Loving Her (Mitchell Family #9)(7)
I giggled and went to sit down on the edge of the tub to pull the plug, but my ass was too slippery to stay still on the tile, and I went falling head first into the bath which was filled to the brim. My feet were in the air and everything was so slippery that I couldn’t bring my head above water.
Ty pulled me up, laughing his ass off as water poured out of the top of the tub again. I brought my legs into the tub and shook my head. “Why does this always happen to us?”
He was bent over, chuckling so hard that his eyes were beginning to water. He needed to smile, I got that, but at my expense wasn’t cool.
With the tub draining, I used the water to rinse my body of the soap while Ty ran into the kid’s bathroom and grabbed all of their towels.
Then we began soaking up more water and carried the wet pile to the laundry room, all while being naked and Ty still so soapy.
An hour later the bathroom floor was sparkling clean and dry. The grout would take a full day to dry out, but the floor was safe to walk on again.
Once he was cleaned up, we retreated to the couch, feeling exhausted from our romp in the bathroom. It was going to take me at least four loads to clean up the wet towel mess, and I wasn’t looking forward to adding that to the pile of laundry that we had already accumulated.
Still, curling up in Ty’s arms took all my stress away. I didn’t care what was on television as long as he was holding me.
“That was fun,” I said sarcastically.
“I wasn’t going for fun, you know?”
“I know, but it’s definitely unforgettable.”
Ty looked down at me and pulled my chin so that I was looking into his eyes. “Baby, every day with you is unforgettable. This time apart sucks. Being with Iz is the priority, but it’s not easy being away from you. I know we’re good, but it feels like we’re separated sometimes. I get into that big bed at night and you’re not even there. I just want our family back the way it was. We need to be together again.”
“I pray every day that she’ll be home soon.”
“I know. I do too. She’s doing well this week.”
Ty was right. She’d really improved. I could tell that she was restless being stuck in that hospital.
We intertwined our fingers together and he brought them to his lips. “I need my girls under one roof.”
“We will be, I promise.” I hated making such promises that I didn’t know I could keep. As much as Bella seemed to be improving, I still feared that something could go wrong. My optimism wasn’t what it used to be before our daughter got sick.
What did we have left if there was no hope?
She had to be okay, because neither of us could live without her. That was the brutal truth to it all.
“Would you be mad at me if I asked you to go with me to the hospital and stay with Iz tonight, together? I can bring the air mattress. The nurses won’t mind. It’s not like they come in that much during the night anyway. I just feel like being here isn’t fair to her. Seeing us together would cheer her up.”
I couldn’t hide the smile that came across my face. “It’s the best idea you’ve ever had, Mr. Mitchell.”
“Let’s get changed and pack a cooler. We’ve got a date with a pretty blonde tonight.”
He smacked my ass as I climbed off of the couch. Ty and I didn’t need a hot night together to reconnect. We needed to feel like a family again.
Chapter 5
Tyler
It would have been nice to spend the night in an empty house, but I wouldn’t have been able to sleep, and I don’t think Miranda could have either. My mom was shocked when we walked into the hospital room before seven and told her to go home for the night. She smiled and understood when she saw the excitement in Izzy’s eyes for having me and Miranda there at the same time.
After she’d left and it was just the three of us, we pulled out the snacks and some fast food we’d smuggled in. The look on Izzy’s face was priceless, but the look in Miranda’s eyes was something completely different. It had been a long time since I’d seen her so happy. She sat on one side of Izzy’s bed while I pulled the chair up to the other side. I hooked the IPad up to the television and we streamed a movie. Miranda had popped two bags of popcorn and even brought the blanket that we always cuddled up with on the couch at home. Seeing our daughter smiling melted my heart. It was the most perfect night that Miranda and I could have had together, especially when she fell asleep holding both of our hands. I didn’t have the heart to get up and blow up the air mattress. Instead, I got as comfortable as I could in the chair and the girls shared the bed. For a little while I sat there watching them sleep, admiring the sight that I’d missed so much.
I don’t know how I was able to get through it in one piece, but one long month, lots of prayers, and several doctor’s later, we were bringing our daughter home. The treatments had worked and she was recovering slowly. Finally we felt like things were going to get back to normal.
We’d been through Hell, and I’d missed my family; Sunday dinners with everyone together and watching all the cousins growing up, being the best of friends.
We spent the first night cuddled in our king size bed, three kids in the middle, with me and Miranda on the outside edges. Sure, I wanted to be alone with my wife, but we’d have our time eventually. Right then we needed to feel them close to us, safe and healthy. With Bella needing her rest, my mom offered to come over and give us some time alone, but neither of us were willing to let her out of our sight.