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“No I’ with anyone I hadn’t,” she adds, and I kid you not,that I’m the only man who’s ever been inside of her Well, I was the first

“And now?”

“No I’m not— I mean, Hazel is my priority”

“Has there been anyone since me?” I toss the question out there Partly because I’ will eat me alive until I have the answer

“No” Her voice is barely audible, but in the silence of the room, I hear her loud and clear “W-What about you?”

“No However, that’s not fro I tried random hookups a few times and never made it past a kiss or two They didn’t taste like you,” I say, leaning in and pressing h “They didn’t smell like you You’ve ruined me” There hasn’t been a woht Hell, there has never in my life been a wo up at her, that there never will

“I need to lay her down,” she says Her voice is soft, but I still hear the vulnerability as she speaks We’re both on a road less traveled We’ve made it to the fork in the road, and we need to decide our path

I watch as she stands with our daughter in her arms and carries her to her crib She places her back on the small mattress and quickly covers herself, lued to Cadence as I watch her kiss the tips of her index and hter’s forehead

“Mommy and Daddy love you,” she whispers, and my heart stops

“C-Cadence?” She turns to look at ht?”

“Tell her what?” She tilts her head to the side, and I want nothing more than to trace the slender column of her neck with my lips, but I need to hear her answer first

“That Mommy and Daddy love her”