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He jumps into her arms again and holds his hand out for me to high-five, which I rush to return.
“Good job, Liam,” I say, patting him on the back. “I’m not sure she would have said yes, if not for you.”
“Don’t be silly, Peanut. Of course, she would have,” he replies confidently with a beaming smile.
And while we’re back to nicknames, I don’t mind at all. I’ll take whatever I can when it comes to Liam. He’s been through too much to be rushed into any major life changes. He sets the pace and we follow along. But it’s nice to know that deep down he thinks of me that way.
We wait for Dani to change, despite my reluctance, then head to the beach for our quickie wedding. I had it all organized before dropping the surprise today, and I was joking when I said the courthouse. It always had to be the beach. Nonetheless, it’s still the simple affair we’d discussed and couldn’t be more perfect.
With the ceremony over in no time at all, suddenly I have a wife. A fucking wife. A year ago, I didn’t even want a girlfriend, and now, I’m married to the love of my fucking life. Turns out, I was just waiting for her to show up.
After signing the appropriate paperwork and heading out for dinner, it’s almost nine when we get home. And with all the excitement of today, it’s another hour before we get Liam off to sleep.
“I’m exhausted,” Dani says with a yawn as we finally slip into bed. “Do we have to consummate this wedding business tonight?”
She looks at me with pleading eyes, and I can’t stop the laugh that bursts out of me. “No, Wifey. We don’t. It’s okay to wait. I’ll settle for a cuddle, but only because you’ve caught me in a good mood.”
She shoves me onto my back, knowing full well I’m joking, before making herself comfortable on my chest. As I lie still, staring down at my now wife curled up around me, my mind drifts thinking about how lucky I am to have found her. The woman I’ve known for barely any time yet can say with absolute certainty that I’ll never let go of. She’s definitelyitfor me.
I hit play on our recent playlist and wait for the music to softly float through the room. Dani traces the tip of her finger across my newest tattoo, and I bite back a smile, knowing that of all the artwork I have painted across my body, that one is her favorite.Liam.It’s just a simple script written on my chest, but it’s the meaning behind it that she loves. I got it a few days after finding out I might be Liam’s dad, but before knowing for sure, and it always reminds me of the day we told Liam everything that was going on. He may have only been five, but Joel was right.As always. Liam’s so freaking smart and deserved to know the whole truth, so we gave it to him, within reason.
Sitting together on the carpet, Liam twists a block in his hand as Dani and I silently crouch beside him, waiting for the right time to continue as he processes what I’ve just said. “I’m your dad.”
After a moment, he drops the block and places his hands in his lap before giving me a nod.He’s ready.
“We know this is confusing, buddy. We’re all trying to get used to it, just like you, but we wanted you to know everything. We’re all in this together.”
He nods again as his eyes flash to Dani’s, needing some kind of reassurance and with a touch of her hand, he relaxes, and that alone tells me we’re going to be okay.
“So, it turns out that my dad was actually your grandpa. And he loved you. He knew that I wasn’t ready to be a dad, so he stepped up and took care of you for me until I was. Isn’t that great of him?”
Liam’s brows furrow and he scratches his head. “Is that why he left?”
Fuck!What do I say to that?
“No, sweetie,” Dani whispers, squeezing his hand and saving the day. “Your Pa didn’t want to go. But he was sick, and we didn’t catch it in time. He would have stayed forever if he could, so he and Jenny could be your grandparents.”
“So, Jenny’s my Nan?” Liam asks, the hint of a smile showing as things start to come together in his head.
“She is,” I say with my own smile. “And she can’t wait to talk to you about it. Just like I can’t wait to be your dad.”
“What about Aunty Dani? I…I wanted to…”
He trails off as he looks her way with sad eyes, and I finally realize what he was trying to say to me all those months ago. He wasn’t just telling me that Dani listens to him.He was telling me he wanted to live with her.
“Your Aunt Dani and I love you so much, and we love each other. We want you to live with both of us. Together.”
“We want to be a family,” Dani adds, squeezing his hand again.
“Does that sound okay, little buddy?”
Liam looks between the two of us with wide eyes, his hand raised slightly as if he stopped moving it midthought.
“Yeah, Peanut,” he says as a smile lights up his face. “That’s okay.”
Dani subtly sighs in relief as I pull Liam into a hug before bringing Dani in to join us. “Oh, Booger,” I say, messing up his hair. “We’re going to have so much fun.”
I smile wide as I’m brought back to the present. Back then I had no idea how to be a dad, but we’re doing okay, and I think that has everything to do with the woman beside me. Dani draws a heart around Liam’s name and smiles up at me, her eyes full of love. For me or the tattoo, it’s hard to say. And I can’t blame her for that; it’s one of my favorites too.
