“You really didn’t have to do this.”
“Much like I’ve already told you, I’m well aware of my responsibilities and things Ihaveto do, darling. I want to be here.” Her voice dipped into that low, sweet tone, so sincere, as she reached her hand out a few inches, lacing her fingers with Sutton’s. “I want to be here for you and for Lucy.”
God.
If Sutton weren’t already head over heels for this woman, she would have been a goner now.
She tightened her fingers around Charlotte’s, unable, almost, to believe this was real. It was very much the same feeling she’d had on their date, when Charlotte had taken her to the Thompson Foundation.
“You’re…” She trailed off, the words feeling too thick in her throat. There were too many descriptors for her to properly express, right here and now, outside a classroom full of other people, many of them children. Her own included.
“You are, too,” Charlotte simply replied.
She squeezed Sutton’s hand in her own once more before slowly disengaging their fingers. “I do have to tell you that I don’t have a whole presentation planned out. At least, nothing more than I was able to work out in the car ride over here.”
God, Sutton wanted more than anything to lean in and kiss her. Theonlything stopping here was the knowledge that the eyes of Lucy, her teacher, classmates, and several of the adults that had been congregating in the back of the room were all watching.
“I’m confident you’ll be able to scrape something together.”
As the sunwas setting later that evening—early, given that it was still winter—Sutton parked her car outside of Layla’s house.
Layla had texted when she’d been preparing to leave the hospital, saying that she’d still like to have Lucy for the weekend and that she’d come and pick Lucy up from Sutton’s, if it made things easier for her.
Given, though, that she and Lucy were out with Charlotte at a bakery after school, that wouldn’t have been a very feasible plan.
“Do you have everything, hon?” she asked Lucy, turning to look at her daughter in the back seat.
Lucy was in the process of returning the contents of her backpack to where they belonged, as she’d gone through it to find the book she’d gotten at the school library to read as they drove. A relatively strong reader for her age, she had started reading simple books on her own in the last few months.
“Almost!” Lucy told her, meticulously placing everything in the backpack.
Luckily, Sutton had packed Lucy’s favorite stuffed animal and a few things from her house this morning, and Lucy had enough clothing and toys at Layla’s.
She turned to look at Charlotte in her passenger seat.
She’d been surprised and undeniably pleased when Charlotte had given her a cute, cheeky smile and asked for a ride after their afternoon at school. “Hamish dropped me off, and I sent him back to the office to manage Autumn and Maya while they run some errands for me this evening. I can always call an Uber…”
Sutton couldn’t help but laugh before kissing her. It was light and brief, mindful of the fact that Lucy was with them and they were in the parking lot at her school, but she’d felt entirely too overcome with… everything.
When Charlotte lifted her gaze to meet hers, Sutton said, “I’m just going to bring her to the door.”
Charlotte nodded as she intently typed on her phone without looking. “Of course. I’m just finishing up this email, and then I’m free for the evening.” She shot Sutton an apologetic smile, but Sutton shook her head to dismiss it.
She didn’t want or need any sort of apology.
Charlotte not only had shown up for Lucy today but had then made time to go get hot cocoa and cookies afterward at their favorite bakery. It had only been when they’d gotten in the car to drive to Layla’s that she’d asked if Sutton minded if she finished up her work during the drive.
As far as Sutton was concerned, Charlotte had been a superhero today.
“Have a fun weekend, Lucy. I’ll see you soon.” Charlotte turned to smile at her daughter, the same warmth in her expression that she had with Sutton.
Lucy paused in her mission to gather her belongings to aim a thousand-watt grin right back. “Will you come over for dinner next week at Mama’s? ’Cause I don’t get to hang out with you tonight like Mama does, and that’s not fair.”
“I am nothing if not supportive of equality,” Charlotte agreed, schooling her features into a serious face.
Sutton’s cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
Lucy nodded firmly as she zipped up her backpack. “Yay! Okay! We can play checkers!”