I couldn't decide on a point in time, so we have three lol.
_____
"Y'all better not mess up my finale." The loud yelling somehow made it over the even louder banging. "We worked hard this week!"
Olivia giggled into Spencer's neck, her lips never leaving his damp skin. Careful not to mess up her makeup, she made her way up and across his jaw, tuning out all the hustle and bustle on the other side of the door. His fingers dug into her thighs, channeling his usually vocal energy into the rough grip. The week of late night practices had been a test, and her head falling back marked the end of their month-long "break."
Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing as the rush exited her body, leaving behind nothing but a fuzzy haze. A grunt slipped past his lips, and his head fell heavy between his shoulders.
She traced a finger across his cheek, smearing the dewy face markings she had drawn ten minutes earlier. "We're gonna have to fix that."
He inhaled and nodded. Still recovering.
"Thank you for coming to the rescue," she smiled softly. Her original partner had fallen sick a week earlier, and Davita had recruited the only man she knew they could collectively bully into learning the number under a time crunch. "I don't know how we would've pulled this off without you."
He chuckled through his staggered breaths. "We haven't pulled off anything yet, girl."
"But we will. So honestly, thank you."
"Anytime." His eyes met hers, and he smirked. "For this, just tell me how many more dances I gotta learn."
Olivia bit her lip, laughing. "Maybe we should have a more civilized conversation after all this." Her smile faltered as the reality of the past four weeks settled in. Their schedules had gotten crazy, and their arguments had grown more frequent. The tension had been barreling towards a nasty outcome until they decided to pull the breaks. "I've missed you."
He pressed a tender kiss to her lips. "I've missed you, too."
She jolted. The banging was back with a vengeance. "I swear, I will kill you two!"
"We're going! We were just looking for some, uhhh—"
Knowing there was no way of saving the situation, Spencer chuckled. They had an hour until showtime. They both needed touchups. A few good guzzles of water. Conversation could wait. "We'll be right out, D."
"She might actually murder us," Olivia snickered.
Spencer's fingers worked up his zipper. "I saved her show. She owes me."
"Okay. Don't get cocky now."
"You sure? Cause I was thinking later, after that conversation we could—"
Her hand slammed against his mouth, and she felt his lips curl up against her palm in victory. "How about you just save it for later then, okay?"
_____
Standing behind Olivia, Spencer tied the two pieces of silk into a tight knot. "Stand still, woman."
"I am!" she shot back.
"Check that she's not looking, SiSi."
Perched on her mom's hip, the two-year-old pressed her small palms against Olivia's face. "No looking, mommy."
"I swear, I can't see anything," Olivia laughed. "But is this all really necessary?"
Spencer's lips brushed against her earlobe, setting off a trail of goosebumps. "For you, yes."
Her breath caught in her throat, and Sienna squealed. A reminder to breathe.
Excited little eyes darted back and forth between the parents. "Ready, mommy?"
"Set her down," Spencer instructed. "She knows where we're going."
"You two have been sneaking behind my back," Olivia accused as she leaned over cautiously to set her baby girl on the ground. For the past week, he'd been acting dodgy, sending her off for spa days and shopping trips. On Thursday, he treated her, Kia, and Davita to a five-course lunch at a new Michelin starred restaurant out in Malibu. When she got back and asked about his day, all she got was a good, tell me about yours. And while her investigative skills were typically sharp, constantly distracted, she had gotten nowhere. Though, the one thing she did piece together was that Sienna mustn't have known for long because the filter on her little girl was nonexistent.
Grabbing onto his wife's hand, Spencer nodded. "Lead the way, mama."
Sienna latched onto Olivia's free hand and tugged, talking nonsensically to herself all the way through the house until she suddenly came to a halt. Olivia's hands flew out in front of her, diving into the head of curls for balance.
"A warning would help, baby."
Spencer stood in silence while Olivia circled the room. Up until last week, the annexed space was intended to become a guest house. A separate space for when friends and family came to visit. But late one night, he caught her watching a recording of one of her old college performances. It had been one of his favorites. Or at least the beaded bodysuit had been. All of her dances had always blown him away. But that tiny glimmer of what once was was all he needed to see to change course and call up the contractors.
Her fingers grazed the newly polished barre. She hadn't said a word since Spencer slipped the silk off her eyes.
"You like it, mommy?!"
