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We were both quiet, sizing each other up. It seemed that for now we had come to an agreement. I was on a trial basis. Stan could change his mind about me at any moment. But for now, we were civil. Amicable, even.
The door to the porch burst open and Lucy rushed in, holding up her gift. “Look Daddy, look what they got me!” Lucy brought the gift closer. A pair of binoculars. “So I can watch the animals. Like squirrels and birds and —”
“Well, that’s just about the nicest gift you’ve ever gotten, don’t’ you think?”
Lucy nodded enthusiastically.
I looked over at Stan. “Did you say thank you?”
She followed my gaze and then bashfully looked back at me.
“Go on.”
Lucy, being a brave girl, walked over toward Stan, binoculars to her chest. “Thank you for my present.”
All of Stan’s walls fell. “You know, if your daddy is okay with it, you could call me Grandpa. If you want.”
Lucy grinned and nodded. “I’d like that.” She threw her arms around him, and Stan drew her up into his lap in a tight hug.
“Oh, I’ve missed this…”
“It’s nice, isn’t it?”
Stan glanced at me from over Lucy’s shoulder. “Yeah. The best.”
Cara, Katie, and Linda joined us only a moment later. Cara smiled when she saw Stan and Lucy, and then her eyes found mine, full of concern.
I smiled. I could give her the details later; all she needed to know right now was that everything was okay.
We were going to be okay.
We spent the rest of the afternoon on the porch drinking coffee and eating a spread of Linda’s delectable baked goods, watching Lucy as she peered out the windows with her new binoculars.
Cara stayed by my side the whole time, fielding questions without hesitation, her hand in mine. Every question her family had about our life together had her smiling.
By the end of our visit, I felt the warmth of the Smith household. I could see where Cara’s boundless love came from. Just thinking that Lucy and our unborn child were going to have this much love in their lives had me beaming from ear to ear.
And ifIeven got a fraction of the love in this room? Well, I was going to live a beautiful life — with Cara by my side.
Epilogue
Cara
One year later…
I couldn’t believe the day was finally here. The opening of Little Wings Daycare. Everything was arranged to perfection, from the infant room to the indoor playground upstairs. So many people had turned out for our opening day. Members of the community, future students with their parents, and investors we had collected over the past year.
Not to mention the most important people of all: my family.
Henry, my little bundle of joy, was in a wrap on my chest. It was his near permanent spot since his birth. I took him everywhere with me. Building walk throughs, business meetings, coffee and dinner dates with my family. He was an extremely well-behaved baby, too, and was a beginner babbler, which made for lots of cute, nonsensical conversations.
Lucy, now seven and in second grade, was playing happy hostess. She was undaunted by anyone, talking to parents and entertaining their little ones, showing off her skills as a big sister. From the moment Henry was born, Lucy took the job very seriously. She wanted to know all the ins and outs of taking care of a baby and had become very adept at diaper changes. However, most of the time she spent with Henry was reading books about animals to him or entertaining him with stuffed animals.
Motherhood was the best thing that ever happened to me. And the hardest. But thankfully, my family was always there to lend a helping hand.
Katie was there keeping a close eye on Lucy so I could focus on making sure the event ran smoothly. Katie was in her final year of business school and had just accepted a job at an up-and-coming fashion brand in the city. She still had big dreams of starting her own business, but with Wesley’s guidance, had decided to start slow so she could really hone her focus.
“Everything alright?”
