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“Mmmm?” I managed as a sleepy haze settled over me, soothing me into blissful unconsciousness.
“Would you spend next weekend with me?” His fingers stroked through the long tendrils of my hair while the other settled possessively upon my hip. “I mean, would you spend the weekend with Amie and me? I know you already said you did, but I just need to ask again if you want to get to know my daughter better?”
They came as a package deal, is what he meant. This man had no need to worry. Although I hadn’t gotten to spend much time with her, I adored his daughter. I loved the time I spent with her and so wanted to spend more.
“I’d love to, Travis.” I rolled over and pushed him onto his back. I laid next to him, head on his chest. My hand settled upon his chest, resting just over the steady beat of his heart as I snuggled against him and told him how much I would love to get to know Amie and how much I loved him for trusting me to have the chance. “There’s nothing I’d rather do than get to know you and that sweet, precious little girl better.”
“Do you . . . “ His words trailed off briefly before he said, “Do you think we could grow into a family?” He glanced down at me. I looked up at him with blurred vision and tears pouring down my cheeks. And that right there was the best thing about Travis. Last night, shortly after we got back from the reception, I told him why I was unable to have children. All of it. The pain. The horrifying diagnosis. The frightening process of chemotherapy and the struggle to recover. Travis simply held me as I broke down and wept against his chest. He didn't offer fancy words or try to say that it would get better. He just held me as I cried. The only promises he made were to love me no matter what.
“Being part of a family is one of the three things I’ve always wanted most. It’s one of my three wishes,” I confessed. No one but Casey and Runa knew of my three wishes, but suddenly I needed to tell Travis. I wanted him to know how much what he asked meant to me. “Since I was a little girl, I’ve had these three wishes. The first wish was to have a successful career. The second wish was for a good man to love me and who’d let me love him in return. And finally, my last wish was to be a mother.” I went on to tell him how I thought the last two would be impossible because of that complicated history with men, along with my cancer diagnosis and subsequent hysterectomy. I broke down once the truth was out.
Travis hugged me close as I cried against him. He continued to brush his fingers through my hair and whispered that he loved me and how he admired my strength. He said all the right things. Things no one had ever said before.
“And you can have all three with me,” he vowed as he lifted my hand to his lips and dotted kisses across each knuckle. “You can have all three and someday if you decide you want more children, we have options. And I’ll love you through each and every one, my darling. I will love you always.”
Little did this man know he gave me the hope I’d been searching for. Instead of shying away and feeling sorry for me, he accepted all that came with me and offered me a pathway forward rather than running away.
“I love you so much,” I whispered. “So much, Travis. Thank you. Thank you for loving me.”
Those were the last words I heard before I surrendered to sleep’s irresistible spell, spending the next six hours feeling comfortable, relaxed, and most importantly, cherished.
twenty-eight
Dee
“Thatwassomuchfun!” Amie shouted as she and I twirled in the grass. Travis spread out a blanket and was now unpacking the food and drinks for our picnic. His laugh filled the air, blending with Amie’s squeals as she and I continued to play, enjoying the beautiful, sun-filled afternoon.
Today was one of the best days of my life. It started out with Travis and Amie showing up at my door bright and early. Amie insisted on checking out my house, immediately declaring she liked it better than their penthouse and that my backyard was “simply amazing.”
“It’s got a big tree for a treehouse, Daddy!This house is soooo much better than ours!” she squealed as she opened up the backdoor and headed out for a closer inspection. After Amie had taken herself on a self-guided tour, we left and had breakfast at Jason’s bistro. Amie was a big fan of hiscrepes sucres, or sweet crepes. Drizzled with honey and powdered sugar, they melted on the tongue while promising a trip to the dentist. Not to mention the oncoming sugar high.
After breakfast, we trekked to the zoo where we spent hours moving from exhibit to exhibit, checking out the animals, learning about them and their habitats, and just happy to spend time together. I enjoyed being a part of their family, yet, there was still a small hole in my heart because being here with Travis and Amie made me miss Nathan and Daniel. Amie was a good balm though. Her excitement and enthusiasm helped soothe that ache and offered a pleasant distraction. My heart was full as I watched Amie’s adorable little face light up as she pointed out the big cats. She’d peppered Travis with dozens of questions and after he’d managed to answer them all, she insisted on calling them “pay-pex-preda-daters.”
What did I tell you? Adorable.
It was well past noon when Amie complained that she was hungry and Travis’s stomach grumbled in agreement. We headed to the nearby park and quickly found a sunny spot close to the water for our picnic. We’d been here ever since and I swore nothing could ruin this day. That was until she showed up.
“What the fuck is going on here?” An unfamiliar snarl tore at my ear as a pair of hands grabbed my arm and spun me and Amie around. I was stunned that someone had dared to put their hands on me.
“Get your hands off of me! Who do you think you are?” I demanded, but I had a strong suspicion I already knew.
“Get your hands off my daughter!” Tami snarled and tried to snatch Amie from my arms. Wide-eyed and frightened, Amie let out a blood-curdling scream. Her trembling little arms clung to me, begging me to not let her go.
“I don’t think so!” I snapped back, blocking Tami’s attempt to snatch and grab.
“I gave birth to her! She’smydaughter!” Tami tried her snatch and grab again. Predicting the move, I moved just out of reach, preventing her from taking the precious little angel left in my care.
“Mother? We both know you’re no mother! You just donated the egg!”
“What do you know, bitch? I carried that brat for nine months!” Tami bit viciously. “I’m the one who got fat and got stretch marks! Now give me my fucking daughter before I call the police!”
“Go ahead and call them. You’re crazy if you think I’m just going to hand her over to you.”
“I want Daddy!” Amie wailed as her little arms clutched my neck in a vise grip. I kept my eyes locked on Tami while I rubbed soothing circles over Amie’s back. Her tiny body trembled with fear, but Tami didn’t care.
“Shut the fuck up, you goddamned brat!”
“NOOO!” Amie howled. Tami tried to grab her yet again. With my arms secured around Amie, I aimed a kick at Tami’s grabby hands.