Misty eyes looked up. "I love it, baby."
Sienna beamed and wiggled her way down. The pitter patter of her feet echoed through the room as she ran her fingers along every surface in reach. When she finally noticed her parents talking, rudely without her, she ditched the handprint art work on the mirror to tangle herself between their legs.
"Dance with me," Olivia murmured. Her fingers brushed up his pecs, stirring up a steady thudding in his chest. Fervent palms tapped at their calves, begging for attention, but the tilted face in front of him had him stuck. "Please?"
He nodded slowly, holding still as her hands wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling his lips to hers. A silent thank you.
"You wanna see mommy dance?" he asked, dropping his gaze between them.
Sienna broke out into a giddy dance of her own, arms flailing wildly at the proposition. She had been a faithful companion on Olivia's trip down memory lane, mesmerized at every twist and turn. He scooped her up while Olivia tinkered with the speakers.
"Come."
He looked up from his spot on the floor with Sienna to find her waiting. "You don't wanna warm up first?"
She shook her head, extending a hand.
Tems' velvety voice filtered through the room, and a calmness washed over him as his wife positioned his hands at her hips. It had been six years since he last danced with her like this. But as he followed her lead, going through a rusty rendition of their duet, the pure joy in her eyes was undeniable. She was back home.
At the end of the song, she collapsed into him, hiding her sweaty face into the crook of his neck. His eyes drifted off toward Sienna, who had grown sleepy over the last few minutes. Though her eyes had remained glued to her mother the entire time.
"That was perfect," she murmured, tightening her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
"What did you think, mama?"
Sienna clapped lazily, her eyelids falling heavy. "Again," she mumbled.
"I think it's time for bed," Olivia cooed, slinking away to their baby. He moved to help, but as she cradled Sienna to her chest, her eyes flickered up, stopping him. The gratitude in her gaze had morphed into something more. "You wait here."
_____
"You done there?"
"No."
"Well too bad lil mama. We ain't got all night."
A squeal rang through the kitchen as Spencer flipped his two-year-old out of her seat and over his shoulder.
"Should we go find mama?"
A little fist shot into the air. "Yes!"
"Aight," he chuckled. "Let's go find her."
At their first stop, he found their son leaning over a textbook. Except the scene wasn't exactly as it appeared. A phone was propped up between the pages, and no words were being read. "You studying or...?"
The twelve-year-old jumped in his seat, his head jerking over his shoulder. "Hi."
"You waiting on someone to send you extra notes?"
Jackson locked his phone and slid it under the book. "No."
"Thought so. You seen your mother?"
"Not since dinner."
Spencer nodded.
As they entered the next room over, Savannah chirped, "Hi Caweb."
Spencer frowned. Olivia wasn't here either.
Caleb rolled over in his bed with a book in hand. "Hi Savie."
"Do you know where your mom is?"
The eight-year-old shook his head.
With a grunt, Spencer left his son to his reading. He didn't even bother checking the room across the hall. From the bickering, it was unclear who was terrorizing who, but the one thing he could gather was that his wife was definitely not in there.
"Where do you think she is?" Spencer questioned as they made their way back down the stairs.
Savannah laid her palm out flat and punched her index finger into her hand. She slapped her hand against her ear. "Mama?"
Amused, Spencer watched on as his daughter nodded, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration. After a solid minute of intense babbling, he widened his eyes. "So? Where is she?"
Savannah shrugged, her little palms turning up. "I dunno."
"Hmm, I think I do," Spencer chuckled.
It had been a hectic week in their household. And though Olivia no longer got to claim the room that was rightfully hers, she still managed to sneak out there on her own every once in a while. As he walked by the mural she had painted with Gianna, the music seeped through the cracks. The studio was sound proof, but with five kids in the house, she had made it a habit to never close the door all the way.
Her eye caught his in the mirror, and she dropped her arms, a smile spreading across her face. She turned down the music and strolled over to them. "Hi, my babies."
Savannah held a hand out, keeping her at bay. "My baby."
Olivia's hands came to her hips. "Excuse me. This is my baby."
"Mine!"
Olivia shook her head. It was incredible how every woman she had birthed was obsessed with him. It was also mildly insulting, and she was over losing her man to little girls.
"He was mine long before you were even a thought," she challenged.
Confused, Savannah frowned.
"Exactly," Olivia nodded. Turning back to Spencer, her lips melted into a smile. "Hi, baby."
