[This chapter is dedicated to Tiffany_Desselles_5370. Thank you for the golden ticket and for your continuous support of our story. I'll be forever grateful. Cheers!]
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"H-how?" Her eyes shifted from Lucille jumping on the foot of her bed to Noah who was smiling lazily at her, standing next to her bed.
She was thinking about the possibility of Noah trying to arrive early to surprise her and indeed she was right. But she didn't expect Noah and Lucille to be this early.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," he smiled at her with such gentleness that Jess felt like her whole body was warmed by the morning sun.
"Good morning, Little Miss Jessie!"
"Well, good morning to you two!" She returned the father and daughter greetings with a smile.
Lucille stopped jumping on the bed and crawled next to her. "Are you surprised Little Miss Jessie?"
Seeing her grinning face, Jess couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I'm truly surprised!" She widened her eyes exaggeratedly to the delight of Lucille.
"It was my idea to come early because I asked my teachers if I can be excused from school."
She chuckled. "And your teachers let you?"
"I got the highest score in the class, that's why." She gave her a toothy smile while her eyes twinkled with pride.
Jess brushed the hair that fell into Lucille's face that escaped her ponytail from jumping on the bed."Congratulations on topping your class."
"Thank you, Little Miss Jessie." She suddenly pressed her lips into her cheek.
Jess blinked her eyes in surprise. Lucille was polite with her while they were in San Lucas but she was friendlier to Luke than her. It was a surprise to see her act sweetly towards her. She wasn't complaining though about who would not want her sweetness. Her arms acted naturally and pulled her into a tight embrace, kissing her cheeks as well.
Lucille giggled. "Let's have breakfast!"
Jess glanced up to Noah who was patiently waiting and watching them fondly. "Do you want to eat at the restaurant? Or have room service?"
Jess got up from bed, extended her arms towards Noah, silently asking him to pull her up. Noah's eyes flashed with surprise with her action but smiled broadly and stepped forwards to reach her arms and pulled her up. He pulled her straight to his arms, bent down his head to the crook of her neck, and whispered, "I miss you."
She circled her arms around his neck and whispered back. "I miss you too." She felt Noah stiffened for a bit with what she said and his arms tightened around her. She was relishing the feeling of Noah's tight embrace when she felt a pair of small arms snaked around her waist.
"Stop being so cheesy. Let's eat, I'm hungry."
She chuckled and pulled down her arms from Noah's neck and slowly turned around to face a pouting Lucille. "Why? You don't have food on the plane?"
She scrunched up her small nose and stuck her tongue. "I don't like eating on the plane."
"Is that so? If that's the case then I won't ride on your plane." She pursed her lips, acting like she changed her mind about it.
"No, no! It's fun to ride our plane. It's the only time Daddy lets me watch as many movies as I want." She tugged her elbow in her attempt to convince her to ride her daddy's plane.
Jess swallowed a grin that was about to escape her lips with Lucille's cute attempt of convincing her and Noah, resting his chin on the top of her head, whispering, "You better let me pick you up once your internship here is over."
She didn't say anything but deep inside she giggled that her surprise would be a success. "Let's order room service."
Noah's arms loosened but only to include Lucille in his embrace. They were a pile of Noah, Jess, and Lucille. Lucille couldn't stop giggling with how her father was hugging both her and Little Miss Jessie.
"Why don't the two of you order us breakfast while I do my morning business." She never felt so content and happy with how Noah and Lucille, asking for her attention. She does not remember the last time she felt this kind of happiness. "Noah…" she called his name threateningly for he was acting as childish as his own child.
"Should we bring you to the bathroom?" His voice was teasing.
When Lucille heard what her father asked Little Miss Jessie, she scrambled to climb over Jess's by hanging her small arms on her neck and she swung her legs to her waist. "Daddy, bring us to the bathroom! Just like how you brought me and Mommy before!" She shrieked with anticipation.
The warm feelings surrounding Jess's heart felt like a strong pair of hands that squeezed the oxygen out of her heart. She found herself having a hard time breathing with what she heard. The rational part of her brain knew that what Lucille said was something that wasn't for her to feel like she was just a substitute for her mother. However, Jess could not help but get hurt with how things are.
"No, Lucille. Help me order breakfast while Little Miss Jessie uses the bathroom." He said, peeling Lucille from hugging Jess's body like a monkey. He felt Jess stiffened with what Lucille innocently said about him and her mother.
And because he had a talk with Lucille before they left the states, Lucille was doing extra effort to make Jess feel comfortable around them. The problem was Lucille became too comfortable doing the task that he asked for her that it snapped. Now, he has no choice but to make do of what they have.
"Yes, sweetheart. You go down and join your daddy outside while I use the bathroom." She told Lucille when she pulled herself out of the self pity and the pit of doubt that she was feeling. She reminded herself that she can't compete with Nicole and she must not because Nicole and Noah were a thing in the past. It just happened that they are co-parenting their daughter.
Jess reminded herself where her position was in Noah's life.