51. Hannah

FIFTY-ONE

The mattress shifts beneath me.

There's a creak and then a thud as something large falls to the ground.

I blink. "Maddox?"

"Tiny-ass bed," he grumbles from below the edge of the mattress.

I bite my lip to keep from laughing. "You okay?"

"Fine." He places a palm on the mattress and pushes himself up.

When he starts to climb back into bed, I shake my head. The lamp is still on, but I can tell the room is lighter than it was.

"You need to go. I don't want Chelsea seeing you here." Then I do laugh. "I can't believe you thought she was yours."

Standing, Maddox puts his hands on his hips and stretches out his back. "Well, can you blame me?"

"She's only twelve." I snort. "If she was yours, I would've had like an…" I give up on the math. "Eighteen-month pregnancy." I shudder.

He hums, then asks, "When did she come to live with you?"

"It was just before she turned two. Her mom, my cousin, passed away from an infection, and her dad was never in the picture, so she was left in our custody."

"And your dad," Maddox asks, meeting me next to my bedroom door.

My lips pull into a soft smile. "Really want to get all the details squared away, huh?"

Maddox nods.

"My dad died when I was one. Fell and hit his head, and it all went perfectly wrong. I don't remember him, but Mom still has photos of him around the house, so I feel like I do."

"That fucking sucks, I'm sorry."

"The curse sucks."

Maddox gives a slow shake of his head. "This is one of those laugh or cry things, isn't it?"

"A classic case." I smile.

Of course, I'd love it if my dad and cousin were still around, but you can't change the past.

"So, it's just the three of you, then?" he asks.

"Yep. Just us girls."

"Seems like you and your mom did right by your cousin." Maddox dips his chin. "Chelsea is a good kid."

His words fill me with familial pride. "Thank you."

Stepping past him, I reach for the door handle.

"Do you want more?"

I pause and turn back to face him. "More…?"

"Kids," he clarifies.

Kids. He says it just like that. Like it's a perfectly reasonable question. Like we've been dating for years and are considering marriage, and it's time to talk about kids.

And then I register what he didn't say.

It was just Do you want more? End of question. Not Do you want more of your own or Do you want to have your own kids.

Affection for Maddox rocks through me.

I've always been Aunt Hannah to Chelsea. She's always been my niece. It's who we are to each other. But she's mine, just like I'm hers. And I don't need her to call me mom in order to feel like the parental figure I know I am.

I wet my lips and decide that the truth is the best answer. "Honestly, I don't think I do. I already have the perfect child in my life. And her life is only going to get busier, so it's not like she'll suddenly need me any less. Plus, I got to skip the no sleep infant stuff while experiencing everything else. So, I think I'm good."

The side of his mouth pulls up. "I think you're good too."

"What about you?" I ask quietly, needing the answer even though I'm a little afraid of what it might be.

His mouth stays in that half smile. "Never really felt comfortable around little babies. But I seem to have a thing for hot aunts."