Now I knew what she’d been up to.
She put her hands on her hips. “You should put on a dress, Mama,” she chided, looking at my jeans and tee in clear dismay.
Sometimes I seriously wondered if there was a fifteen-year-old trapped in my five-year-old’s body.
“Not tonight, sweetie,” I replied as I cleaned up the kitchen while we waited for Cash.
When her big blue eyes filled with unexpected tears, I went to her, crouching to her level. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“You have to wear a party dress,” she insisted, her lips trembling with emotion.
“Honey, why is it so important to you that I wear a dress?” I prodded gently.
“Because you put on a party dress when something isimportant.”
In a way, her rationale made complete sense. When I thought about it, all of her major life events had involved dressing up, whether it was a birthday party or even when Nan had died.
“That’s true,” I murmured just as the doorbell rang. “Just one second, Ri.” I rose to my feet, opening the door to Cash, who carried two bouquets of flowers.
My heart melted as he handed one to me, kissing me chastely before extending the other to Riley.
Her teary eyes widened in awe as she stared at the flowers.
“What’s with the tears, darlin’?” he asked as he stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.
“Mama won’t put on a party dress,” she wailed as I set both bouquets on the counter.
Cash shot me a look of mixed amusement and confusion as he scooped her up in his arms. “Well, you look very pretty in your dress,” he assured her. “And your mama looks very pretty too.” He shot me a wink over her head.
“We were just finishing up a little talk,” I explained as he followed me over to the couch, sitting next to her. I once again crouched in front of her, wanting to get to the bottom of this. It was rare for Riley to get so upset, and I wanted to understand why. It was about more than a dress, that much was obvious.
“Baby, I hardly ever wear dresses,” I reminded her gently.
Her lips quivered. “I know, but this is important. And you wear dresses when it’s important. If you don’t wear a dress, he won’t know it’s important and maybe he won’t want to keep us,” she whispered with wide, tear-filled eyes.
I swallowed back my own emotions, unable to look at Cash as I thought desperately how to respond to her.
But in that moment, for the first time ever, I had someone there to help me navigate.
“Do you remember what you were wearing the first day I met you?” Cash surprised me by speaking first, wrapping an arm around Riley and pulling her in to his side.
She shook her head no.
“Well, I do. I remember what you and your mama were wearing. And it wasn’t dresses. And guess what? That was the very most important day of my life because I met you and your mama.”
Her eyes widened in wonder as now it became my turn to fight back tears.
“So, you can wear dresses, baby. But for the really important stuff? The stuff that can change your life? It’s about what’s in your heart, not what you’re wearing. Does that make sense?”
She burrowed into his side, nodding as I squeezed her knee. “I still think Mama looks pretty in dresses though,” she replied, clearly appeased but still pressing her point. I loved her determined spirit no matter how challenging it could be at times. “Can we get burgers now?”
“Yeah, baby. We can,” he replied, his eyes on me.
Then it struck me, like a lightning bolt to the gut that despite its ferocity, hit with a delicious burn.
Holy hell, I loved him.
Chapter 14