Part 14 (1/2)
”Yes, you are,” Emma said, finally releasing Addison.
”Em,” Addison looked at Emma in awe. Emma smiled. ”Do you ever wonder?” Addison asked as she fell into Emma's arms.
”About what?”
”How we ended up here? I mean, no one would have imagined us.”
Emma kissed Addison's head and stroked her back lovingly. ”Oh, I don't know. I imagined us my whole life; I just didn't know the face until I met you,” Emma said. Addison kissed Emma's shoulder and lifted herself to look at Emma again. ”What?” Emma asked.
”I think you should write for the show.”
”What are you talking about? Are you still drunk?”
Addison chuckled. ”No. Okay, well, I might still be a little drunk, but that has nothing to do with this.”
Emma snickered. ”You just want me to write your love scenes.”
”True,” Addison said. Emma smiled. ”But, I'm not kidding. You could write and produce. Stay behind the scenes.”
”Addy... I...”
”I know,” Addison said. ”I know you want to be with the kids. I do. Just think about it before you say no.”
”You don't need me to do this show,” Emma said.
”I know,” Addison said with a smile. ”I don't need you to do it, and I won't push you to do it. But, I would love you to be a part of it. The thing is, Em, no matter how I write it, it will always be a part of us. Do you know what I mean?”
”I think so.”
”And, even if it was only once in a while, I like having you there. I miss you. I miss the munchkin. And, I will miss King...”
Emma swatted Addison. ”Actually, Addy, you won't miss King,” Emma said.
”I won't really make you name him King.”
Emma laughed. ”Really?”
”Of course, not!”
”I thought you always wanted to name a dog, King.”
”Uh, Em? Are you drunk?” Addison teased.
Emma laughed harder. She'd listened in the car as Addison had prattled on, explaining the surprise she had planned for Emma. Addison had been upset that it had been ruined. Unbeknownst to Addison, Emma had planned a surprise of her own. She thought perhaps it was only fair that she give up hers as well. ”Unless someone spiked my juice, I think we are safe, honey,” Emma said. ”You know how you told me about the baby's room in the car?”
Addison groaned. ”I'm sorry about that, Em. I wanted you to be surprised. I know how stressful it got last time and...”
”Addy, stop,” Emma said with a kiss to Addison's lips. ”I love it. I love that you even thought of doing it. Believe me, I do. The last thing I want to deal with when we get home is putting together a nursery. It sounds fun and all, but with two little ones running around, and...”
”What?”
Emma smiled. She got up and threw on her robe.
”Where are you going?” Addison asked. Emma held up a finger and left the room. ”What the h.e.l.l?” Addison muttered. Emma had been gone for about fifteen minutes before the door opened. When it did, it was not Emma who came immediately into view. Addison strained in the faint light. ”What is that?” she asked.
Emma smiled and lifted a groggy puppy onto the bed. ”That is King. I had planned to introduce you tomorrow,” she said.
Addison picked up the puppy. It licked her face happily and yawned with a faint howl. Addison laughed. ”You got a puppy for me?”
”Looks that way.”
”He's a husky,” Addison said.
Emma nodded. Adam had shed some light on why Addison might have been so inclined to want a dog named King. Addison had never told Emma about her grandparents' dog; a Husky named King. King had been a present from Addison's mother to her parents and had lived to be a whopping sixteen-years-old. Adam told Emma that the dog had been attached to Victoria until Addison had been born. Since that day, King had been devoted to Addison. He had walked Addison to school, waited for her at the bus stop, even slept most nights in Addison's bed. He'd become Addison's best friend until his death when Addison was ten. Emma was surprised that Addison had never mentioned it. At least, not the way Adam described. She knew that when Addison was little she had a dog. That is where Addison had left it. Adam had said that they had taken Addison to look at puppies, but Addison had just shrugged. None of them had been King. After hearing the story, Emma understood the significance of Addison thinking about a dog. While Addison battled insecurity, she was also beginning to heal from the deepest memories and losses she held.
”He's been upstairs since you got here,” Emma said. ”I didn't expect you until tomorrow.”
Addison looked at Emma. ”How did you...”
”Honestly, I can't believe the sprout didn't give it away. He's been following her everywhere since last night. I think the skinned knee bought me some time,” Emma laughed.
”Yeah, but how did you know about King?”
”Your dad told me about King when I called to invite him. We got talking about the baby and you teasing me about naming him King,” Emma explained.
Addison kissed the puppy's head. ”But, how did you...”
Emma grinned. Addison was full of questions. It reminded Emma of their daughter. ”Well, Jackson's friend breeds them. I just got lucky that they had a litter ready to go while we were here. King was the last one unspoken for,” Emma explained as she climbed back into the bed. Addison looked at Emma hopefully, and Emma laughed. ”Yes, he can sleep here tonight,” Emma said. ”But, not in between us,” she finished.
Addison grinned. ”Em, the only people climbing in between us are our kids when they are scared or sick or something.”
”King's not a people, honey.”
”You've never had a husky,” Addison said.
Emma laughed. ”Addy?”
”Hum?” Addison responded, as she snuggled back into Emma's arms and held a yawning puppy.
”I'm glad you worked some things out with your dad.”
”We have a long way to go,” Addison admitted.
”I know.”
”You know, he loves you,” Addison said proudly.