Cal leans against the doorpost of the kitchen, and I watch as the empty expression in his eyes morphs into utter joy while he takes in the scene in front of him.

Emily is laughing with her head thrown back while April spins them around and around in circles, clutching her daughter's hands in her own. There are grilled cheese sandwiches in the frying pan and tomato soup warming in the pot on the stove. My hips sway to the beat of the music, and I add a playful little spin when Cal's eyes eventually move from his wife and daughter to smile in my direction.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Emily can barely contain her excitement or catch her breath as she yells over the music. She releases April's hands to run to Cal. "Come dance with us!"

Cal catches her waist when she reaches him, and he lifts her while blowing air through his lips like he's imitating a rocket ship. Emily squeals with laughter while he flies her through the kitchen toward me, and I don't hesitate to hold out my arms and accept the "crash landing", then continue spinning around with her.

"Smells good," Cal comments while dancing toward April with a sideways shuffle. He swings his hips and moves his arms at his sides in a surprisingly good impression of Elvis, and April giggles when his hands close around her hips. He leans into her back to peer over her shoulder at the stovetop. "Grilled cheese and soup is usually mine and Monster's specialty though." He shimmies April's body back and forth while he looks back to where I'm dancing with Emily. "I'll bet she didn't even make soup from a can, did she?"

Emily stops grinning up at me as I dance around with her in my arms to look at her dad with a frown. "No. She used real tomatoes and a recipe. She didn't even put bacon in the grilled cheese!"

Cal's mouth falls open. He whips his head back in April's direction and exclaims, "Woman!" while he dips her back over his arm. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Drop her! Drop her!" Emily chants, and I stop turning our bodies in circles to watch the dramatics.

"Cal," April tries to say his name with a warning but a smile keeps sneaking on her face while Cal stares down at her.

He holds her in position over his arm in a prolonged dip and a slow, mischievous grin spreads across his face.

"Cal," April says again but before she can say anything more Cal drops his arm down.

A high-pitched squeal fills the room while April's body quickly drops along with it, but of course, Cal's arm remains beneath her, and he swings her safely back into a standing position.

Emily erupts into giggles and falls into my shoulder. "He never actually lets her fall," she explains through her laughter like she needs to let me in on the joke.

I look back at Cal and April while I crouch down to put Emily on the floor. Cal has April caged against the counter between his arms while he continues to dance on the spot. He murmurs something in her ear, and April giggles while leaning her face against his cheek.

"No, I imagine he doesn't," I reply softly, feeling an ache in my chest. But the ache isn't from seeing the love between Cal and April. It's from the thoughts sneaking into my head about the man who I know would never let me fall.

Cal murmurs something else to April that has her playfully swatting him away, and he laughs before commenting, "Don't pretend you don't know what this kitchen does to me."

"Dad says he fell in love with Mom in this kitchen," Emily informs me, and April's eyes go wide when she hears her.

"You told her that?" she asks Cal in disbelief.

Cal grins while walking to the stereo to turn down the volume. "Relax. I didn't tell her any details."

"What details?" Emily questions, and April's face turns as red as the tomato soup in the pot while Cal starts laughing again.

"Alright, Monster, let's set the table for mom's fancy, not-from-a-can soup and baconless grilled cheese."

"But what details?" Emily asks again, not so easily deterred.

"Your mom just knows her way around the kitchen," I reply for them both to help April out.

"Yaaah, she does. She's a good cook too," Cal adds while winking at April.

"Cal."

April and I speak his name at the same time, and Cal's smug grin finally fades while he looks back and forth between us. "What in the sister-wives is this alliance?"

"What are sister-wives?" Emily questions, and April shoots Cal a dirty look before shaking her head and turning back to the stove to stir the soup. "They're not sisters."

Now, even Cal looks a little uncomfortable. "Didn't I ask you to help me set the table?"

"But what are sister-wives?"

Cal ignores her question while turning the volume up on the stereo again, and Emily pouts while walking to the counter where Cal is placing a stack of bowls from the cupboard. But then Cal catches her under her arms to spin her around in a circle, and all of her awkward questions are forgotten while he dances her around the kitchen.

----------

"That was seriously the best tomato soup I've ever tasted," I compliment April after we've finished eating dinner and April has finished saying a prayer of thanks.

"Almost as good as our soup, huh?" Cal asks Emily while nudging her shoulder.

"Almost," she agrees as she scrapes her bowl clean with a finger and pops it into her mouth to lick it clean. "And all we have to do is open a can. Your soup took forever, Mom, even with Emilia's help."

"Okay, okay. Next time I'll just make it from a can," April concedes, and both Cal and Emily look at her with alarmed expressions.

"You don't have to do that," Cal explains in a hurry.

"Yeah, Mommy," Emily agrees, "We like your soup too!"

"Yah! Plus, the canned soup is kinda mine and Monster's thing. If you start making it, what are we gonna make when it's our turn to cook? You'd probably make it wrong anyway."

Emily nods along to Cal's reasoning. "Buuut, you can put bacon on the grilled cheese next time."

Cal points at Emily as though she just spouted a genius revelation. "Yes!" He looks at his wife. "Yes, we'll allow that."

