Kids piled out of the school in droves, heading for the buses or the waiting parents.
Julia, seeing James and Daphne, let out a cheer as she ran up to Daphne and grabbed her hand.
“Heya, tyke! Have a good day at school?” Daphne asked, taken with Julia as they headed for the car.
“We had gym! I got three people out in dodgeball!” Julia said proudly.
“You did! High five!” James could only smile wryly as his hand was forgotten and Daphne smacked hands with Julia.
“Are you staying the weekend?” Julia asked.
“That’s the plan,” Daphne said.
Julia had a wide smile as they got to the car and she jumped in the back.
Daphne and James got into the front of the car and headed home.
“I have five new sketches! Can you do my hair? You do it much better than Daddy,” Julia said in a rush, making Daphne laugh. The two of them had become close over the last couple of months.
“Traitor,” James said, looking at the two of them.
They both smiled, neither agreeing nor denying.
He could only laugh as the two of them went back to talking and they arrived at home.
Julia tossed off her coat and her bag, kicking her shoes off in excitement.
“Julia,” Daphne said in a low voice.
Julia paused just as she was about to run off and cleaned up her belongings.
“Better. Now, where are these sketches!” Daphne said excitedly.
“In my room!” Julia rushed off with her backpack. Daphne followed behind her.
James watched her going up the stairs. She’d made his house her home, ruling over it. It was comforting.
She seemed to sense his eyes on her. She turned around, kissing her hand and blowing him a kiss.
“Go have fun. I’ll make dinner,” James said.
“You do have your uses,” Daphne said.
“Sorry, Miss Order-in Extraordinaire?” James held his chin in thought.
She tried to pout, but it only seemed to make her cuter in James’s eyes.
He couldn’t help but laugh as she couldn’t hold the expression anymore. Her pout fell apart as she quickly ran up to Julia’s room lest James see her smile.
***
Dinner went well. Julia told them all about her day at school, what the kids were doing, and her plans for the weekend. Daphne was all caught up on the entire week.
Julia then went off to play with her toys as James and Daphne sat and talked on the couch.
James got up with a groan, picking up Daphne’s legs that had been resting on him. “Julia’s bedtime,” he said by explanation.
“I’ll help you. I don’t think I’m long for sleep.” As Daphne spoke, she yawned, having to blink away her watery eyes.
“Okay, I think she’d like that,” James said.
They got Julia ready for bed, pajamas on and teeth brushed.
She was more tired than it looked as she was already starting to fall asleep as they turned off the lights and headed toward James’s room.
James brushed his teeth while Daphne washed the day away.
She got dressed in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.
“Is that my t-shirt?” James asked, already in bed before her.
“Maybe.” Daphne quickly got into bed and snuggled up to him, a pleased smile on her face as if she were some kind of cat. “I like your smell. I’ll need another one.”
“Doesn’t sound like a request,” James teased.
“It wasn’t, and I don’t like sleeping without you around.” Daphne’s voice lowered as she revealed an embarrassing secret.
James turned on his side, looking down at her wide eyes as she wore one of his old t-shirts. He pushed the hair away from her face and kissed her.
It started off slow and simple, but it turned heated. Slowly, James’s hand moved lower, tracing over the shirt and finding her nipple under the shirt. He traced a finger down between her breasts, down her navel, past her belly button, stopping just as he reached the top of her shorts, gently dancing over her lower stomach.
Daphne shifted and opened her legs, giving him greater access. Her hand pressed against his chest and traced down to his boxers, running her nails up and down his length.
James pulled up her shorts so they were grinding against her opening, lightly tracing his fingers over her clit and opening. His body was pressed against hers, taking in the sensations of her body: the firm and the soft, her quick breaths, the flicker of her tongue, the way she lost focus and forgot to move her fingers across him.
She reached into his boxers, grabbing him and slowly stroking him.
