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“Storm?” Travis said quietly.
That broke through whatever held her frozen.
In a second, she was on her feet.
“Daddy!”
Javon moved to meet her and LeAnn pressed her fingertips to her lips as father and daughter caught each in a desperate hug.
When she looked again, Bella was standing with Travis and she was smiling, tears gleaming in her eyes. Travis had lost the tension in his face, while the other foster kids looked on with a mix of interest and envy.
Making her way to Bella, LeAnn smiled nervously. “I hope it’s okay. We just connected earlier ... ”
Bella lifted a hand. “You don’t need to explainanything. The look on her face just now tells me everything I need to know.”
Javon and Storm settled at a table by themselves. He had a hotel room, but Miles had offered him a room in the house next door. Storm had pleaded with him and because he would do anything for his baby girl, Javon had agreed to stay there.
He had a job in the Midwest, but he’d taken a few days off to come find his daughter and although he hadn’t said as much out loud, he could tell she loved the woman who’d been taking care of her, so he wanted to give his girl time to say goodbye. And he figured he should get to know them since it was obvious Storm wouldn’t ever cut ties. He understood that and respected it. He owed the woman who had taken such good care of his baby.
He had a lot of questions, but tonight he wanted to enjoy just having his girl back.
Not long after people settled down, Travis and Bella stood up.
“We’re gladmostpeople listened about not bringing gifts, but just because there aren’t a lot of gifts to be opened doesn’t mean the evening is almost done,” Bella said. “In fact ... we have an announcement.”
Travis pulled a thin stack of paper from inside his suit jacket and handed several envelopes out. “Don’t open it yet,” he advised Jacob before passing another to Aaron, then Brooklyn. There was another he held onto, tapping it playfully against Mariah’s nose. The baby made a grab for it and giggled but Marilyn, Bella’s sister, gracefully sidestepped, just as Travis pulled it out of reach. “You’ve got one, too, angel. But well hold onto it for you.”
“Oooh!!!” Storm gasped, then pressed her hands to her mouth.
Next to her, her father slid her a look.
She grinned at him. “I know what’s about to happen.”
Travis sat down, Bella moving to stand at his shoulder as he pulled Brooklyn onto his lap.
“Alright, kids, come over here,” Bella called out.
The photographer moved closer and Javon got an idea of just what might be happening, felt himself smiling.
“Okay,” Travis said to the girl on his lap. “Open it.”
The sound of paper shredding filled the air.
“I hope it’s tickets to California—I want to go to ... ” Jacob’s mouth fell open.
Aaron lifted dazed eyes to Travis and Bella.
Brooklyn was still reading.
Then, she burst out crying.
“Oh, honey ... ”
She flung her arms around Travis’s neck and through her tears, everybody heard her. “You’re gonna be my mama and daddy? For real?”
“Yes!” Storm whispered, covering her mouth to muffle the sound.
“You knew, baby?”