"You good?" he chuckled.
"Yeah, just releasing some stress," she huffed, shaking her arms out. "Long week."
He hummed in understanding.
"But you know what would make it better?"
He drew back, already knowing where this was headed. "Nah, Liv. I'm not—"
She clutched her hands together, batting her eyes dramatically. "Please!!"
"Liv."
"You still work out, don't you? Or is this activity a little too strenuous for you?" she taunted.
Still mad, Savannah glared at her mother's sudden childishness.
Spencer sucked his teeth, laughing. "Don't play with me, woman."
"I know you want to," she sang, tiptoeing her fingers up his chest. "For me."
He dropped his head, an airy chuckle escaping his lips. "Fine. One time."
She grinned triumphantly, rushing off to the stereo before he changed his mind.
"I don't know what I'm doing," he called out, watching as she strutted towards him.
"Just... feel. And move your body. I'll follow."
Shaking his head, he tried to draw up memories of their past, pulling whatever series of steps he could remember. Though he knew that once she got going, he would be the one following, supporting her as she got lost in her world. The space closed behind him, and just like that, she was a firecracker in his arms. At every wrong grip, her hands shifted over his, adjusting them half an inch over, leading him through until his own confidence slowly found its footing.
Each time her movements blossomed further, he snapped her back into him. A sweet tug of war to the beat of the music, the tension building to its peak before toppling over. His chest heaved as she stalked in his direction, her gaze fierce on his. He stood still, ready to accept her, but instead, she twirled around him, coming around his other side with her hands weaving up his neck. Back in control, he pressed into her lower back, and she arched into him. Her chest expanding with each deep breath as she bent back, relinquishing power and putting all her trust in him—her favorite partner.
The song came to an end, and she rolled back up, slinging her arms around his neck. "I needed that," she breathed out.
Panting, he squeezed her waist, his forehead pressed against hers. She reached for his face, but he stilled at the sight in the corner of his eye.
"What?" Olivia pulled away to meet his gaze.
Their audience had multiplied.
The girls had clearly come down with another motive, but caught off guard, they looked deeply offended. Like her mother's, their sixteen-year-old's facial expressions told all, and Olivia saw the hurt seated deep behind the mask. Next in line, Gianna looked even less enthused. And not one to be left out, the tiniest of the three scrambled up to stand next to them, scrunching her face to match. Even though moments earlier, she been fully entranced by her parents' grace.
"I didn't know daddy could dance like that," Sienna accused, crossing her arms.
Thoughts of random late nights flittered through Olivia's mind. They had been far and few between, but on nights when everyone else was asleep, and she asked extra nicely, he'd humored her. Their kids had never really seen, and those nights held a special place in her heart. A little piece of him only she ever got to have.
"Yeah," Olivia laughed quietly, her palm gravitating back to his chest. "He's not too shabby."
That only seemed to worsen the betrayal. Sienna swallowed, decidedly done. Her arms shot out. "Come Savie, you don't need to be hanging out with liars."
"Sienna!" Olivia called at her daughter's back.
"I've seen enough!" she yelled back.
The last one left shook her head slowly, not appreciating her parents' touchiness and heavy breathing. "Ew."
"Gianna," Olivia laughed.
But without an explanation of why they had shown up in the first place, she was gone.
"You know you're going to have to dance for her one day," Olivia laughed, pulling him back into her.
Spencer chuckled nervously, pressing a kissing into her shoulder. "I know."
"And by one day, I mean soon."
"Hm." His days of dancing for anyone but his wife were long gone, but there was no escaping this one.
"Maybe I can find a video of our BSU performance," she mused. "She'd die seeing that. No wait, I have to find it. I'd like to see it."
"Oh, I'd like that," he mumbled, nipping up her neck. "I'd like that very much."
"Do you remember right before?" she giggled. "In the closet."
"Mhm," he hummed. "And after."
"Don't get any ideas," she warned as his palm grazed up her thigh. Shimmying away, she tried to remain firm. "Spencer, I'm so serious. We have a whole lot of babies to put to bed. No. No!" Dodging him, she broke into a run, her laughter ringing through the halls. "Spencer!"
His forearm wrapped tightly around her waist, cutting the chase short in the living room. On the couch, Gianna sighed loud enough for all their daughters.
"You guys are disgusting."