"I love you, too, Ma." I answered and then the line disconnected.
____________
I was surprisingly early, I was also nervous. I kept running my fingers over my dress, smoothing it, then I would unconsciously go up to my hair to pull back my curly strands of dark hair.
"You look gorgeous," Casey took one of my hands and kissed me on the cheek in greeting. It was over so fast that I hardly realized how enticing Casey smelled or how the simple touch of lips against my cheek made my breath hitch.
I took time to make myself look good tonight, something I hadn't done in a while. I curled my hair, put on a pair of heels, did my make-up like I used to and I felt beautiful again. The way Casey looked at me only contributed to that feeling and I couldn't be more in love.
We looked at each other for just a moment, intently, then laughed. This situation was decidedly unaccumstomed but not weird or uncomfortable, we knew each other far too well to ever be uncomfortable in each other's presence.
"Do you want to have a drink before dinner?" Casey asked.
"No, thank you. I haven't been able to eat much today, so let's just order our food," I revealed.
When Casey and I had talked about going on this date, we had promised each other that we wouldn't talk about work. Since I wasn't working on an open case at the moment, this wasn't a big issue. We found other things, as we always did. But everything we talked about was accompanied by looks, by touches, by smiles that said so much more about us and our feeling for each other. There was a new dimension to our relationship, it allowed me to stare at Casey's strong hands and hold them in my own.
"It's nice to be out," Casey said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders as we waited for our dessert. "Just the two of us."
"It is, isn't it? We needed it, too."
"Yeah. Some time away to enjoy each other."
"Romantic dinner." I sighed, fumbling with Casey's hand in my lap.
Casey nodded slowly. "You miss her too, don't you?"
"Yeah. I miss her." I rested my head on his shoulder. "I hate that we didn't put Isa to bed." I sighed. "Did we make a mistake?"
"By going out?"
"Yeah."
Casey sighed, thinking about his little girl at home, being babysat by Angela. "No. Isa's fine with your mother. We gave her many goodnight kisses before we left. She'll probably be asleep soon."
I nodded, snuggling even closer into his side.
"Jane?"
"Hm?"
"Is this how things will be from now on?"
I lifted my head and looked at Casey. "What do you mean?"
"I mean...being parents?"
I furrowed my brow. "Well yes, of course. We have Isa—"
"No, I mean...being nothing else."
"Oh." I nodded as I understood what he meant. I leaned back on Casey's shoulder and felt him pressing a kiss to the top of my head. "You mean, is the hot couple we once were gone?"
Casey smirked. "I don't think that, last night proved it."
"It did." I chuckled. "Does it bother you that I'm mostly a mom? And a detective on the side?"
Casey lifted my head to look back at him, shaking his head. "No. God, no. I love you as a mother. I fall more and more in love with you with every interaction I witness between you and our child. We just... We closed a phase in our lives."
"I'm not saying I'm not having a nice time with you," I said softly, "but I am eager to get back home, because I really missed bedtime snuggles."
Casey laughed and brushed the messy curls he loved so much over my shoulder. "She's lucky to have you, Jane."
I nodded as I smiled lovingly, looking up at my lover in the dark. "I think it's the combination of both of us that makes her lucky."
Casey continued his loving strokes on my chest during a moment of silence before moving up to cup my cheek. "You turned into quite the snuggle mom."
"I-... N-, okay but let's at least pretend I'm still badass, alright?" I smirked.
"You are!" Casey laughed and leaned down to capture my lips in a sweet kiss. "My badass detective." He chuckled while he pressed his lips against mine's. Kissing had never been like this. He made me feel special and loved.
Casey's soft kisses were spurring on fresh butterflies in my stomach and I pulled him down to my lips to deepen the kiss and tighten the embrace.
Casey chuckled into the kiss and moved his hands across my sides and up to my breasts, squeezing softly. I moaned and felt a hint of arousal tickling my stomach. It was in that moment that I was truly eager to go home.
As the evening drew to a close, we shared a traditional dessert of apple pie and vanilla ice cream.
We finished up and Casey called the waiter to pay before he stood up and offered me my coat. I smiled lovingly at him as I put it on, stealing a quick kiss while I closed the buttons. "Take a walk with me?" he whispered with a smile. "Can you take a little while longer without the young one?"
I smiled. "Yeah."
As we left the restaurant, Casey reached out his hand and casually took mine. I smiled and intertwined our fingers.
"That was a very nice restaurant, how did you find it?" I asked.
"Frost recommended it," Casey answered and wrapped one of his arms around my waist as we slowly walked across the street.
"You asked him to recommend a restaurant for tonight?"
"No, he... kind of volunteered the information and I just stored it away." Casey smirked and breathed in the nightly air. "It's gonna rain."
I hummed and looked up at the sky, seeing a full, bright moon peaking through heavy clouds. I suddenly felt a warm hand on my cheek and turned my head to see Casey looking at me with a loving smile curling his lips.
Chapter Twenty-One: Date Night
Start from the beginning
