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“On my breaks. Sometimes I worked later. I wanted it to be a surprise.” A good one. “Do you like it?”
“Oh my gosh, Sam. I love it.” She threw her arms around my neck, hugging me tight. When she released me, she fell to her knees in front of Maggie. “Did you know too?”
She smiled and nodded. “Daddy asked me to keep it a secret.”
“And you did such a good job. Are you going to assist me when I hold my first workshop in my new store?”
“Yes.” Maggie’s eyes widened as she looked at Alice.
Alice hugged her, and I could see our life spread out before us. Me expanding my family’s construction business with outdoor living spaces, Alice with her store and workshops, and us as a family. I wanted more kids, and not too far in the future because I didn’t want Maggie to be too much older than her siblings. She’d be the best big sister.
“Why are you smiling?” Maggie asked me.
“I was just thinking about our future.”
“Oh yeah? Does it include me?” Alice asked, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“It’s all three of us.” It wasn’t the time to ask Alice or Maggie, but I was bursting with the knowledge that I wanted more. I wanted Alice by my side as my wife and more babies. For the first time, the idea of building a bigger house popped into my head, and I couldn’t let it go.
I dipped my head to kiss Alice softly on the lips, testing it out in front of Maggie.
“Daddy. You kissed Miss Alice.”
I looked down at Maggie, who had her hand on her hips. “That’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”
I crouched down in front of her, with Alice standing next to me. “What do you think about me dating Miss Alice?”
I braced myself for questions about mommies and daddies marrying each other, but instead, she smiled widely at Alice. “Would you be my mom?”
Alice coughed. “You have a mother, but I’d love to be part of your life. Another person who loves you.”
“You can’t get enough of those, right?” That’s what I told myself when Felicia first left. I had my family, my parents, my brothers, and now I had Alice.
“Those are the best,” Maggie said, and I picked her up and hugged Alice to me.
“We’re a family now,” I said to Maggie, and then to Alice, “Nothing will come between us.” I was referring to Felicia, and I think Alice got that. I’d said it to her when I apologized for my behavior. We were a team going through this life.
“I’m happy, Daddy, but you’re squeezing me. I can’t breathe.” Maggie squirmed in my arms.
I let her down and tickled her. “If you can’t breathe, how can you talk?”
She squealed when I hit her ticklish spot. “Stop. Stop.”
I straightened, smiling at my favorite people. I was happy.
“What next?” Alice asked me when Maggie’s laughter died down.
“Why don’t you show Natalie your pieces, and we’ll celebrate at lunch.”
“What are we celebrating?” Maggie asked as we headed toward the front counter.
I ticked off the myriad of reasons on my fingers. “Miss Alice agreeing to be part of our lives, her new store, and me talking my boss into letting me expand the business to patios and outdoor spaces.”
Maggie’s nose scrunched. “Isn’t your boss Grandpa?”
“He was a tough one to convince, even if he’s my dad. Almost as stubborn as you,” I said to Maggie.
Natalie greeted us from the counter this time. “How did you like it?”
