This Changes Everything • JIARA •

chapter 18

Kie's POV:

I pulled myself together over the next few days. I realized that I didn't want to lose JJ. He's been there for me since I met him and I didn't want to lose my best friend.

JJ was dropping Sophia off and I let her inside to play as JJ asked to talk outside.

"So Taylor asked me to go to California with her next week. Are you cool with that?"

"Yeah, that's fine"

"Really?" He asked surprised

"Do you want me to say no or something?"

"I just didn't expect you to say yes so easy. I feel bad leaving you alone with our baby for a whole week. I'm going to miss her" He admitted

"Go, have fun..." I said not wanting to hold him back

While JJ was gone, he FaceTied me every single night to say goodnight to Sophia. He also sent me some pictures of him with John B and Sarah. I was happy he was having fun but I wished I was there.

When he got home, Soph spent a few days with him. Then we were spending the day as a family. Sophia was obsessed with the movie Frozen and it was a rainy day. We were at JJ's making cookies, watching Frozen, and just hanging out.

Sophia loved to help us in the kitchen. She just did simple stuff like dump ingredients in the bowl. Before I put the eggs in the cookie dough, I grabbed a spoon and let Sophia try it.

"Mhmm yummy" She said sticking her hand in the dough and grabbing more which caused me and JJ to laugh

JJ copied her and I said, "Hands out of the cookie dough"

"Mommy it's yummy!" Sophia said licking the dough on her hands

JJ was doing the same thing. He was much cleaner about it than our toddler was but still, he was acting like a child.

He dipped his finger back in the bowl and held it up to my mouth and said, "Try it"

He slowly slipped his finger into my mouth to try it. I know this wasn't supposed to be sexual at all but it felt so intimate. JJ pulled his finger out and looked into my eyes.

I broke eye contact when I saw Sophia dig her nasty hand back into the bowl. JJ burst out laughing and I said, "Sophia, no! You can't put your hand in there when it's dirty"

The door suddenly opened and Taylor was there. I looked at her and she just grabbed her wallet that was sitting by the door and left before Soph saw her. I let it go.

The cookie dough was half gone as my 'two children' were devouring it with their hands like animals. I took the bowl away and said, "No more for tonight"

I brought Sophia to the bathroom and gave her a bath as she was a mess. After, she went and sat on the couch while we got the movie set up. She sat between me and JJ and we watched her favorite movie.

She knew every song and by the end of the movie, she was curled up between us falling asleep. We brought her to bed and tucked her in. I was cleaning up and getting ready to leave when JJ asked, "Can you stay and talk for a bit?"

"Yeah" I said and we went back and sat on the couch

"I know tonight didn't go as planned. I know you wanted cookies and got a mess of cookie dough and it's my fault. I'm sorry for ruining that for you but I've never baked before. I never had parents that baked and let help and try it as we went. Soph was having so much fun and I didn't know how to say no because I was having fun too"

Wow. It just hit me how JJ had such a different childhood than our daughter. I felt bad for getting mad earlier. I didn't yell but he knew I was upset.

"I shouldn't have let it bother me so much. You and Soph were having fun, that's all that matters. And that cookie dough was pretty good" I said and JJ got up and went to the kitchen

He returned with two spoons and a bowl full of cookie dough. I laughed as handed me a spoon. We sat there talking and I realized that tonight JJ was having some inner child healing moment. We finished the bowl of cookie dough while we talked.

JJ told me about other childhood experiences he missed out on and it broke my heart. I knew he had a hard life, but he never made cookies, he never went sledding, he never traveled, and he never got presents for Christmas or his birthday.

"I want Sophia to have the childhood that I never had. I want to give her the experiences I didn't have"

"Okay, make a list and slowly we will check things off together. One bigger thing a month for our family date and every year we'll do something big. We'll travel and see the world with our girl"

"I'd love that. We should start with a road trip to see Pope and then fly to see John B and Sarah"

"Let's do it" I said

"Seriously?" He asked

"Yeah, Soph's first road trip" I smiled

JJ and I talked about when to go and we texted Pope to see when worked for him. We were just going to do a long weekend.

Pope replied and we were going in two weeks. I was so excited to see Pope.

The front door opened and Taylor was there.

"Hey, is she asleep?"

"Yeah, why are you here?" I asked

"Question is why are you still here? Your daughter is asleep, meaning you can go. Is there something going on between you and my boyfriend?" Taylor asked

I was pissed and I stood up and looked at her and said, "As long as my daughter is here, I can be here. You're the one who shouldn't be here. There is nothing going on between me and JJ. He's your boyfriend and I would never do anything to jeopardize your relationship. But he is my best friend and he has been for a very long time and I refuse to lose that"

"JJ" Taylor said going and hugging him

"Tay, there is nothing going on here. I love you, you know that" He said kissing her

Holy shit. I felt like someone just stabbed my heart with a knife over and over again. JJ finally separated his lips from hers.

"If you guys want to be together tonight, I can take Soph home"

"No, it's my night with my daughter. Taylor is leaving" JJ said leaving and walking her outside

JJ came back in and I said, "Call me if you need anything "

"You're leaving?" He asked sounding like he wanted me to stay

"Yeah, it's late and I have to get home" I said walking outside