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To be honest, we were usually doing more than just hugging, but neither of us found that point to be upsetting.
The way fate had finally brought us together was something that made me chuckle every time I thought about it. We were both so stubborn, it had taken an act of God to force us together and another to open our eyes. I thanked God every morning and night–and at every Mass–for the fact He’d seen fit to bring me together with the man I’d loved my whole life.
Daniela came flying back into the dining room that afternoon, her face lit up with joy, and I waited for Adam to follow, because where his children were concerned he was never far behind.
His eyes met mine as he moved toward me from the door that led from the kitchen to the yard.
“What is this, babe?” he asked gently, a smile on his face that suggested he knew exactly what was happening.
I set Lukas down gently, putting him in the bouncy chair that had, miraculously, survived Daniela.
“It’s your family wishing you a happy birthday,” I said, gesturing toward the candles blazing on the cake. “You know…the people who love you desperately.”
I couldn’t tell him just how true that was, because the last few years with him had been nothing short of magical. It was a completely different life, now that I was spending it with him.
According to the few new friends I had in Watertown, of which Leia was weirdly a part of that group, we were the definition of couple goals.
Not long before, I wouldn’t have been able to admit to him how much he meant to me…and now that we shared children, I was even more in love with him than I’d been before.
“I already have everything I want,” he said gruffly, his voice teasing as he eyed the small stack of wrapped gifts resting on the table.
“Do you?” I teased, winking when he caught my eye, and I licked my lower lip before pulling it between my teeth.
“Maybe,” he conceded. “But it’s possible I need to reassess.”
“No reassessments necessary,” I teased, because he would get the rest of his birthday present later, once the kids were in bed.
“Maddy.” His face was so serious, I couldn’t even be mad at him for calling me by his silly new nickname, and he leaned down to kiss me gently. “You were my every birthday wish, baby–you are still.” He leaned down again, waiting for me to meet his lips as he grinned at me.
I believed him, because he’d proven himself to me. Despite what had been a weirdly rocky start, it had taken almost no time to settle into what was an easy, gentle daily routine with the man who’d stopped at nothing to show me every day what I meant to him.
Daniela tugged at his pant leg frantically, gesturing toward the candles leaking wax all over the cake, and he chuckled when he turned to look.
“You distract me, woman.” He grinned and blew out the candles quickly, then leaned over to kiss me again before scooping our daughter up into a hug, his love for our children something beautiful to behold.
“Where’s my boy?” he asked absently, finally realizing the back slider was wide open and there were people in our yard.
“Attending your party.” I gestured toward the yard with a smile on my face. “Daniela wanted to do the cake now; we can do it again later.”
“Freaking fire hazard,” he muttered as he eyed the forty-eight single candles taking up a large portion of real estate on the cake. “Hilarious, by the way…just you wait for your turn.” He grinned deviously, then took Daniela’s hand and walked with her out to the yard filled with the people we loved.
“Better go get your forty-eight squeezes from Grams, birthday boy,” I called after him and without looking back he held up a hand, middle finger extended, the very moment I tapped the button on my phone to take a picture.
“Come on Beckman, you just ruined our future Christmas card!” I hollered, and Steve grinned at me from his chair.
“Dare you to send it out anyway. Mom would love that one.”
“We’d hear the scream all the way from Florida,” I responded, because it was true. There would be no avoiding the “I raised you to be better than that, Madelyn Christine.”
Teagan patiently watched over her little brother playing on the set we’d added onto a little each spring, and Lukas trailed behind Daniela like a little duckling as she wandered around the yard in her own little world.
“Got your hands full,” Grams remarked as I sank down beside her on the huge patio sofa. Her eyes weren’t on the kids though, and I snapped my fingers in front of her face.
“Iseeyou staring at my husband’s ass,” I said rather loudly, as her hearing was starting to go, and Steve snorted.
“No idea how lucky you are,” she fussed at me and I rolled my eyes as Steve tried, unsuccessfully, to control his laughter.
“I know exactly how lucky I am,” I said firmly. “I don’t deserve these wonderful things, but here we are. I know to be grateful.”
