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Chapter Thirty Four – March 1 – Kevin

“Daddy they itch.”

“I know buddy, but you can’t scratch them. Listen to mommy.”

“I miss you.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I miss you too.”

I talked to Mason a few more minutes, then Kristin came on the line.

“How’s his temperature?”

“It’s going down.”

Mason had chicken pox and I was clear across the country. I felt helpless.

“Do you need me to come out there?” I asked for the third time. Kristin sighed.

“I’ve got it. It’s fine.”

“Well, let me know if he needs anything.”

“I will. Kevin?”

I noticed a change of tone in her voice.

“Yeah?”

“I want to let you know before you find out from someone else. I’m getting married.”

The news should have hurt, but it didn’t.

“To Greg?”

“How do you know about Greg?”

“Mason.”

“Oh.”

The line filled with silence on both ends. Kristin cleared her throat.

“Well, I just…wanted to let you know.”

“Thank you. Congratulations.” It was neither a depressed “Congratulations” nor an ecstatic “Congratulations.” It was just a perfunctory word.

“Thanks. How’s Addy?”

“She’s fine.”

“Mason really likes her.”

I smiled. “I know.”

I couldn’t tell her the same about Greg even though I knew she was waiting for it. She sighed again.

“Well, I’ll talk to you later.”

“Okay. I’ll call again in a day or so and check up on Mason.”

“Okay. Good-bye Kevin.”

“Good-bye Kristin.”

I hung up and stared thoughtfully out the window. After a few minutes I felt slender arms wrap around my neck from behind.

“Mason okay?” Addy said, leaning down. I inhaled deeply. She smelled so good.

“He’s itchy, but he’s doing better,” I said, looking up. She was looking down with a soft smile spread across her lips.

“I remember when I had chicken pox,” Addy said. “Dad duct taped oven mitts on my hands because I kept scratching.”

I laughed. “I kept getting thrown into calamine lotion baths.”

Addy pointed to a little indent in her chin. “This is my battle scar.”

I lifted the sleeve of my t-shirt. “This is mine.”

We laughed. I tugged her down on my lap, her legs kicked up in the air, her head tossed back in a laugh.

I kissed her passionately. I had just had the best two weeks of sex in my entire life. AJ had always been the insatiable one. Now that he was married the tables had turned. Believe it or not, I had taken his place.

At least I was monogamous…but still.

We ended up in my bedroom, tangled up in my sheets. As Addy lay in my arms my thoughts went to Kristin. I heard her tell me once again she was getting married.

I had admitted to Dr. Selinski that I was open to the possibility of getting remarried somewhere down the road. All of a sudden I couldn’t help but think that I was quickly finding myself at a crossroads in my life again.

At least this time I felt like I knew what I was going to do.

“Addy?” I whispered. I felt her smile next to my skin.

“Mmm-hmmm?”

I took a deep breath. “I love you.”

She looked up at me in surprise. It was the first time I had said it. I had wanted to since Valentine's Day, and yet...I hadn't wanted to scare her. Her lips parted slightly; she swallowed hard.

“What?” she said weakly.

I looked at her; I was completely serious. I prayed I wasn't pushing her away by saying it, but I meant it with all my heart.

“I love you.”

For a second, she looked like she was going to cry. She shivered slightly as if the words were absorbing into her skin. I saw her smile again.

“I love you too.”

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Later that evening I locked up the house. My mind was trying to organize my thoughts. In less than six months I had to be in Florida to begin recording the new Backstreet Boys album. Mason would have fun tagging along with dad, but what about Addy?

Her walls had begun to crumble, but asking her to leave her dad for an extended length of time was going to be tricky; I just knew it. I sighed heavily.

I just had to believe that everything was going to work out in the end. Addy and I had already had our fair share of hell. It was time for things to go our way.