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“You love me too?”
“I do, Chloe. You’re an amazing kid and I feel so privileged to know you and know you trust me enough to love your mom.”
She jumps down from the barstool, running around the kitchen island and throwing her little body at me so hard it knocks me sideways. She buries her face in my shirt, her arms squeezing me tight.
“Hey!” I tug at her arms but she squeezes me tighter. “Are you okay, Chloe?” Finally, she lets me pull her arms off of me and I squat down to be eye level with her. Tears stain her red face. “Oh, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She shakes her head, her chin quivering. “I’m just happy.”
“You don’t look very happy.” I laugh, pulling her back in for a hug. She’s struggling to explain her emotions, and I don’t want to force her.
“Will you be my dad?”
My heart feels like it’s about to rip out of my chest. I choke down the lump in my throat and nod my head. “I’ll be your bonus dad. I know you’re working on things with your real dad, and I never want him to feel he’s being replaced. But that won’t change a thing when it comes to how I feel about you. I’ll always see you as my girl.” A huge grin spreads across her face, making me smile too. “Now, are you ready to demolish a stack of waffles?”
“Blueberrywaffles,” she corrects me before climbing back up on her stool.
A little later, after the first round of waffles for Chloe, I prepare a plate of waffles with a fresh cup of coffee and glass of juice on a tray and tiptoe upstairs to Juliette’s bedroom.
“Good morning, beautiful.” I gently brush her hair away from her face as I kiss her forehead, causing her to stir.
“Good morning,” she says through a yawn, stretching her arms overhead as she sits up. “Smells like coffee.” She smiles then looks over to see the tray on the end of the bed. “Oh my God, did you bring me breakfast in bed?”
“I did.” I pull back the curtains, handing her my T-shirt after pulling it over my head.
“This is amazing. I’ve never had breakfast in bed before!” She smiles, shoving a pillow behind her.
“Never?” I ask in disbelief and shake my head. “Well, get used to it, baby, because I’m going to make sure I spend the rest of my life spoiling you.”
“Rest of your life, huh?” She gives me a coy smirk, reaching for the coffee as I bring the tray over to her.
“Oh yeah, thought we established that last night. You’re never escaping, and if you try, we both know I’ve got the skills to track you down.”
“Mmm, sexy stalker vibes.” She giggles.
“You have no idea.” I nibble her neck, making her laugh even more.
“Oh, need my pill.” She tosses the sheets aside, reaching into her nightstand to pull out her birth control.
“You do?”
She pauses her movements, her fingers about to push a pill through the packet. “I don’t?”
I slowly lean forward, taking the pill packet from her hand. “You don’t.” I toss it on the bed.
“So we’re really doing this?”
“Oh, we’re doing this,” I crawl up her body, “and I’m going to enjoy every delicious moment of it.”
23
JULIETTE
THREE MONTHS LATER . . .
“Here, I wanted to give you something I found at my parents’ house. These were mine when I was your age.” Caleb smiles as he hands a gift bag to Chloe.
The first few times we met with her father, Chloe was closed off, quiet, and unsure of how to handle herself. But with each visit, she’s become more comfortable, telling her dad about school, things she’s learned recently, and books she’s reading.
