But they never once paused to admire Mr. Hanratty’s colorful artwork. They were too busy splashing in his cans of paint. Then his floor caved in and everyone followed Walter’s bed down through the hole.

Down and down fell Walter, Miss Hattie, Mr. Matty, Aunt Batty, Patty and Natty, Mr. Hanratty, Fatty Cat, seventeen cans of paint, the stamps…

Nick stopped reading and looked to Rosalie, waiting on her to join him. Having heard the pattern grow and repeat throughout the story, she had it memorized now. He squeezed his arm more tightly around her as they continued together.

…the TV, the spaghetti, the bed, and all.

“K, page turn, Ro.”

Rosalie turned the page and gasped. “Look at the big mess!”

“Kinda like the kitchen was when we were done cookin’, huh?”

She giggled and snuggled into the chair and his body, waiting to hear the end of the story. “Read more.”

Maestro Ferlingatti and his string quartet were astonished by the colorful crowd that fell from the ceiling.

“What’s ‘stonished?”

“Ashtonished? Um, it’s very surprised. Like you’d be if a bunch of people crashed through your ceiling.”

“’stonished? I’d be scared!”

“Yeah, I think I would be too.”

The Maestro loved an audience, even if they dropped in unannounced. But when Walter’s bed smashed through the floor and paint splattered everywhere, the Maestro wished his audience would leave. And so they did, along with his string quartet.

“Uh-oh. Page turn?”

“Yep…page turn.”

Maestro Ferlingatti’s practice room floor was also the basement ceiling. It was dark and quiet as midnight down there. Walter squeezed his eyes closed and tumbled through the darkness until he landed on something soft…

“Hey guys! I’m ho-…” Solana stopped seeing the sight in front of her. From the front door, all she could see was the back of Nick’s head and a tuft of brown curls peek ever so slightly from the side of his arm. They were so involved in whatever it was they were intimately doing, they didn’t even hear her come in.

She bent over to take off her shoes, using Katy as a support. Taking a deep breath when her feet were freed, she stopped again…what was that smell?

Spaghetti? Garlic? No frickin’ way.

She looked back to Katy who was smiling like she’d just guessed the lottery numbers. “Oh hush. I see your know-it-all look.”

Katy whispered, not wanting to break the spell in the room. “I’m out. I think you’re in good hands. Call if you need anything?”

“Yeah…thanks, girl.”

“Muah…and Lani?”

“Yeah?”

“If you let that man walk out of your life?”

Solana put her hand on her hip, waiting impatiently for Katy’s words of wisdom. “Uh-huh…”

“I will take him for myself. Cuz you wouldn’t deserve him.”

Solana smiled and kissed her friend’s cheek as she snuck out of the door. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He opened his eyes. Everything was in its place. His bedroom lights were out. The door was almost closed and through it Walter could hear his mother and father talking quietly.

Making her way inside, Solana walked lightly, not wanting to disturb Nick and Rosalie, but wanting to watch, to enjoy, and damn…to sniff this food. It smelled great!

“No more jumping on the bed for me,” mumbled Walter as he lay back down to sleep.

Nick looked up seeing movement out of the corner of his eye, but when he saw Lani put her finger to her lips, he kept it to himself so Rosalie would keep listening to the story. Winking at Solana, he went back to finish the tale. “Page turn.”

“Last page, Nicky.”

“Yep…then we get to eat!”

“YUM!”

Suddenly he heard a creak, the ceiling cracked,…

“Oh no!!!”

…and down came Delbert, bed and all.

Rosalie joined him for the final words of the book, using her hands to tell the story.

Down and down fell Delbert…

“So it was REAL!? Delbert broke the floor from jumping on his bed?”

“That’s what it looks like…he must jump hard!”

“I don’t have anything under my floor.”

“Then you can jump all you want to, huh?”

“YEAH!” Rosalie hopped up and started jumping up and down on the floor and stopped quickly when she caught a glimpse of her mother standing by the table. “Mami! How your hand?”

“Hey, baby…it’s okay.” She squatted down to give her a hug and looked over the child’s shoulder to Nick, amazed at what she had seen. At what she had felt. At the food.

At her answers.

He could do it. He really could.

She had run out of excuses.

“I, uh…well, I got some help, but we finished your dinner.”

“I see that. You didn’t have to, Nick.”

