“No promises.”
“I imagine so,” he agrees on a laugh.
“Thank you for protecting them tonight. Hard to believe my new baby boy is big enough for me to say that to.”
“I’ll be back in the morning before we head home. I promised the little princess I would take her on a date to lunch tomorrow. Give you and Olivia some time alone without you three being apart for too long. I ran it by Olivia, but understand if you aren’t there yet.”
“Hey.” I smile, walking up to him from where I stood just a few feet away. “If it’s okay with Olivia, it’s okay with me. She’s a great kid, but I’m real happy she’s getting you out of this to be her role model.”
“See you tomorrow around noon, then.”
“Your dad’s downstairs,” I call out, remembering Asher’s request earlier to take all the time I needed, and he would be waiting for Zac to go to the hotel.
“You know, people will think my two dads are gay,” he tosses over his shoulder, stepping into the elevator.
His toothy smile, so much like the one that used to frequent my own face, is the last thing I see before the doors slide shut.
Damn, that kid is incredible.
“He’s pretty awesome.” Olivia stands just outside of the threshold to my bedroom.
“I was just thinking the same thing.”
We both start walking at the same time, her meeting me with a soft collision. She runs her hands down my arms and looks over my body while following her hands’ path. It wasn’t until she moved to drag them down my chest that I realized what she was looking for.
“Hey, I’m okay.”
She looks back up with tears in her eyes. “Is …?” She trails off, one tear falling.
“It’s over, baby.”
She closes her eyes, and the tears start flowing freely.
I pull her close and hold her to my body. She continues to cry softly. I rest my head on hers and pull her as close as she can get comfortably. Her hands fist the shirt at my back. My eyes zero in on my bookshelf and that gold glitter. I stand in the same spot I had months ago thinking there would never be anything worth shining in my life. Now, now I hold my whole world in my arms. The rapid beat of her heart slamming against my body, mine answering the call with its own hurried beats.
“You have my word that I will never lie to you, omitting or otherwise, Olivia. I don’t ever want to see you hurt, baby, and I’m so sorry I contributed to that feeling.”
“Stop,” she cries softly. “Right this moment, it’s you, me, and Riley, Zeke. We aren’t going to let this sour us. We will not let the gift you just left in Georgia be shadowed by this. We move forward, and we do that together.”
“Just like that?”
She arches a brow. “Nothing in how we got to be standing right here was ‘just like that.’ I know I love you. I know that the thought of you hurting physically sickens me. When you look at Riley, I know you feel the same way I do. And I know when you hold me, I’m the safest woman in the world. What we have is something some people never find. I’m no fool, Zeke Cooper. I will not look this gift in the eye and spite it.”
“Do you want that ring now?”
She looks adorable when she’s confused. It takes her a second, but when she realizes what I’m talking about, the sassy woman I love comes rushing forward.
“When you ask me properly, which will not be standing in my underwear in your living room, mister.”
“Noted.”
“Take me to bed, Zeke Cooper. Take me to bed and let me show you how much I love you.”
She takes my hand and turns.
And what do I do?
I follow, feeling better than I have in two damn lifetimes.
“Make You Feel My Love” by Adele
“Are you sure you’ve got everything?” I ask Riley, again.
“Yes, Auntie,” she coos smartly, rolling her eyes at me and giggling. “Why do you keep asking me that?”
“Well, my little bean … I just can’t believe you’re going to be gone for two whole weeks. Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” I joke, knowing she will think it’s funny since I’ve been asking her for the past two months that we’ve been planning her trip to Hope Town.
“You’re silly,” she hoots. Her tiny belly laugh making me start to laugh with her.
I reach out and wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my body and hugging her close. “I’m just going to miss you, sweetheart. You’re going to have so much fun with your brother.”
She makes a squeal of joy, just as she does every time I mention Zac. She started calling him her brother about six months after we had returned from our Georgia trip. It was a toss-up on who loved it more. Me, Zac or … Zeke.
“He said I get to meet more family, too. Kids just like me!”
“I know, baby. Zac even said he gets to take you in his police car for a ride!”
“Woohoo!” She jumps, almost knocking me in my chin.
“Knock, knock,” comes from the hallway that feeds the elevator.
“Zacky!”
And just like that, I’m forgotten. I love every second of it too. Seeing her this happy is worth everything I could ever give.
I smile and stand to my full height.
“Hey, Pops. How’s it going, Mama Liv?”
“It’s so weird when you say that, Zac.” I laugh, shaking my head. My smile grows when I see Riley riding on his shoulders. He ducks so she doesn’t knock her head on the door’s arch, coming deeper into the kitchen.
“Where are your parents?” Zeke questions.
“Looking at an apartment. They’re looking at getting a place that everyone can share. How do you not know this?”
“Why would I?”
“Well, I don’t know … because?”
“Pretty good one there.” Zeke laughs, reaching out to hug Zac. Riley giggles when they come together, and she has two giants’ heads to softly pop.
“Is she all packed? I’m double parked, so I need to run.”
Oh wow. I thought I would have a little time before I sent my girl off with new people and on a jet, no less. My stomach erupts in even more butterflies now that I’m closer to something else I’d been anticipating all day. I shake off the anxiousness and focus on Riley.
“Bye, Auntie! I’ll see you in two whole weeks!”
“Little girl, you better get down from there and give us both hugs and kisses!”
She laughs even harder when Zac reaches up and zooms her to her feet. She has a little wobble before she rights herself and rushes over. Her little body collides with Zeke’s legs.
“I love you, Pops!”
Oh my God.
My eyes find Zac’s and see the same awe-dumbstruck shock I feel mirrored on his face. It’s no secret that Zeke loves Riley as if she is his own. Their bond has done nothing but grow in the past year. I know he’s even expressed to his son that he wished he could adopt her, having heard that from Chelcie after his last visit here. Zac’s been waiting just as long as I have for this moment. I’m so thankful it happened at this exact moment, and he was here to see it happen. That man loves his pops, and he just got to watch him get the greatest gift ever.