"So what's going on between you and Caden?" I ask Lottie as I come out of the shower and start towel drying my hair.

Blake and I were taking Chris to the park today to enjoy some 'family time' as Lottie had called it. Lottie was currently over, playing with Chris while I was in the shower.

"Nothing, you know. I met with Blake yesterday and he was there. Blake introduced us and he just starting flirting. He kept saying that now that you and Blake are basically together, all Blake has to do is break up with Alexa, and ask you out. And then he was like 'I think we should date too. The perfect cliche. When two people get together, their best friends get together too" I laugh as Lottie explains the whole thing. It was a cute cliche fantasy.

"And you told him no?" Lottie nods proudly, which makes me chuckle. "So, wait... Caden straight up said Blake and Alexa were gonna break up in front of Blake's face?" I ask her surprised.

"Of course not. He was hitting on me, and then Blake got a call from Alexa herself so he got up and left and that's when he told me. He really does not like her. He says she's kind of a bit too controlling. It's always 'Blake bae get me this. Blake bae get me that'" I give her a questioning look at her Caden expression which makes her raise her hands in defence and add "His words not mine."

I go over to my closet and start taking out clothes to wear, but decide to let Lottie take out my clothes instead because I was in no mood to clean my room and I was the kind of person who messes up her whole room when deciding what to wear. I was one of those people.

As soon as I lay on my bed, Lottie took that as a cue and made her way to my closet.

Blake and Alexa, huh?

"But Blake and Alexa are cute! They're one of those 'perfect couples'. Like Blake's hot as hell and Alexa is just drop-dead gorgeous! It doesn't ever look like Caden has a problem with them." I continue the conversation, as Lottie continues to find clothes for me.

"They are cute but from what Caden told me, they're not happy. Ever since recently, if you know what I mean." It didn't take a genius to know what she meant; ever since Chris came into our lives. "Caden told me that they're constantly fighting. And as far as Caden not having a problem goes, he told me that he's only doing it for Blake. Blake knows he doesn't like Alexa but he acts it for Blake's sake." Lottie informs me.

I looked around the room, thinking about Blake and Alexa and the times I've seen them unhappy. I felt like I was responsible for it for some reason. If Chris didn't consider me as his mom and considered Alexa... Maybe they wouldn't be having so much of a problem.

Speaking of Chris... He needs to take a shower. I quickly go to the washroom and get his bath ready.

"Chris, honey...?" I make my way to the room next to mine, to see Chris playing with his toys.

"Mommy, look! This dinosaur ate the green dinosaur!" Chris showed me a blue t-rex with a smaller dinosaur, which I could not identify, in its mouth. I give him a small laugh at his cuteness.

"Come on baby, time to take a bath." I scoop him up in my arms and he starts trying to escape.

"No, mommy I don't wanna!" He struggles even more which makes me tighten my grip on him.

"Come on baby. We're gonna get you cleaned up and dressed all I nice and then your dad is going to pick us up and we're going to go to the park together and have so much fun!" I try to persuade him which gladly works because my towel was starting to loosen. I put him down and he quickly runs to my room and runs right into my washroom.

"Mommy hurry up! I wanna go see daddy!" He yells from the washroom.

"I'm coming! Just give me a second!" I tell him as I tighten the towel around me and make my way to my closet, while Lottie sat on my bed scrolling through her phone.

I quickly put on a bra and tighten the towel around me again, not wanting to get my clothes wet.

"You're going to make such a horrible mother!" Lottie laughs at me as I make my way to the washroom.

"I know!" I give Lottie my 'I'm about to cry because that's true' face and go to Chris only to see that he's in the bath with his clothes on.

"Chris!" I start laughing like crazy which makes Lottie rush to the washroom, only to have her slip on the water Chris had probably thrown out on his way in the tub, which made me laugh even more. Lottie, herself, fell into a fit of laughter.

The doorbell rings and Lottie rushed downstairs to get it. "Oh, honey! You're supposed to take your clothes off before going in the tub!" I laugh as I start to take his clothes off, making sure to squeeze out all of the water in the sink.

"Mommy! Look at this ducky, it's drowning!" Chris pushes the duck in the water and lets go which makes it jump up, making some water come up and out of the tub in the process. I give him a small laugh and quickly grab a towel to soak up that water.

"Blake, here's an idea why don't you stop standing there like a creep and say hi?" I heard a voice that resembled Caden's which made me look up at the door, Chris following my lead, only to see Blake standing there in the doorway, looking at me with his eyes wide open.

"Daddy!" Chris screams as he splashes the water. I jolt up and slam the door shut in Blake's face, as I put my back against the door and breathe heavily.

I cannot believe he saw me like this! This is so embarrassing! I'm in my towel for god's sake! Stupid Lottie! I can hear her laughing from the other side, while Caden keeps asking them what happened, but no word from Blake.

"Mommy I wanna see daddy! Let him come in!" Chris says loudly, hoping Blake would hear him and come through.

"Just give me a minute, ok baby?" I tell him, as I think of what to do. Please take them out, Lottie! And my prayer was answered.

