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I lifted Liv up and took her in my arms. Spinning her around, I hugged her tightly. There were no words to express how happy I was at that moment.
When I set her down, I cupped her face and kissed her deeply. When we pulled apart, I exhaled a sigh of contentment. A lifetime of her kisses wouldn’t be enough, but I’d take every single one I could get.
“We’re going to be a family?” Piper croaked, her voice hoarse and laced with sleep.
Liv and I both turned to look at our daughter. Draping my arm around Liv’s shoulders, I smiled, happier than I’d ever been. “Yeah, sweetheart, we are.”
The process took months and countless court visits, but we finally got our parental rights reinstated. During those months, Liv moved from Charlotte back to Beaufort and transferred to the Coastal Reserve. We also put Piper in counseling just to make sure she had the help she needed to deal with the loss of Tim and Emily.
The three of us were still adjusting to living together. Liv had been on her own since high school, so she didn’t like having to give up some of her independence and wasn’t used to sharing responsibilities with someone else. Neither of us had cared for a child full-time, and it was definitely different than a weekend sleepover. Some days were harder than others, but they were all worth it.
When everything was finalized, I took Piper and Liv out to eat at our favorite restaurant to celebrate. I’d also been planning a surprise for the occasion and hoped everything went according to plan.
On the drive to dinner, Piper said, “That looks so cool. Can we go there?”
Our eyes met in the rearview mirror, and she winked. A smile curved my lips as our plan was set into motion.
Liv looked over her shoulder at Piper, then followed her gaze out the window. “Where? The lighthouse?”
“Yes. I’ve never been to one.”
Liv laughed as she placed her hand on my arm. “That’s one of our favorite places.”
“So can we go? Please?”
I chuckled. “Sure. We’ll stop on the way home.”
“Yay!”
After dinner, I took the girls to the lighthouse. Liv and I laid out a blanket as Piper chased a flock of seagulls.
“Mommy, Mommy, look at this!” Piper called out, waving frantically at us.
Liv chuckled as we made our way to where Piper was jumping up and down. “What is it, sweetie?”
My stomach was jumbled in knots as we neared Piper. She pointed at the sand, giggling with glee.
Liv’s gaze followed our daughter’s finger, and she gasped, placing her hand over her mouth as her eyes darted up to mine, then back down. In the sand, I’d written a message:
Will you marry me?
I got down on one knee and pulled a ring box from my pocket. Tears trickled down Liv’s cheeks as she brought her eyes back to mine. “Olivia Lewis, I’ve loved you since the moment I saw you and will love you as long as the stars shine in the night sky, just as I promised all those years ago. We may be ten years behind schedule, but I want to spend the rest of my life making up for it.”
I opened the box and held it up toward her. “Will you marry me?”
A sob escaped Liv, then she laughed. Her face was flushed and streaked with tears as she nodded. “Yes,” she whispered. “Yes, yes, yes.”
My chest was tight with so much emotion I thought I’d burst. I felt like my life was finally falling into place after missing two vital pieces for so long—the love of my life and our daughter.
With shaking hands, I slipped the ring on Liv’s finger. I stood, grinning from ear to ear as I took her in my arms and twirled her around, then kissed her.
And at that moment, I couldn’t be happier.
EPILOGUE
Two years later
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