Bewitching Rebecca Patricia Armstrong

Chapter 26

" Mommy?" Finley's voice snapped me out of my trance. Her fingers brushing against my cheek trying to get my attention.

"Yes  my love?" I inquired tracing my fingers along her soft porcelain skin.

" C-can Fin play with auntie?" Her index finger pointed at Freen who is now sitting nervously adjacent to me and my daughter. Her hands were resting in her lap as she ruffled the hem of her shirt.

Freen's eyes pleaded permission, despite the irritation building within me, I don't have the heart to say no to my angel. " Sure baby, you can go ahead." I replied. " But don't be too energetic okay?" Fin put her palms on her forehead imitating a salute making me purse my lips into a thin smile.

Shyly, Fin moved towards Freen maintaining a safe distance between the two of them but Freen close the distance. Her eyes welled up in tears as she get to hold our daughter in her hands.

"Hey tiger! You're very beautiful!" She coaxed rubbing her hair softly.

"Thank you." Fin replied nuzzling her face on Freen's neck. A sight that caught me surprise knowing Fin don't get comfortable that quickly to people she know less than an hour.

In the sheer of the moment, Freen engulf our daughter in her embrace wrapping herself in the comfortable warmth both of them radiates. A single tear escape her eyes as she sobbed quietly. " Thank you." She mouthed, lips purse into a smile and eyes gleaming a profound happiness.

I stood up leaving both of the girls in the living room clutching my chest as I inhaled a huge amount of air. Although I already accepted the fact that Freen will always held a deep-seated place in Fin's life, I cannot bare to see with my own eyes the happiness both of them emanate when they spend time together. It's only been a matter of hour yet I can slowly see how attached Fin is to her mother.

"You okay babe?" Charlotte suddenly pop up. Her hands sliding on the small of my back. Feeling the cosy tepidity, I let my weight rest on Charlotte's front as she tightened her hug on my waist.

"I'm fine... But it doesn't mean i'm not affected by this turn of tables." I replied. Char hummed in anticipation, we were both wrapped in a loud silence that wasn't deafening, it was comforting, and somehow I felt safe being surrounded by it.

"How about we bake something for your girls?" She suggested.

"My what?" I coaxed, I heard her the first time but I wanted to clarify if I heard her correctly.

"Let's bake for the girls. And for my big hot girl sitting over the couch." She repeated but this time redoing the things she said.

"Flirt!" I poked her side making her flinch.

"Why? Your ex-wife is hot, God knows how I wanted to be under her spell! Oh god those sexy brown orbs." Charlotte acted as if Freen was in front of her making me roll my eyes. "It's okay to hit on her right? Besides—she's already an ex." She asked.

In the sheer of the moment I found myself smacking her, not so strong and not too soft. Just a little bit of both that will somehow make her yelp. " Hit on her or i'll hit you!"

She smirked. " I smell jalosi!"

"Ew! Stop dreaming! I'm not jealous! You were supposed to be acting as my lover and now you're turning your back on me! Do you wanna be her lover now?"

"Gladly." She replied wearing that smug smile on her lips. If only this woman is not my best friend I would have sent her out with punches and jabs.

Ensuing the playfulness, Char and I come up with the realization that we both need to do the baking sooner or later before Fin can asked for it. To save time, we decided to bake apricot-sunflower granola bars. One of Fin's favorite. We tested several sticky sweeteners, including maple syrup and honey to check which suits the best that is not to sweet for my daughter, but found brown rice syrup held the bars together the best and are not a hundred percent sweet.