In a Perfect World

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

            "So what are we going to do tonight?" I asked Damien as we lay in each other’s arms on the floor of the nursery, watching Hayley play in her bouncer.  In the past week as Damien and I took our finals, I saw Damien finally step up.  At first it was gradual, he would come over to my house and watch Hayley as I studied for my finals instead of going swimming, and he watched her on the days I had to be at school.  At the end of the week, after he got back from Grad Night and his friend’s party, he came over and then the next night I let him take Hayley home with him.  Today was the day he and Jessica would be graduating and tomorrow it would be Damien’s birthday.  Damien had showed up bright and early today, and we spent the day together with Hayley, just talking like we used to as Hayley played and occasionally climbed into our laps.

"Well my parents reserved a room at the club for a little get together.”  Damien’s hands were laced with mine, clutching my hand and he reached up to scratch his eyebrow, my fingers grazed over his face.  It was a simple touch that set me on fire.  In the past weeks the tension between Damien and I grew.  It was a sexual tension that grew to replace the frustration we felt towards each other from the past months, and it was becoming obvious to the two of us that we needed time to ourselves.  “I think the entire swim team is going to be there and a few others.  What is your family doing?”

“We’re going to dinner with Jess’s friends’ families.”  Jessica had a group of friends who had been friends since they were in preschool and it was going to be the first time in years since we all gathered together, with all the parents and siblings.  

"Sounds awesome. When you're finished, would you like to hang out with me?"

"I would love to, but what about Hayley?"  As Hayley’s name left my lips, she instantly stopped playing with the toys in the bouncer and looked at us wide-eyed, causing us to laugh.  She had a large toothless grin on her and for a second, her jade eyes twinkled before she returned to her toys. 

"My parents said they would watch her,” Damien chuckled.  His chin was resting on my head and the vibrations of his voice ran through me.  “I really want to spend some time with you.”

I felt myself smiling widely as I thought about the night we would be able to spend together and this time I knew that nothing would mess it up.  “I’ll ask my parents when they get back from work.”

"I think my parents would love to give your parents the night off. Your parents have been watching Hayley for us for a long time now."

            I bobbed my head and crawled out of Damien’s arms to Hayley.  It was almost time to start getting ready to go to the graduation ceremony.  I ran my hand over Hayley’s baby fuzz hair and pressed my lips to her forehead.  “Ready for daddy’s graduation?”

            Hayley kicked her feet, completely absorbed by the jingling that came from the toys as she hit them. 

            “So I have to get home and get ready, but I’ll see you after right?” Damien asked.

            “Absolutely.”  Damien got up and kneeled down next to me.  He touched his lips to Hayley’s nose and then gave me a quick kiss on the lips.  “I’ll see you later.”

            “Love you baby,” he said before leaving Hayley and I. 

            Almost an hour later, Hayley and I are both dressed, her in a little pale pink dress with a white bow wrapped around her waist and me in a strapless white sundress with small eyelet cutouts.  As I waited for the rest of my family to finish getting ready, I moved Hayley’s car seat from my car to my dad’s car and then we all piled into the car.  Jessica, as the salutatorian of her class, ran through her flashcards a few times before we got to the school, when she rushed out of the car to line up with her classmates, leaving us to search for a parking spot around the residential area around the school.  When we finally found a spot almost a mile away from the school, we rushed to the football field, where the ceremony was to take place and took the space saved for us by Jessica’s friends’ families.  Just as the ceremony was about to begin, Austin and Callie slid in beside me, surprising everyone.