When my heart skips a beat at the sound of the door opening I know that Deacon is home from work. I sit up straight on the couch and turn my head the same moment Deacon enter the room.
He's dressed in his uniform and I swear he gets hotter and hotter every time I see him.
"Hey beautiful." He comes over to the couch and plants a swift kiss to my lips.
"Hi." I smile, running my hands over his beard, enjoying the way the hairs tickle my fingers. "How was work?"
"Not bad. It was one of the easier cases we had this week."
"That's good to hear." I smile.
"What about you? What did you do today?"
"Well I just finished signing up for spring classes." I beam.
"Oh, so you're back to school?"
"Well yeah. The plan was only to take some time off to be closer to my family and help you out." I remind him.
"That's good." Deacon smiles but I can tell he's being a little reserved.
"What's the matter?" I question.
"Nothing. I just wonder what that means for me and the girls?"
"Well, One, I'm going to UCLA so you don't have to worry about me moving back to Florida and two, the classes are all online so I'll still have time to help you with the girls." I reassure him.
"Sounds like you have this all figured out." He replies.
"Kinda." I smirk. "Do you have anything else you want to tell me?"
"Yeah, get dressed. I'm taking you out tonight." Deacon surprises me by saying.
"Are you asking me on a date David Kay?" I grin.
"I am."
"Then you need to ask me properly." I tell him, feigning seriousness.
"Will you go out with me Mya Harrelson?" Deacon asks me somberly.
There goes those butterflies. "I would love to." I grin before kissing him quickly on the lips.
I hurry off upstairs and begin to get ready.
~~~~~
"Mya, let's go! We're going to be late." Deacon hollers to me from downstairs.
I look over at myself in the mirror one last time; I curled my hair and wore a satin rose gold dress with a high slit that stopped just above my thighs and I paired it with a pair of gold heels. My makeup was subtle apart from my brown lips.
Once I'm sure I like what I see, I switch the light off in room and head down the stairs feeling giddy about going on my first date with Deacon.
I reach the top of the stairs to see Deacon waiting for me dressed in a suit. He looks up from his watch and I smile a little when I see his eyes brighten as he looks at me.
Stop looking at me like that or I might fall for you ...
I do want to fall for him but I'm scared that this might only be a fling; that he might only see me as some mid-life crisis decision.
Deacon holds out his hand for me to take when I reach the last step and I entwine our fingers together and smile at how natural it feels.
"You look stunning." Deacon tells me solemnly.
"Thank you." I peck his lips. "And you look very handsome." I caress his cheek, and I begin to wonder if I'm becoming obsessed with his beard.
"Thank you. I think you're worth me putting on this monkey suit."
"Oh, you think huh?" I tease.
"I know." He chuckles before he kisses me again. "Are you ready?"
"Lead the way Sargent."
~~~
The car ride with Deacon is surprising. I realize that, every time Deacon and I have been together in a car we have the kids with us which means we're listening to Disney music and nursery rhymes the entire car ride. But now that it's just us, we're able to listen to music that we like and I learn something new about Deacon- he likes hip hop.
It's the weirdest thing ever to see this fully grown man rapping along to a Nas song like he listens to him every day.
"Why are you looking at me like I just grew two heads?" Deacon asks, stealing a glance away from the road to look at me.
"Because I totally pegged you as a jazz and classical music kind of guy."
"Oh, so you mean old people music?"
"Maybe." I flush.
"What else did you assume about me?" Deacon asked as he slows down to a red light.
"That you go to bed by nine, that you only go out for work and your idea of fun is playing checkers." I admit.
"Wow." Deacon replies, sounding a little offended.
"I'm glad I was wrong though," I reach out and place my hand over his free hand that's not on the wheel. "If I've learned anything these last few weeks it's that you're goofy, an amazing father, a great friend and a phenomenal man."
"Thank you." I can see the corners of his lifts lift up from a smile.
"Truth is, I envy you." I confess.
"Me? Why?" Deacon gives me his full attention now that we're parked in front of the restaurant.
QueensView.
"Because you have your life completely figured out already. You have a beautiful home, a stable career, and a family who loves you. Despite losing the love of your life you seem like you're happy and love where you're at in in life." I say. "We're in such different stages of our lives..."
"You're young, you still have time to figure it out and anyone who tells you that you need to have it all figure it before a certain age is wrong. And yeah, I have wonderful life but it didn't come over night. I made my share of mistakes and life had threw me a major curve ball, but I wouldn't change anything. There's no blueprint to life. You do what's best for you and your pace."
The only people who give me this kind of encouragement are my parents. It's nice to hear it coming from Deacon. It's better.
"This place is beautiful Deacon." I tell him, staring wide eyed at the two story waterfront steakhouse restaurant. There's a pier and just out on the water is the Queen Mary.
"I was hoping you'd like it." Deacon entwined our fingers and for the first time I feel like we're real. I feel like we're an actual couple.
Deacon leads us inside where we're greeted by the host then directed to our table.
"It's so beautiful in here." I gush, gazing as I take on the colored class ceiling above us, the decadent lighting, candlelit tables and there's a man playing the cello softly along with a band.
"It's not too stuffy for you?" Deacon's brows pinches together in worry.
"It's perfect." I reassure him before looking down at my menu to see what I wanted to eat.
Once the two of us have our food in front of us, we dive into natural and easy conversation and I love everything I'm learning about him. I love that he feels comfortable enough to peel back his layers and show me who he is.
After dinner, we decide we're not ready for the date to be over so we walk on the pier.
It's chilly tonight and as the gentleman he is, Deacon has given me his suit jacket to help me keep warm.
"Do you have any regrets about this?" Deacon asks, referring to our entwined fingers.
I shake my head. "No. I hated that I couldn't keep my eyes off you when we saw each other at the hospital. I couldn't stop the butterflies in my stomach whenever I heard the door opening knowing it was going to be you coming from work, I hate that you're all I could see at night when I closed my eyes." I confess. "But I wouldn't change anything. Or else we wouldn't be here."
"You know when I first saw you at the hospital it felt like I was seeing life in color again for the first time since Annie died. You're so beautiful that I just want to explore every inch of you." Deacon tells me, making me smile. We stop walking and I wrap my arms around him neck. "But really, it was all the little things you did that did it for me." He says. "How you selflessly gave up your life to be with your family, how you love my daughters like they're your own, how you push the envelope between being completely independent but allowing me to feel like you need me. It's you Mya. Your beauty, your personality, your heart. It's everything about you that makes me believe at a second chance at love again."
I love you.
It's on the tip of my tongue. But would he say it back or would he say I'm not thinking straight?
But I am falling for him. There's no denying that anymore.
I'm in love with Deacon Kay.