So Mickey thought it was time.

Which meant it was our next step but a step that said everything.

Because if he wanted our children to get used to all of us under one roof, what happened next?

Only one thing.

Us being under one roof.

Permanently.

I loved this idea, obviously. And after a very shaky start, the kids were bonding beautifully.

It still scared the heck out of me.

“What if they fight over the remote or don’t agree on movies?” I asked.

“Listen to yourself, Amelia,” Alyssa replied. “All families fight over the remote and don’t agree on movies.”

She was right.

I was being an idiot.

“It’s weird,” I whispered. “My kids knowing I’m going to bed with Mickey.”

“Why?” Josie asked. “I’m under the impression you’ve been spending the night at Mickey’s. Have I missed something? Do his children mind?”

“No,” I answered.

“And, just pointin’ out,” Alyssa added. “Your two got some experience, their dad havin’ another wife.”

“This is true,” I mumbled.

“It’ll all go great,” Josie assured, patting me on the arm.

“Can’t go worse than Thanksgiving,” Alyssa muttered.

They of course knew all about our stellar holiday.

“Alyssa,” Josie hissed.

Alyssa raised her brows “Do I lie?”

“No, but still,” Josie returned. “I’m sure Amelia would prefer not to be reminded.”

“It’s okay,” I cut in. “You’re both right. Heck, if Mickey has his kids, they’re all together before school for Auden to take them and after school when they come back and we’re almost always having dinner together.”

“Families under one roof, your room a mile away from their wing of that place, means you’ll finally get laid,” Alyssa remarked.

This was a bonus.

Mickey and I had hit a dry patch because, me having my kids full-time, he couldn’t spend the night and I couldn’t either.

This meant no nights.

And no mornings.

He was gearing up to quit Ralph and keeping his regularly crazy schedule so there wasn’t time for us to meet somewhere to have quickies. And even though I was supposed to leave the kids behind and go to the locker room for fight night, every Saturday all the kids had come, Pippa, Ash, Auden and Cillian, even bringing their friends, and it wasn’t easy keeping a huge crew away from the cool dad who’d just won his fight. And, of course, my kids were with me so he couldn’t come over and fuck me on the dining room table.

This meant no sex but a lot of phone sex, which Mickey did really well.

But it wasn’t the real thing.

Thus, my guess, Mickey pushing the blending of families under one roof.

The last of the variety of reasons.

And another good one for me.

I was still nervous.

“Yeah, definite bonus,” I said to Alyssa.

“Amelia,” Josie called me.

I looked to her.

“I had no mother and a terrible father,” she told me. “All I had was my Gran. So I can say with some authority that if kids have two moms or two dads, all who care a great deal and want more than anything for those children to be happy, this is not a bad thing.”