Blushing, I lead him to the mat, and we sit down together. Sky wraps his arms around me, and I settle between his legs, resting my back against his chest.
We cut the cake and feed each other small bites. Then he pours us both a glass of wine, and we lean into each other, reminiscing about the past.
“The time I caught you using that vibrator, Trouble, I swear, that was the moment I realised I couldn’t just be your friend anymore.”
“I was mortified when you told me that. I couldn’t believe our love story began with me using the vibrator.” As I laugh after taking a sip of wine, my shoulders shake.
“After all these years, I still remember your facial expressions when I saw you that night. It was so hot.” He nuzzles my neck.
“I think we should celebrate that day also.” I suggest, chuckling.
“Every day of my life is a celebration with you, Trouble.” He turns my face towards him and presses a kiss on my forehead.
As I rest my head on his chest again, flashes of the past revolve in my mind-all his possessive stunts, my anger toward him, and how we became more than just best friends.
“I still can’t believe that you blackmailed Liam into staying away from me.”
His arms tighten around me. “I couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else having you. You were mine-even if you didn’t know it yet.”
I turn to look at him with love in my eyes. “And now here we are. Married. With a son. We built this life together, Sky. All those moments led us to this.”
Sky cups my cheek, his intense gaze fixed on me. “Every single moment with you is a treasure, Zoe. They all brought me closer to you.”
I lean in, capturing his lips in a soft, lingering kiss. When we pull apart, I rest my head against his chest, feeling his heartbeat steady and strong beneath my ear.
“I love you, Sky,” I whisper.
“I love you more, Trouble. Forever.”
And as we sit there under the fairy lights, wrapped in each other’s arms, I think how lucky I am to have found my forever in my best friend.
***End***