“Well, you know Rosalie…yeah, I did.”

Looking sternly into her daughter’s eyes, Solana asked, “Did you give him trouble?”

“No…but Mami. Skettios is for lunch. Sketti is for dinner! So, we made dinner.”

“You, young lady, are stubborn.”

“Can’t imagine where she learned that!” Nick walked over to Solana and led her to the table, pulling out her chair and lighting the candles he’d found to decorate the setting.

“Hush you. I’m handicapped now. You can’t abuse me.”

“Did you slice it on that mandarin thingy?”

“Yep…sliced as good as if it was squash.”

“You know, there’s that push thing to use when you get to the end. Jack showed me how to do it.”

“Jack?”

“Oh…yeah…Jack. He helped.” He was not going to get embarrassed for asking for help. Not too many months ago he’d complimented Ben on his ability to ask for help when needed. It had to apply to him too. Forget that it was from an eight year old. Please.

“Well, I’ll be…that’s sweet. And yeah, I know about the push thingy. It was a wobbly neck, so I was using my finger to support it and…slice!”

“OUCH! Mami! Don’t talk about it any more. Ick.”

Nick served the girls their plates and went back to load up his own. “Does the food look alright? We were guessing big time.”

“Looks perfect…veggies look done just right…” She awkwardly cut a chicken piece a bit smaller, trying not to grumble at having to use her left hand, and scooped up a forkful of the chunky marinara, pasta and meat. “…mmm…oh god, Nick. This is perfect.”

“You’re kidding.”

“No…totally perfect. Rosalie, you need the chicken cut up a bit?”

“No, I do it. Jack showed me how to use my fork as a knife.”

As Nick took his seat, Solana didn’t take her eyes off of him. She couldn’t. She was afraid if she did, the dream would evaporate and her finger would heal and the truth would be that this night really never happened.

But, just like Walter in the storybook, she realized that it wasn’t a dream. It was real. Her finger really throbbed. Her daughter had a light in her eyes that she had never seen before. Dinner was finished, served and catered by a man who had been her knight in shining blue jeans. Her heart…was open…and she was falling for him fast.

Down and down fell Solana…

“Okay, young lady. That’s the end of the movie…time for bed.” Solana stretched from her cozy position on the couch and Nick shifted his gaze to Rosalie. Pure thoughts. He could do it…if he just focused on the child.

“I’m not sleepy.”

“It’s still bedtime. Who’s gonna tuck you in?”

Rosalie never missed an opportunity to delay. So, with her hand on her hip and her toe softly tapping, she stood before her two options and contemplated. Nick or Mami? Mami or Nick? Business or pleasure? Injured or whole? Tough decisions required time. Lots of it.

And Nick remembered these games. He played them, and his brother and sisters were masters at it. So, he took charge of the situation. “How ‘bout we both do it? A double tuck?”

“Oooh! Yeah! I’ve never had a double tuck!”

“You’re gonna love it…let’s go, Ro.” Nick picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, stopping to make sure the second half of the ‘double’ was with him. “You comin’, gimp?”

“I can walk, weinie. I just can’t…write. Crap.” Realizing what she just said, she smacked her forehead with her good hand and stopped walking. “How am I gonna do my job tomorrow?”

“Rely on Patty?”

“I hate relying on people.”

Tossing Rosalie on her bed as she squealed and bounced, he turned to Solana and poked her in the nose with his finger. “Sometimes, it can be very rewarding…might wanna try it.”

Pretending to bite, she ignored him and focused on her daughter. She didn’t want to think about tomorrow. Tonight was going too well. “Okay, Chiquita…which nightie?”

After decisions on a huge Aaron t-shirt to wear, the Christmas Kitty from Nick to sleep with, a practice bed-jumping session in honor of her new book with Nick, a special kiss for Aaron’s poster…since Nick would get a real one, of course…and finally, a second trip to the bathroom, Rosalie finally got her first ever double tuck.

Solana took the bedside by the wall and Nick took the other. Rosalie laid back on her back and got a serious case of the giggles. They held the blanket up on each side and lowered it around her neck at the same time, tickling from either side, making the giggle fit escalate to dangerous levels.

“Okay, no kisses ‘til you stop giggling.”

“I…can’t…stop…” Nick tickled her again just as soon as she caught her breath.

