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She’d probably call me whatever Sia called me. Hope and Lucky’s daughter would call me Daddy. Would he be okay with that?
What did Brayleigh call Minty? Sparky?
I grinned. Maybe she’d call me Poppy.
I folded my hands behind my head. Father of two. Two little girls. A girl dad.
But while I was enjoying the future unfurling in my imagination, my favorite baby girl was freaking the fuck out.
“Uh…”
She didn’t know what to do.
I waited.
“Frig…” she whispered.
“Get in here, little girl,” I demanded.
She began to babble, so I headed down the hall.
“Uh, I’m going to go make coffee. You want coffee? You can come and get the baby and I’ll make us coffee. Do you have coffee in the house?” She paused for an eighth of a second. “Want me to go to the store for coffee?”
She rocked from one foot to the other in the center of the room with her eyes squeezed shut and held Sia tucked under her chin.
“Hey,” I called softly.
Her eyes flew open, and her face flushed crimson.
“I’m sorry. I’m pushing too hard. I didn’t mean it.” Her mouth snapped shut and her brow furrowed. “Well, I could mean it.” Her eyebrows rose and her eyes widened. “I coulddefinitelymean it. Just not yet.” Her gaze flew to mine then just as quickly skittered away. “I mean, I’d be okay with it if you were. I know I’m not her mother. Not yet.” She winced. Finally, her shoulders drooped, and she met my eyes. “But I really want to be…”
“You really want to be?” I asked softly, taking a step toward her.
“I really do.” Without taking her eyes off me, she ran her soft palm over Sia’s silky head. Kissed her gently on the side of her little face. “I don’t want to push.” She closed her eyes. “I know all of this is hard for you. But I missed you so much. I missedherso much.” She sniffed. “And I was so worried she’d forget me.”
I nodded at Sia’s little body curled against Hope’s chest, her tiny hand kneading the top of Hope’s breast. Just like the first time they met. “Does it seem like she forgot you?”
“No,” she squawked.
I thought her laugh was wild, but the noises this woman made when she tried not to cry.
“For the love God, no more crying,” I griped, closing the space between us. “I can’t handle any more of your tears. I only want happy tears from now on. Not even happy tears. Happy smiles.”
“I’ll do my best,” she bleated. “I never cry! I don’t know what’s wrong with me!”
I laughed and pulled both of my girls to my chest.
“Hope,” I whispered.
“Mm-hm?”
“Of course, she’s going to call you Mama,” I assured her softly. “Who else is going to be her Mama?”
Hope stiffened in my arms, then pushed away, her hand on my chest. “I know that,” she scoffed.
I chuckled as she pulled herself together.
“You should probably move in.”