"Ok, guys. Just give us a minute ok? Just leave for a second." Lottie says, and then I hear the door close right after Caden inquires

"But what happened? Someone tell me!"

I open the door a little bit and see that they're not there anymore.

"Seriously, you couldn't tell me before?!" I whisper-scream at Lottie to which she laughs at, of course, as she runs to the washroom to make sure Chris didn't make a mess in there, while I ran to the closet and changed into the clothes Lottie took out for me, which was basically a pair of black tights and a light blue button-up blouse that covered my butt, and rolled up to my elbow. I then ran back to the washroom, not wanting to open the door for Blake and Caden.

As Lottie went to open the door for them, I started shampooing Chris's hair.

"It's safe now Blake" Lottie gives him a small laugh and I could almost hear Blake's shaky sigh as he came into the washroom. I gave him a tight smile as I finished washing the shampoo out of Chris's hair. Blake did the same, as he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment, both of us avoiding eye contact.

"Mommy, look daddy's here! Can we go now?" Chris asks in his politest voice.

"You just need to wash up your body and get dressed and then we'll leave, ok?" I tell him to which he quickly nods.

"How you doing bud?" Blake asks as he kneels beside me. "You have fun with mommy?"

"Yeah, we ate so much ice cream together! And she watched Pokemon with me! Oh, and she also gave me her dinosaurs!" Blake laughs and looks at me to question me.

"You have dinosaurs?" He has this amused look on his face.

"Yeah, my mom got them for me when I was little," I tell him with a smile, still not meeting his gaze.

He gives me a small laugh and soon enough there was an awkward silence, and nothing was to be heard but the water Chris was playing in, and Lottie giggling at something Caden said.

"You go ahead and finish getting ready. Your hair is still wet, you don't wanna catch a cold or something. I'll finish up here." Blake broke the silence.

"You sure?" I looked at him.

"Ya," He looks back at me. For a second, that's all we do. I don't know what's going through his head but all I remember is the embarrassing moment that just occurred a few minutes ago which was enough for me to look down, nod, and quickly get up to wash my hands in the sink and leave Chris to Blake.

When I look up and notice Caden and Lottie, I really wish I hadn't. Lottie was laying on my bed with Caden on top of her. She had one of her hands on his chest as he showered her with kisses on her cheek.

"Guys! Not on my bed please!" I cringe and quickly run to separate the two, making sure nothing nasty happens on MY bed. I make my way to my vanity and plug in the hairdryer and start blow-drying my hair.

"Come on Jackie! Tell your friend here to go out with me! As you can tell, I will shower her with love!" Caden tries me, then quickly turns to Lottie and adds "I will fight for you, Babe! You got a brother the size of a bulldozer? even he won't be able to stop me" Lottie and I laugh at his remark, which gave me an idea.

"Lottie, why don't you introduce him to my dad?" I pitch it in, which makes Lottie smile bright.

"Why your dad?" Caden asks me then turns to Lottie "Babe I will fight your dad for you. Just give me one date. I know you'll be running back for more" He grabs Lottie's hand and holds it close to his chest, which makes Lottie giggle.

"Actually that's a good idea, Jackie. Meet my pops, and I'll THINK about that date." and then they shook on it.

"Mommy, I'm done my bath! Are you ready?" Blake comes out with Chris wrapped up in a towel.

"Yeah! I'm ready!" I turn off the dryer and help Blake get Chris ready.

"Lottie, let's adopt a kid! Imagine us in Blake and Jackie's position. Or better yet, let's have our own kid. Wouldn't that be cute?" Both Blake and I give Caden a questioning look as Lottie face-palms and starts pushing Caden out of the room while he just laughs at her embarrassment.

==================================================

Blake and I sat on the park bench as Chris played around in the sand with some kids that were playing in the sand. There was nothing but an awkward silence between us, and once again Blake broke that silence and I was relieved.

"So Caden really likes Lottie. Let me tell you, it's not a joke. That boy has had a crush on her ever since the start of high school" Blake shakes his head and disbelief.

"Really? That long? Wow.." I was surprised that he never talked to her. He seems like the guy who would just straight up tell someone if he liked them.

"Yeah. He keeps telling me to hook him up now that you and I talk." I grin at his comment

"What a nice friend you are!" I convey sarcastically, which makes him chuckle.

"Listen, sorry about earlier... I didn't know you were--" He starts and has trouble finishing because of embarrassment.

Not wanting him to continue, I quickly butt in "Don't worry about it. Do what I did. Blame Lottie!" He laughs at my remark and just like that, the stiffness in our shoulders falls and we both just slouch for a moment until we compose ourselves to sit properly.

"Daddy, can we show mommy now?" Chris quickly runs over to us, covered in sand. I dust the sand off of him as he climbs onto my lap.

"Show me what?" I question, giving the boys a confused look.

"Ok, come on" Blake grabs me by the hand as I carry Chris and makes me follow him.

I had no idea where we were going. But honestly, I didn't mind. This right here felt like family. And I didn't want to let go.