It's Always Been You (39 page)

“Mommy’s taking too long.”

“Connor was probably really hungry,” Travis said. Yep, his boy was growing fast. Caitlin had recovered differently with their second child. Although not terribly alarmed, it did bother him enough to seek advice from his Dad. He didn’t exactly say that Caitlin’s disinterest in sex was the problem, because Travis would go without as long as she was in his life, but he wasn’t a hypocrite to say that he wouldn’t be happier with all the hot sex they’d been having. His Dad was sharp, and did pick up on the root of the problem.

“Travis, marriage is not easy. The kind that lasts forever takes work. You and Caitlin are so crazy in love with each other; you both make it look like a picnic. But you add kids into the mix, dynamics change, priorities, too. But you don’t lose sight of the fact that marriage is between the two of you, because your kids will grow up and have their own lives. You need to continue to keep that connection even if it’s not always physically possible—yes, we’re talking about sex, my boy—you never ever give her an opportunity to think that you’re not there for her. Little things, son. It’s the little thoughtful things that will keep that connection alive, not grand gestures or declarations. Having a child is another phase in your marriage. But never. Ever. Lose that bond that you share with her. You keep that bond alive, you’ll get through anything.”

Sage words from Daniel Blake always put things into perspective. And his father was right. Even with Caitlin’s amnesia, there had always been that bond between them—forged almost eleven years ago. Travis’s heart filled with those bittersweet memories, those dark three years followed by the next blissful six. Would he change anything? Probably not. Their experiences only made their current life richer, and helped them appreciate what they had, and it was the present and the future that really mattered now.
 

“Wanna go check on them?” Travis asked Abby. “This needs to sit for a while.” When he became a father, he’d also become quite the expert in breakfast preparation. Caitlin was definitely not a morning person, and with Abby starting kindergarten, Travis was in charge of getting her ready. And she was becoming quite the Daddy’s girl.

Smiling, he picked up his daughter and went up the stairs to check on his wife and son. They did a good job with Connor as well, Travis thought smugly. The boy was a spitting image of him.

“Shh . . .
 
Daddy, your footsteps are too loud,” Abby admonished in a hushed tone. “Connor may be sleeping.”

“Sorry, princess.” Travis smiled as he lowered her at the top of the stairs and they mock tiptoed to the nursery.

For that split second as he turned into the room, he was struck at the image of Caitlin sitting in the rocking chair, humming a lullaby as Connor cooed up to his mother. Abby hustled into the room to peer at her baby brother. Caitlin glanced up at Travis; so much love reflected in her eyes. He followed his little girl and crouched beside the rocking chair, taking in their family of four. His heart lurched as a searing emotion pierced his chest.

He had it all.
 

A beautiful, amazing wife.

An adorable daughter.

A healthy son.

The sun catcher she had bought all those years ago glowed by the windowpane, and the sunlight was once again glistening off Caitlin’s golden locks like sparkling diamonds. How he fucking loved her.

His sunshine girl.

Always.