James pulled on her shorts, pulling them off to reveal her lower half. He licked his fingers and forcefully played with her opening, eliciting a short surprised noise from Daphne. She forgot what she was doing as James watched her face and the emotions there, teasing but not too fast. There was no need to race, taking his time.
Daphne pushed against his hand, stopping him and pushing him back as she rolled on top of him. Her breasts pushed against him through his shirt. She pulled his boxers off, putting her legs on either side of him as she rubbed her opening up and down him.
He could feel her heat, the stickiness of her own desire. He cupped her ass, pulling her forward to release himself and then let her push backward. His tip pushed against her.
Daphne kissed him as she pushed backward and he pushed forward, their breaths slow and hot as their hips met. They pulled apart. The two of them knew the other’s rhythm.
James’s entire body tingled. He pulled her forward and looked into her eyes, seeing every emotion, taking it all in, living for her pleasure as he pushed forward.
She rotated her hips, bringing him deeper into her as she let out little gasps, her body already strung tight. Daphne kissed James’s neck, sending a shiver of pleasure through him.
His eyes flashed as he grabbed her ass, making her start as he opened her wider.
There was no power games, no dominating; the two of them worked the other, using all that they knew to bring the other higher.
James couldn’t take it anymore as he flipped her over and pulled out.
Daphne was panting on the bed as James felt his strength leave him.
Daphne pulled him down, kissing him. “You know how to drive me crazy, and I love it,” Daphne whispered in his ear.
“I should be the one saying that,” James said. “Couldn’t resist you when you’re wearing my shirt.”
She gave him a knowing smile. There was no awkwardness between them as they knew each other’s bodies completely and how to draw pleasure out from the other.
Seeing those limpid eyes, James was sucked in, unable to look away from her. He didn’t think he’d be able to let her go now.
***
James was on a call in his office as Daphne was doing Julia’s makeup and hair, trying to teach her that she didn’t need all these products she was seeing and also trying out different kinds of braids and the like.
Daphne didn’t expect that she would have found this kind of thing interesting, or that she would feel a fierce protectiveness as she tried to pass on the lessons that she had learned in her life, hoping that they would aid Julia to make her life easier.
Julia was surprisingly silent as Daphne finished off her latest braid.
“Is something wrong?” Daphne asked, finding the atmosphere weird.
Julia looked up to Daphne and then back down with conflicted emotions. “My dad talks about my mom a lot, about where they went, about having me,” Julia said.
Daphne didn’t feel jealous as she focused on Julia, ready for what she wanted to say and letting her get out her words.
“I…I didn’t know her. I only saw her pictures and heard about her. I saw other people’s moms and I thought it would be nice to have one, but I wouldn’t ever get one.” Julia’s face scrunched up, confused by her own emotions that she didn’t understand.
Daphne squeezed her
shoulder but didn’t say anything, feeling Julia had more. Daphne’s heart hurt, wanting to take away that pain.
“But then you came and I think that you’re a great mommy.” Julia burst into tears.
“Oh, come here,” Daphne said. Julia’s raw emotion made her tear up as she pulled the willing Julia into a hug. Daphne rocked her back and forth, patting her back.
Underneath that tough and smiling exterior, she was a girl who had heard about moms from her dad and her classmates. Hearing that all the time, she felt lost and confused.
With Daphne, she’d felt as if she gained that stability and even started to say in school that she had Daphne; she didn’t need a mommy.
Daphne’s heart was fit to burst with Julia’s words.
“I might not be your blood mom, but I’ll be there if you ever need anything,” Daphne said.
“Promise?” Julia asked, her voice scared and filled with fear and hope as she held on tighter on Daphne, scared to let go.
“I promise,” Daphne said, wanting nothing more than to help Julia.
Julia held on even tighter, crying freely into Daphne’s shoulder as Daphne continued to soothe her.
James entered the room. Seeing the two of them, he smiled at Daphne, sadness in his eyes at seeing his little girl in so much pain, but grateful for Daphne for helping her.
