AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I reached over and placed my hand on top of his. “You didn’t fuck anything up. But right now, we need to focus on Piper, not us. We can figure out everything else later.”
He nodded, giving me a small smile before starting the engine. Then we finally headed out to meet our daughter.
LINCOLN
The ride from the creek to the Kountry Kitchen where we were meeting Piper and her adoptive parents was pretty much silent except for the music on the radio.
I felt so stupid for what I’d done at the creek. I hadn’t planned on starting an argument with Liv or kissing her, but being back in our spot brought out so many buried emotions, and I lost control.
And I felt like an idiot because of it. Not only had I made things awkward between us, but I’d also cheated on Amber. Even though I still had feelings for Liv, I hadn’t meant to pursue them unless I’d ended things with Amber first. I didn’t want to be that guy—the lowlife cheater.
I glanced over at Liv, who had her hands tightly knotted in her lap. One of her legs bounced anxiously as she stared out the passenger window.
I reached over and placed my hand over hers. “Hey, don’t be nervous. Everything is going to be okay.”
She looked over at me and forced a smile. “I hope so.”
I squeezed her hands. “I know so. Piper’s gonna love you.”
We arrived about fifteen minutes early. We decided to sit in a booth near the front so we could see Piper and her adoptive parents when they entered.
As we waited, I remembered the couple that had adopted Piper. They were in their late thirties at the time and had been trying to conceive for several years before finally deciding to adopt. Mrs. Andrews was a teacher, and her husband was a doctor. She had dark brown hair and brown eyes, and Mr. Andrews had thinning blond hair and blue eyes. They were a wholesome couple with the stability we couldn’t provide; I couldn’t have chosen better people to adopt our daughter even though I never wanted the adoption in the first place.
Liv’s eyes were glued to the door. We were sitting on the same side of the booth next to each other, and I had my arm draped across the back. I was giving off a relaxed vibe, but deep down, I was probably more anxious than Liv.
Well, maybe not that anxious. Liv had always been screwed pretty tight, but that only made the rare moments when she let loose all the more worthwhile.
Liv stiffened, gripping my leg tightly. “There she is,” she whispered.
I followed her gaze to the entrance. In the doorway was the most beautiful little girl I’d ever seen. She had her momma’s hair, freckles, and the cutest button nose. And she had my eyes.
Liv inhaled deeply, holding her breath as she stood. Piper and her parents made their way toward us, and I stepped out of the booth, as well.
I felt like a thousand knots were twisting in my stomach as they approached. Piper’s adoptive parents were just as I remembered, and their smiles helped ease some of my nerves.
When they reached us, I extended my hand. “Hello, good to see you again.”
I finally heard Liv exhale as we all exchanged greetings. My gaze kept gravitating to my daughter, and I felt like I was in a dream.
Mrs. Andrews gripped Piper by the shoulders and ushered her in the middle of us. She was wearing the cutest pink tutu, and her hair was pulled up in a bun on top of her head. “This is Piper. Piper, these are your birth parents, Lincoln and Olivia.”
I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. I’d been waiting for that exact moment ever since the day we’d given her up. I knelt so that I was eye level with my daughter. “Hi, Piper.”
She darted her eyes from mine down to her feet, giving me a bashful smile. “Hi.”
I glanced up at Liv, who was staring at our daughter in awe with tears in her eyes. I grabbed her hand, giving it a little shake to get her attention. “Your momma and I have been waiting a long time to meet you.”
“You have?” Piper asked, looking back up at me, eyes wide with a mixture of excitement and disbelief.
I squeezed Liv’s hand, and she grinned. “Yes, we have.”
Our daughter responded with a beaming smile. We stood there for a few seconds, grinning like fools at each other in silence.
“Why don’t we sit down and get to know each other better?” Mr. Andrews suggested.
I nodded. “Good idea.”
We all sat down in the booth, the Andrews family on one side and Liv and me on the other.
