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“Mercy, stop that,” Charity sighs. “You need to eat your veggies.”
“Peas,” Mercy babbles, pushing the vegetables over the side of her highchair with a giggle. “Peas!”
My girlfriend shoots me an exasperated look.
“Mason,” Charity says. “Please tell your daughter to settle down. Clearly, she doesn’t listen to me.”
I lean forward with a mock frown.
“You eat your veggies, Little Miss. No more pitching them on the floor.”
My daughter’s blue eyes go wide and then her bottom lip trembles. Oh no, she’s about to have a meltdown. Fortunately, I’m able to pull her from her baby chair in time, cuddling her chubby form while kissing her forehead.
“There, there, don’t cry,” I say. “That’s a good girl.”
Mercy lets out a loud wail anyways, her tiny feelings crushed.
Her mother sighs and comes around the table to help me out, rubbing the baby’s back sympathetically. “Okay, I think it’s about time someone went beddie-bye, don’t you?” She throws me a hopeful look. “Since you’ve got her, Mason, do you mind putting her down?”
I shake my head. “Not at all, sweetheart. You know I love crying babies. I’ll be back soon.” Then, I stand with my daughter in my arms and stroll to the nursery.
It’s a playful yet soothing room. We’ve got giraffes and elephants painted on the walls, and the baby’s crib is pastel pink. When the sun’s up, natural light illuminates the space, giving it a warm, peaceful glow. It’s perfect for my daughter, and I sit in a rocking chair by the window before grabbing a book from a shelf nearby. Of course, Mercy can’t read, but sometimes hearing a story calms her down.
Sure enough, about halfway through the book, she starts dozing off, and by the time I’ve finished, the sweetheart is fast asleep. I move her into the crib and then stare for a moment at her cherubic features. How did Charity and I make such a perfect human being together?
When I get back downstairs, my girlfriend’s already cleared the table and washed the dishes. She’s sipping a cup of tea on the living room couch and looks up and smiles when I approach.
“That was fast,” she says as I take a seat. “Did you read her favorite book?”
“I did. The little bugger was out in no time.”
The pretty woman giggles. “I’m not surprised because Mercy played for two hours in the hot sunshine today, so she must be tired. Oh by the way, I meant to tell you that Mom called earlier. Rosanne wants to bring Mercy’s birthday gift by the house this weekend. Is that okay?”
I nod casually.
“Sure, sounds good. That’s very kind of her.”
It’s a little strange, but we’re now on good terms with Charity’s mom despite what happened. We’re not close or anything, but it works because Rosanne’s not a bad person. We tell ourselves that she was surprised by the suddenness of our relationship, not to mention its taboo nature. Anyone would be shocked in those circumstances and even if Rose’s words weren’t choice at the time, she didn’t mean them.
As a result, we’re on speaking terms with Rosanne now, and the middle-aged woman even comes over to see her grandchild regularly. It’s heartwarming really, and I’m glad she’s developing a relationship with Mercy, not to mention repairing her relationship with her daughter. But even more surprising is the fact that Rose is still dating Harvey Pindot after two years! The geezer showers her with gifts, and the last time Rose came by, she literally had a diamond ring on each of her ten fingers. They sparkled and flashed madly, making the baby gasp, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the elderly billionaire proposes to her soon.
But now, I’ve got my own proposal up my sleeve, and my heart starts racing with anticipation. Falling in love with Charity was the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I want to keep the curvy girl by my side, if she’s willing.
“Oh shit,” I exclaim, pretending to look at something on the floor. “It looks like one of Mercy’s peas rolled all the way over here. What the hell? That girl has a pitcher’s arm.”
“Really?” Charity sits up. “OMG, she’s powerful! Where is it? Do you see it?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll get it,” I growl. I slip off the couch and get down on one knee and then slide my hand under the sofa for the little box I stashed there this morning. When I pull it out, Charity’s eyes widen.
“Wait what?” she whispers. “Is this… are you…?”
I nod in response and pop open the velvet square. The beautiful brunette gasps at the sight of the glimmering diamond, and tears begin to form in her eyes.
“Will you marry me, Charity Rose Denver?” I rasp, my own throat closing up a bit. “You are the light of my life, and the mother of my child. These past two years with you have been a blessing and I thank my lucky stars that I met you. Will you do me the honor of becoming Mrs. Mason Caldwell?”