Seeing their love for each other, Daphne held Julia tighter.
She didn’t want to let either of them go, ever.
Chapter Julia’s Birthday
James looked around the backyard that met with Lake Ontario. It was Julia’s birthday. The parents were milling around, talking to one another and having drinks while the kids played in the garden, the swing set and near the lake.
The barbecue was going and it seemed perfect.
Daphne nursed a mimosa as she stood on the deck overlooking the garden. She felt James behind her as he wrapped his arms around her stomach.
After Julia’s confession, it had been two more weeks before she moved into James and Julia’s house in Oakville. Five months had passed since then. With the high-profile case, Thomas and Santiago LLC had grown in leaps and bounds and was now one of the premier corporate law firms in Toronto. They worked with all manner of companies, with a focus on environmental cases. They had taken on more staff and were on retainer to the Wilderness Outreach Incubator.
James’s incubator was expanding to more locations and helping more people dealing with environmental issues and projects.
Still, with it all, they made time for each other and for Julia.
She had even earned the right to drop off and pick up Julia from school and rented out her apartment, making it official. There was no going back.
She didn’t want to. Seeing Julia and having James every day felt right. It wasn’t easy all the time and they did argue here and there. At the end of it all, they would run back to the other, saying sorry and working it out. They put in work and, more than the house, they had become each other’s home.
She leaned backward and tilted so he could kiss her. “Hi.” She smiled.
“Hi.” James squeezed her slightly as she rubbed his arm with her free hand.
She leaned back into him. Her head rested on his chest as she looked over at Julia and her friends. I guess these are motherly feelings? Daphne looked at little Julia. There was no doubt that she cared deeply for Julia and would do anything for her.
“I don’t know what I did right to get a life like this.” Daphne sighed.
“All the right things,” James murmured in her ear.
They lapsed into silence again before Daphne broke it.
“So what did you get Julia for her birthday? You’ve been really secretive about it,” Daphne asked, curious.
“It’s something precious to us both,” James said, mysteriously.
Julia seemed to see them and clapped her hands. She wore a dress and a tiara, the queen of the ball. She charged up toward them, leading a pack of kids. The other parents looked over. They seemed to sense something was up.
“Dad, I told you not to do it yet!” Julia complained.
“I haven’t yet, but should I now?” James asked.
Daphne looked between the two of them as James released her.
“Yes!” Julia jumped, a wide smile on her face.
James’s hand went into his pocket as he looked at the confused Daphne.
“Daphne Thomas, would you do us the honor of becoming Daphne Waters?” James took a knee and pulled out the box in his pocket. Inside there was an engagement ring.
Daphne’s emotions were thrown into chaos as tears rolled down her cheeks. She saw James and Julia, who ran over to her, hugging her legs.
“Say yes!” Julia said with an innocent and wide smile.
Daphne couldn’t help but laugh, rubbing Julia’s head as tears fell down her face. Her wide smile hurt her cheeks. “Yes, yes, I will.” The dams opened as she couldn’t see anymore through the tears.
“Yay!” Julia cheered. The other kids joined in as the parents, seeing what was going on, clapped.
Behind James, Reggie, Lucy, Dom, Cathy, and Paul came out of the house with noisemakers and fired off confetti poppers.
Daphne’s heart was full as James stood, taking out the ring and putting it on her finger.
He grabbed and picked up Julia on one shoulder, pulling Daphne into a hug.
She cried on his shirt, looking up to him as he kissed her.
“Ew!” Julia wrinkled her nose at her mom and dad, making James and Daphne laugh.
“Come here, you tyke.” Daphne put her wine glass down and took Julia from James and hugged her.
“See, best birthday gift ever!” Julia declared.
“I agree.” James’s voice was deep with emotion. His eyes locked with Daphne’s, seeing her smiling so wide as he wiped her tears away with his thumbs and saw Julia celebrating in her arms.
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