"Oh, wow. Thank you, dear," April replies sarcastically while standing from her chair and reaching for the nearly empty pot of soup in the center of the table.

"Any time, love." Cal grins as he stands as well. He reaches for the same pot after gently pushing April's hands away from it. "You and Emilia go sit in the living room. You two cooked, Monster and I can clean up."

"I buttered the bread!" Emily protests.

Cal clasps a hand over his heart. "You did?" he asks with a dramatic gasp. "Well, I guess I'll just clean up myself then. You can join the chefs in the living room."

"Yesss!" Emily pumps her fist with triumph and then jumps up from the table and runs from the room before Cal can change his mind.

"Did you get through to Melissa?" April questions Cal while she stacks the empty bowls together.

Cal comes back from putting the pot of soup on the stovetop and reaches to take the bowls out of April's hand. "Yah. I'll see her Wednesday. Would you go sit down?"

April's hands remain on the bowls so that they're suspended between the two of them. She looks Cal in the eye, forcing him to pause for a moment with her. "And you'll be okay until then?"

I feel a little awkward being around for this conversation but I guess since they know I heard the beginning of it this morning they don't care much about me hearing more.

"Yes," Cal answers in a flat voice but then leans forward to kiss April's cheek. "I'll be okay." He pulls the bowls from her grasp and turns around to bring them to the counter. "Go. Sit. I've got this. Bring your sister-wife with you."

I don't know whether to laugh or cringe but I end up doing both when I see April's expression because she appears to be in the same state of mind.

"Did you really have to say that in front of Emily?" she asks with a frown only to laugh afterwards. "How am I supposed to explain that one to her teacher if she brings it up at school?"

Cal rubs the back of his neck, looking like a chastised child. "I'm sorry, Ape. It just slipped out. I'll talk to her."

April gives an amused shake of her head. "You've said enough. I'll talk to her."

Cal nods, looking grateful, and continues clearing the table while April walks out of the room. He looks up at me once she's gone with a slow grin. "Can't be any worse than when she told her teacher that her new dad was in rehab, right?"

"I'm sure she's shared enough stories about you dancing with her around the kitchen and making soup together to make up for it."

Cal's grin looks more genuine now. "I hope so." The smile quickly fades, and he drops his eyes to the table. His fingertips lightly drum against its surface. "Do you remember when you told me about your aunt?" He brings his eyes back up to meet mine but I can't decipher what emotion they hold.

"My Aunt Fae?" I don't know why I clarify since that's the only aunt I know of.

"Yah," he answers and picks up some of the drinking glasses to carry them to the counter. "How do you feel about her?"

I haven't thought about my Aunt Fae in years. I haven't spoken about her since telling Cal about our Christmas Eves together. Since then she's only come to mind in passing a handful of times. I tell Cal this and then shrug. "I guess I don't feel much about her at all. Not anymore."

Cal doesn't say anything while he finishes clearing the table. Wordlessly, we both start loading the dishwasher, even though Cal had told me earlier not to help.

"But when you did think about her," Cal starts talking again, "it was good things, right?"

I don't have to think about his question for long before I nod. "Yeah. I had a lot of good times with her."

Cal smiles. "Good."

"If she hadn't left me, she would probably still be my favourite person. So don't worry too much about Emily. I'm sure you make up for your less-than-stellar moments with all the love and fun you bring to her life. Your bad moments aren't going to matter to her." I pat his shoulder and then walk to the sink to rinse off my hands. "As long as you don't abandon her, that is." I tack on the words with a soft laugh, but when I look back at Cal I find him frowning out the window.

"Cal?"

He blinks quickly as he turns to face me, and then plasters a wide smile on his face. "Yah, yah. That makes sense. Thanks, Emy."

"Cal... You're making me nervous."

"What?" He squints his eyes at me and then makes a "Pfft" sound. "You worry too much, Em. I'm fine. All... er, most dads want to know that their kid thinks well of them, right?"

"Probably," I agree.

"Alright, well, I'm going to see if the monster needs help with schoolwork." He begins to walk out of the kitchen but then turns back to me. "How are you doing, by the way? You looked pretty rough this morning. I'm sorry for not checking in with you then but..."

"That's okay. You didn't seem to be doing so well yourself. I'm doing okay though. But, uh, there is something that I need to talk to you about though... But later.

"Ooh, sounds ominous." He smiles but there's a wary look in his eyes. "Why don't we talk now?"

"Umm... Maybe after Emily is in bed?" I'm in no hurry to have this conversation, and I'd rather Emily be out of hearing range of Cal's potentially volatile reaction.

"Yah, sure," Cal agrees. "I mean, probably. April's been going to bed super early lately so it shouldn't be a problem but just lemme check with her first? After my sister-wives comment, she might be rehearsing a lecture to give to me later."

I'm quite sure April will be okay with it. She's the one who wants me to have this conversation with him but I don't want to spook him by telling him that. "Okay. It's not a huge deal anyway so if you'd rather not talk tonight then—"

"It's all good, Em. April will likely be fine with it, and I could use a smoke tonight anyway."

You may end up needing more than one...