Looking up to him with horribly acted anger, Solana mumbled through clenched teeth. “You wanna be tucking her in all night?”

“Uh, no…good point.”

Rosalie finally calmed down, seeing that Mami was almost at her final straw with the games and took a deep breath. “Okay…I’m done. Kissy time!”

Nick and Solana dove into Rosalie’s face at the same time, each taking their own side, kissing, zerberting and snarfing until her giggle fest was back in full gear.

Solana took a breath first, lifting up and just watched Rosalie revel in Nick’s affections. She was surely proving Nick’s earlier words that relying on someone…even if it was just for kissy-face love at bedtime, was truly rewarding. But, it was time to be the mom, not the romantic.

“Okay, you two. Sleep time.”

In unison, the snugglers stopped. “Okay, Mami.”

“Te Amo, Rosalie.”

“Te Amo, Mami…Nicky…te amo.”

“Te Amo, Rosalie…thanks for your help tonight.”

“Gooood sketti!”

“Yes, it was good sketti.”

The adults left and closed the door, sighing in relief that all in all, it hadn’t taken too long.

“I think I like double tucks. Much nicer.”

“Yeah…Mom and Dad did that with us. I always slept better.”

Solana nodded and silently made her way back to the kitchen to finish up the dishes. She didn’t want to be reminded that she didn’t have the pleasure of double tucks…and as it stood, it’d only be an occasional treat for her daughter. And most of the kids she dealt with. It wasn’t a pleasant thought.

Nick immediately knew what had silenced her and wanted to kick himself for it. It wasn’t like he was speaking in untruths, but he surely didn’t want to come off as insensitive. “Lani…I’m sorry.”

“Nah…don’t be. It’s my reality…it’s her reality. Normally, I don’t even think about it.”

“I know, but…” Just as she hit the sink and turned on the water, he reached around her and turned it off. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Finishing the pans…”

“Your hand…”

“I can get it wet, Nick. I have to bathe, to clean…it’s okay.”

“Nope. Go sit down. I’ll get these.”

“Nick…”

“Lani…”

Solana growled and folded her arms, leaning up against the counter…looking remarkably like the little three year old they’d just tucked in.

“Pout all you want…” Without further argument from Solana, he turned the water back on and squirt dish soap into the sink, smiling cheesily at his victory.

“You and Katy both…a pain in my ass.”

“You love us.”

“Yeah, she’s convinced I love her too…you’re both delusional.”

Nick ignored her whining and kept cleaning…Ben would be proud. He hand washed nothing and Ben was always on his ass about it… brat. “So, did they give you stitches? Rosalie didn’t seem to want to know about it.

“Yeah, she was freaked out by the blood earlier…actually, they glued it.”

“Glue!?”

“Yeah, check this out…he dribbled and I’ve got this goop all over my wrist now. Feels like plastic or something.”

Nick dried off his hands and took hold of her wrist, running his finger over the glossy line of plastic skin the doctor had slopped there. “He couldn’t have wiped it off?”

“Who knows…”

“So, it’s gonna just heal up that way, huh?”

“Well, he wasn’t sure. He thinks I might lose the pad, but he wanted to try.”

“Ew…what happens if you lose the pad?”

“Nothing. I’ll just need to get re-fingerprinted for work. I guess it kinda grows back but without the lines.”

“Oh weird.”

“Yeah…that’s me. Gotta be different, you know.”

“Now they’ll think you’re a criminal…changing your fingerprint on purpose.”

“Yep, now I can get away with anything!” Guilt for standing still and doing nothing took over and Solana finally grabbed a towel and started to dry the pans. Then she saw the scold in Nick’s eye. “What? I can help some…it doesn’t hurt so bad now.”

“It’s gonna if you don’t leave it alone.”

“Nick, it’s a surface thing. I’ll be fine. Hush.”

So he hushed as they finished, suddenly remembering how exhausted he had started. It was all coming back. “God, I’m beat. Crappy flights this morning…”

“Oh God, Nick…I’m so sorry. I thought you got in last night!”

“Was supposed to, but didn’t make it…” He noticed her picking at her bandages and didn’t care how tired he was. He just wanted to stay. To help. To…never leave.

“Well, I’ve got to get this off…put on a normal band-aid and get to bed myself. I’m gonna have to get up earlier to get ready I think…”

“Probably…you need help with the band-aid?”

