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I look up, meeting her green-eyed gaze. My eyes widen when I see the tears falling onto her freckled complexion. The urge to move closer to her, to wipe those tears away, is so strong. But I stay where I am and let her say what’s on her mind.
“There’s no way in this world, or even in the next world, that you weren’t the one meant to love me and Nella. Ford, no one could love us better than you.” Her chin wobbles, but she continues. “The way you take care of us, the way you jump in to help, the way you hold her, and she immediately stops fussing. The way you hold me.” She blows out a deep breath. “This might have started platonically; I might not have realized at first how I could feel for you…but now there’s no way I can ignore it. It’s impossible for me to love anyone else the way I love you.”
She kneels in front of me, bracing her hands on my thighs. “And no one else’s love would ever compare to yours. Do you get that?” Her voice is pleading, begging me to understand. “Do you get that this connection between us isn’t normal? Ford, this is a once in a lifetime…once in a universe, type of love.” Her voice cracks on the word love. “And if you ever talk about leaving again, thinking you’re doing what’s best, then you’re a fool. Because this is what’s best.” She gestures with her hand between the two of us. “You and me.” Another tear trails down her cheek. “No one else will do.”
I feel a wet drop land on my shirt, and I realize I’m crying too, at hearing these words I never thought I’d hear from any woman, let alone the one I’ve dreamt of my entire life. How is it possible for me to get this lucky? To have attained everything I ever wanted in life? It seems too good to be true. But I’m going to roll with it anyway and thank the stars every day for being the luckiest man on earth.
“I’m sorry,” I say, reaching for her, cupping my hands around her gorgeous face. “It would be my honor to stay. I’ll stay forever. I’ll stay for eternity.” I kiss her hard, the only way I can with a lifetime of dreams swirling around us. “I love you, Ambs. I loved you when we were eight years old, and I love you still.”
She climbs onto my lap, settling her legs on either side of mine and wrapping her arms around my neck. “I love you too, Ford. And I’m never letting you go. Not in two years, not ever.”
We sit there, wrapped up in each other for what feels like an hour. I have no clue how many minutes pass, because this moment seems to exist outside of time. It’s a pocket in the world that opened just for us, a pocket where time stopped.
Nella’s cry from the baby monitor in the kitchen, somewhere on the island along with the subs we never ate, is what finally draws us out of our little bubble.
Amber moves to get up, but I hold her to me, looking into her eyes. “We’ll figure this out, okay? We’ll get the best lawyer money can buy. There’s no way a judge will give him custody—or even partial custody—after he’s been out of the picture this whole time.”
She nods, resting her forehead against mine. “We’ll get through it together.”
I lean in, pressing a kiss to her mouth, then loosening my grip on her so she can get Nella.
I spend the rest of the day putting together all of Nella’s furniture and arranging it in her room. It seems like a sign of permanence and stability, and I hope it helps Amber not to worry. I hope seeing all this furniture will show her I expect Nella to live here forever, and Theo won’t get a thing. Amber needed time with her daughter today, which is understandable. Someone threatened to take her, so of course she needed time alone with Nella, to hold her and remind herself she’s not going anywhere. I gave them their mother-daughter time and was happy to distract myself by building furniture.
When I hang the last picture on the wall, one of Amber’s paintings of a Pink Piano rose, I hear Amber’s gasp from the doorway. I turn and smile at my girls, both seeing the room all put together for the first time.
“Ford, it came together so nicely.”
Nella coos, clueless as to what’s happening. I step toward them, carefully taking Nella from her mother’s arms, then walking her over to the picture I just hung. “See this, Nells?” I glance up and study the artwork. “These flowers are your mommy’s favorites.”
She stares at the painting, then abruptly stretches her arms above her head and yawns. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.
Amber sighs. “It’s time for her evening nap.”
“Can I rock her to sleep?” I ask, eyeing the new linen swivel rocker in the corner of the room. The linen and the white wooden furniture are the only neutrals in a room full of pink. Pink stuffed animals, pink wall hangings, pink sheets, and even a pink and white Turkish rug. It sounds chaotic but it’s girly and cute. And if Nella decides she hates pink when she gets older, she can redecorate as many times as she wants.
Amber smiles. “Of course. I’m going to take a shower.”
She leaves us, and I turn on Nella’s nightlight on, then turn down the main light shining from a mini, crystal chandelier. Nella stares at the twinkly stones dangling from it with her mouth open.
I chuckle and sit down in the comfortable rocker. Adjusting her in my arms, I make sure she’s comfortable and grab her favorite blanket off the dresser beside me. She grabs the edge of the blanket with one of her chubby hands and uses the other to squeeze my index finger. Before Nella, I never understood the bond someone has with a child but being here in this nursery with this tiny girl holding my hand, I get it. I might not be her father by blood, but I’ll be her dad if she’ll let me. Thankfully, she seems fond of me, so I don’t think she’ll mind.
I lean down, brushing a kiss against her soft downy curls. Her eyes flutter closed, those little baby eyelashes resting against her plump cheeks. Cheeks that will one day hold a multitude of freckles, just like her mommy’s.
Nella falls asleep quickly, her grip easing its tight hold on my finger. I continue holding her and looking at her, long after she’s asleep, soaking up this time with her, and steeling myself for a battle with Theo. A battle he’s going to lose.
CHAPTER
FORTY-EIGHT
AMBER
Ford appears somber when he comes into our room after putting Nella to sleep. I can tell this whole Theo thing is bothering him too. I’m dressed in a nursing nightgown and standing by the dresser that has now become mine. There’s a mirror attached to it and I’m combing my wet hair and doing my skin care. I moved some items out of the bathroom, knowing Ford would probably want a shower too after assembling furniture all day.
I hope it’s quick, because all I want is to fall asleep, safe and sound in his arms after this endlessly long day.
I’m slathering on my facial moisturizer, when the spaghetti strap on my nursing top breaks, pulling right out of the seam. I groan. “No, this was my favorite one!”
Opening a dresser drawer, I rummage through. All my pajamas and nightgowns are dirty. I meant to do laundry today but was distracted by my ex-fiancé.
