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“I’d really like to tell her,” Ryan said.
“Then let’s do it today,” Dakota replied. They might as well. Waiting wasn’t solving anything. All it was doing was giving her a bit of a reprieve. And she had enough of a reprieve. He’d been patient, waiting on her, not pushing, not asking, and not trying to force her hand. The very least she could do was to allow him to finally tell his daughter that she was his.
“What about Rachel?” he asked. “What do you want me to say to her?”
She was tempted to tell him to tell both of her girls that he was their dad, but... What was that going to mean for them?
“I know that you have a lot on your plate, and I’m kind of pushing you a lot today, but I’d really like to be a dad to both of them.”
She nodded her head. “I know.” She took a deep breath, pushing the anxiety that wanted to consume her aside.
Lord? I don’t know what to do. I want to rest in Your plan, but I don’t know what that is. Can You show me?
That she left in her head, because right in front of her was God showing her, the man.
“I don’t know how to explain it, because there might come a point where Rachel’s dad actually does want to be a part of her life, but for now, she doesn’t have anyone. And whatever you say to Maddie, I appreciate you including Rachel as well.”
“Then let’s play it by ear. I don’t know how to explain, but I guess my main concern is making sure that I do whatever is best for the girls.”
“The best thing for the girls would be for their mother to have made smarter decisions, but there’s nothing I can do about that now.” Much to her regret. Why did she have to wait until she was older to actually be wise enough to make decisions that would help her daughters become what they needed to be, not hurt them?
“It’s okay. Whatever we do, we’ll work it out.”
He might not have been able to read her mind, but he could read her face, and she appreciated him trying to alleviate her concerns.
“Thank you. I... I’m starting to feel like you might be too good to be true.”
“No. Not too good at all. I... I do have something I want to talk to you about.”
“Now?”
“No. Maybe not until we get a little bit of time alone. Where we’re not going to be interrupted.”
She couldn’t imagine what in the world he wanted to talk to her about. They’d already basically decided that they were going to have a relationship. At least that’s what she thought they decided while they were lying on the sand back there, but she supposed they didn’t exactly use those terms.
By that time, the girls had run down the beach and had stopped and started back a little slower.
Their faces were red, their hair windblown, and they looked so healthy and happy.
“They look so carefree,” Dakota said, wishing that they really were.
“I think they are. I think they feel secure. They know their mother loves them, and they had a fun day. What more could a kid want?”
“Family that’s not blown up,” she said, hating the bitterness in her tone but not knowing how to fix it.
“And maybe that’ll happen someday. Someday soon,” Ryan said as the girls ran up to them.
She couldn’t answer him, but she wouldn’t have known what to say anyway. She wanted to deny it and to argue, but should she? Or was this really what the Lord wanted for her?
Maybe she’d just been alone so long she couldn’t believe that there would be a happy ever after for her.
Regardless, she helped the girls as they pulled the kites down and folded them up.
“I was hoping I could talk to you about some things. Do you guys have a few minutes for me?” Ryan asked the girls as they laughed and giggled and barely had the kites down before they wanted to see if they could put them back up themselves.
“Can we fly kites after you’re done?” Maddie asked, smiling.
Dakota’s heart felt so warm and happy to see her daughter enjoying herself. And giggling. Maddie could be such a serious worrywart.