She took a breath to say ‘no’ but thought twice about it…yeah. Rely on others. Okay, so far it had been pretty rewarding, darn it. “Yeah…that might be good.”

He followed her down the hall to her bathroom, stopping with her to peek in on Rosalie. “If I didn’t know she was recharging just to drive me crazy again tomorrow…”

“That’s her job, Mami.”

“Yeah, yeah…she does it well. Come on.”

Nick hesitated before going into her bedroom, knowing his mind was nowhere near where it should be. And with Rosalie sleeping, the temptations were loud, strong, clear and…persistent. Sliced finger. Band-aid. Antiseptic. Then get out. Do not pass go. Do not stop anywhere. He could do this. They could do this.

“He said I could just put a regular band-aid on tonight…gave me these funky shaped ones.” Looking up to see him standing nervously in the doorway, she shook her head and pulled him in. “Come on, Carter. I don’t bite.”

What a pity. A little nibble sounded really good about now. “Sorry, yeah…” He took a seat on the closed commode and watched her undo her bandages.

“You’d think my finger was falling off the way they wrapped me up.”

Nick unwrapped the paper from the band-aid and looked at it funny. “How in the hell?”

“Uh…” She giggled looking at the three tabs coming from the padded center. “Hmmm…” Sticking her finger out, she had to laugh at the look on Nick’s face. “The nurse isn’t supposed to get squirmy looking at the wound, now.”

“Well, its gross!”

“Thank you, Florence Nightingale…wrap it around like a normal band-aid and put that flap over the top maybe?”

“Okay…” He took hold of her hand and kissed her finger before covering it again. “Gotta kiss it first…the only way to fix boo-boo’s.”

“But of course.”

He wrapped the band-aid around her finger and kissed it again. And then was stuck with what to do next. Here he sat on her commode, here she stood in front of him…right in front of him, and somewhere between the wrap around the finger and the flap over the finger, her breathing had changed, her voice had changed and…dammit, everything went from clinical to sexual in no time flat.

He slowly looked up into her eyes, hoping he’d find the desire there that he was feeling, and then growing sickeningly nervous when he did. She’d said ‘no’…and he knew ‘no’ was the right answer. So why was ‘yes’ feeling so strong? Why was the right thing always the hardest thing to do?

Still holding onto her hand he stood and brushed a loose tendril of hair from her face. What to say? What to do? What was right? What was wrong? At the moment…it seemed everything was both. Right. Wrong. It was all staring him in the face.

“I…I’d better go, Lani.”

She broke the gaze, looking down at their intertwined fingers, a combination of relief and disappointment flooding through her veins. “Yeah…you’ve had a long day.”

“You gonna be okay?”

She nodded, wondering just what his definition of ‘okay’ really was. Her finger? Yeah, it’d be fine. Her confusion? Uh, no. Hardly okay. But there was nothing that could be done now was there? She’d instilled in him the ethics that she truly believed in. She still did, but knew Katy was right…a lot of it was her fear about Rosalie. But, he’d pretty much killed that fear tonight. Two months…just two more. It could be done.

He led her out of the bathroom and bedroom, already breathing easier just being out of that atmosphere. He needed to get out of the house…totally. But he didn’t want to be away from her.

“So, how ‘bout you and Rosalie come over for dinner tomorrow…so you don’t have to mess again?”

“No, Nick…you’ve done enough.”

“I’m just ordering pizza, woman. No more gourmet meals for me!”

“Still…”

“I’ll call Ben too. To, uh…yeah, I haven't seen him yet and all.” Okay, so he was a buffer for the sexual frustration. Whatever.

Looking into his eyes, she couldn’t resist. “Alright. She’ll enjoy that.”

Okay, they were using both of the kids as a buffer. Eh, sometimes you do what you’ve got to do. But, he didn’t want his meaning to be lost. “So will I.”

Opening the door, she gently pushed him out and leaned her head on the wood frame, watching him walk to his truck. Damned nice thighs…

Before he got in, he stopped and had to take one more glance of her before he left. Just one.

“Mañana, Nick.”

“You know, some day I’m gonna actually be happy to hear that word.”

“Some day I’ll be happy to say it...buenas noches.”

“’Night, Lani.”