The Way We Feel

Chapter 10

"Thank you," she said, a wide smile on her face as she accepted the menu from the host.

"Thank you," I said as well, smiling because she was smiling.

"You're very welcome," the host said, "Your waiter will be over shortly."

We thanked him once more then looked at each other from across the table.

Madelyn's sparkling blue eyes went wide as her eyebrows shot up. But she was still smiling as she leaned forward. "This place is fancy."

I cracked open my menu, still grinning back. "I know."

It wasn't where we typically would've gone. An upscale restaurant in Beverly Hills wasn't exactly our scene. Especially now that we were parents.

But that was exactly why I'd made the reservation here. Get out of our comfort zone. Try something new—something that might make us feel like more than just Mom and Dad again.

Something that might help us feel like husband and wife again.

"We didn't have to come somewhere so fancy. I would've been happy with anything," she said quietly. Still, she was looking down at her menu with what appeared to be a permanent smile on her beautiful lips.

"I know, but it's our first proper date since Lila was born. I wanted it to be special. Give us both a chance to dress up and enjoy our time together."

She was wearing a dress. It was one I'd seen her in before—a maroon color with a high neck and flowy fabric that pinched in at the waist—but looking at her now, the way her dark, wavy hair spilled over one shoulder, the way the candlelight from the table cast a warm glow over her skin, the way her dark makeup made her eyes seem even brighter...

It was hard not to feel nervous. Harder and harder to ignore the butterflies zooming around in my stomach as I stared at the beautiful woman across from me and once again realized how much I loved her. How much she loved me.

It was written all over her face now.

Mads set her menu down and leaned forward.

"It doesn't matter where we are or what we do or what we wear, Harry. Any amount of time I spend with you is special," she said, very seriously. Then, she smirked. "But I will admit it's nice to feel like more than a mommy for once."

I chuckled a little as she sat back and picked up her menu again. "I'm glad."

It was jarring, being this nervous. It hadn't occurred to me that I might be when planning this evening together. I'd just wanted to get her out of the house. After a full month of work, I was exhausted, and she was exhausted. We missed each other. We missed our time alone together. So, since I had a bit of a long weekend, I'd decided yesterday that a date night was in order.

Mads and I had spent the last two days together with Lila. We went on our first real family outing yesterday—to the beach. Not for long because it was windy and Lila was fussy, but still. It was nice to be out together, even just for a little while. And at the very least, I'd managed to get a new background photo on my phone out of it—Mads holding Lila and pointing out at the water while she spoke in Lila's ear. Lila was wearing a little white bucket hat and a little peach sweater over her pants and shirt. Mads was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and a smile so big, I couldn't stop staring at the pair of them. She was completely engrossed in the baby's reactions to the great big world around us, and I was completely engrossed in watching her.

I'd felt closer to her already after our bit of a spat the day before, and there was such relief in that, I only wanted to feel closer.

"Would you like to go on a date with me?" I'd blurted once we were back in the car heading home. Lila had been fussy on the beach, but something had set her off wailing in those last few minutes, so we'd decided leaving was probably our best option. Only once she'd revved up, it wasn't easy cajoling her down again. The screams had been deafening in the confined space of our car, and she had only just quieted down as we started moving.