“Of course. It smells delicious and I’m starving.” I kissed her lips.
Walking up the stairs, I unbuttoned my suit coat. As I stood in the doorway of my daughter’s bedroom, I watched as she sat at her little table with her stuffed animals in each chair except for the one across from her.
“Hello, sweetheart,” I said as I walked in and kissed the top of her head.
“Hi, Daddy! How was work?”
“Work was good. What are you doing?” I asked as I knelt down beside her.
“Having a tea party with Grandpa and my friends.”
I swallowed hard.
“Grandpa Richard?” I nervously asked.
“No, silly. He isn’t here. It’s Grandpa Curtis.”
“Everly!” I shouted. Everly!”
“What? I’m sure the entire building just heard you.”
“Sophia, tell mommy who you’re having a tea party with.”
“My two dolls, Millie and Daisy, and Grandpa Curtis. But he left when he saw Daddy walk in.”
“Oh boy.” She gulped as she looked at me.
“Sweetheart,” Everly spoke as she knelt down beside her. “Do you see Grandpa Curtis a lot?”
“Yeah.” A big smile crossed her small face. “He’s funny.”
“Okay. Now I know she’s not talking about my father,” I said.
“Yes, I am, Daddy.”
“Sweetheart, you know Grandpa Curtis is dead, right?”
“Yeah. I know. He told me that he will always watch over me.”
“Great.” I rolled my eyes as I let out a sigh.
“Okay. Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Clean up your toys,” Everly spoke.
I followed her out of the bedroom and down to the kitchen.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Now nothing. We were afraid this was going to happen, Asher. We’ve had many discussions about it.”
“I know, Everly. But I prayed it wouldn’t.”
“She’ll be fine. And now that I know she has my gift, I can help her with it. Are you mad? You seem mad?”
“No, baby. I’m not mad.” I wrapped my arms around her. “We’ll both help her with it. Since when had my father been coming around again?”
“I haven’t seen him, Asher. I swear. You know I always tell you when he’s here.”
“I know.” I sighed.
“Is it really so bad that he plays with her? He is her grandfather.”
“Her dead grandfather. All we need is for her to go around telling people that and they’ll think she’s a lunatic.”
“I know. I’ll have a talk with her.”
“We’ll both have a talk with her.” I kissed her forehead.
That was the day Everly and I learned that our five-year-old daughter, Sophia, was special. I wasn’t too worried because having Everly for a mother, I knew my daughter would be just fine.
Two months after we found out about Sophia’s gift, I took Everly back to the Maldives to celebrate our wedding anniversary while Richard and Christina watched Sophia. Two months later, Everly discovered she was pregnant. Needless to say after we found out, I went and had a vasectomy. We weren’t taking any more chances. Seven months later, our second daughter, Sarah Nicole Remington was born. Now I had three beautiful girls in my life, and I couldn’t have been happier.
Five Years Later
Asher
I couldn’t believe Sophia was almost eleven and Sarah was five. When I’d look at them together, I’d smile at the fact that Everly and I had made such beautiful children. They were the love of my life and I couldn’t imagine life without them.
It was seven a.m. when I went downstairs for breakfast before leaving for the office. Everly was making banana pancakes and they smelled amazing. Walking over to her, I slapped her on the ass and kissed the side of her neck.
“Didn’t you get enough last night.” She grinned.
“It’s never enough with you, baby.” I gave her a wink as I poured a cup of coffee.
Sophia and Sarah came running in and took their seats at the table. I sat down across from them and grabbed a couple of pancakes.
“You girls better hurry up and get eating or you’re going to be late for school,” I said.
“Daddy?” Sara said.
“Yes, princess?”
“Who’s Noah?”
I looked at Everly and I could see the same panic on her face that I had.
“How do you know that name, sweetheart?”
“He came to visit me last night.”
“Sweetheart, that’s impossible.” My heart started racing. “He’s in a faraway country.”
“I know. He died. He wanted me to tell you that he was sorry for everything. He made me promise to tell you, and I told him I would.”
Everly sat down in the chair next to me, placed her hand on my arm and gave it a gentle squeeze. Looking at her, I slowly shook my head.
“Ah shit. Here we go again.”
I hope you enjoyed What If You. Please enjoy a sample chapter of my Sweet Contemporary Romance Novel called Harbor Falls. A clean and wholesome romance set in a small coastal town.
Chapter 1
Adalyn stood in the master bathroom of her and her husband’s multi-million-dollar penthouse holding a white stick in her hand as she had done every month for the last year and a half. The same disappointment shrouded her as tears filled her eyes when she saw only one pink line appear. Anxiously waiting, and with hope, she stared at it waiting for the second line to appear. Just like all the other months, it never did. Throwing the stick in the trash can, she quietly walked down the stairs and entered her husband’s office where he was finishing up work for the night.
“Well?” He glanced up at her behind his black rim glasses.
She slowly shook her head in disappointment as she stood there with her arms folded, trying to hide the overwhelming pain that coursed through her.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” he spoke as he got up from behind his desk and wrapped his arms around her. “We can try again next month.”
“It’s been a year and a half, Darren. I don’t understand. The doctor said after my miscarriage I would have no trouble getting pregnant again.”
“I know.” He kissed her head. “Maybe the timing isn’t right. Why don’t you go up to bed and I’ll make you a cup of tea?”
Adalyn nodded her head and headed up the stairs. She’d suffered a miscarriage two years ago when she was sixteen weeks pregnant. It took her a long time to accept the fact that it wasn’t meant to be. She had doubted if she was ever meant to be a mother, because now at the age of thirty-four, her biological clock was ticking away.
Her previous pregnancy was a surprise and one that wasn’t planned. They had been married for a little over a year and wanted to wait at least two years before starting a family. But it had happened, and Adalyn was more than happy.
She climbed into bed, pulled the covers over her and waited for Darren to come up. It was a rare night he was home and not working late at the office, like he did most nights. Picking up her phone, she sent a text message to her sister, Hannah, a fashion designer who lived in SoHo. Being only two years apart, they had always been the best of friends.