Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66570 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)
“You’re right. You never hit. I’m glad Amy was there too. And I promise that lady—”
She interrupted me. “Kelsey. Uncle E said her name was Kelsey.”
“Yes, it is. I promise you Kelsey will never bother you again.”
“Good. Can I go back to school on Monday?”
“Yes.”
“I like it there. I like it here—especially if Kelsey isn’t around.”
“You’ll never have to see her again.”
“Okay.” She shifted closer. “But Daddy, I wanna talk about Amy.”
I pulled her onto my lap, holding her close. “What about her, Sweet Pea?”
“She was a real mom today. Like Holly. She protected me. Yelled at Kelsey. Held me really tight.”
“I know.”
“I want her to be my mom, and I asked Uncle E how to make it happen.”
“I see. And what did Uncle E say?”
“He said you had to do three things. So you need to do them, okay?”
“What are the three things?”
She held up her fingers, counting down. “You have to ask her to marry you.” Then she frowned. “Wait, first you have to buy a ring. That’s the number one rule. Then you ask her. When she says yes, then you have to make it legal. And ask her to be my mom.” She paused. “Or maybe you ask her to be my mom when you ask her to marry you.”
“I think I can figure it out.”
“He said something about you have to man up, but I don’t know what that means. Maybe you need help to do all that?”
My lips quirked. “Ah, no. I got it.”
“Good. I really want her to be my mom. And I want a sister. You can have a brother for me later, but I really want a sister first.”
“How about we start with the ring and the question first?”
“Soon?”
“You’d like that, Mia?”
She nodded. “We need Amy, Daddy. I need a mommy, and you need a wife.”
“Why do you think that, baby?” I asked, curious. “We were always okay when it was just us.”
“Because she makes your heart show in your eyes, Daddy. I like it when I see your heart.”
I blinked at her words.
“Then I better get busy.”
She nodded. “Get a nice ring, Daddy.”
I kissed the end of her nose. “I’ll do that. Can you keep it a secret until I ask her?”
“Yes.”
I tucked her tight to my chest. “I love you, Mia.”
She flung her arms around my neck. “I love you, Daddy.”
We had pizza and watched another movie. All of us wore pajamas and warm socks and snuggled under the blanket, Mia tucked between us. I saw Amy glance at her often. The glimmer of tears happened a few times, and I held her hand, squeezing her fingers. Mia was happy, sipping her juice, eating her pizza, stealing the pepperoni off mine as usual. She fell asleep between us, and neither Amy nor I moved to carry her upstairs, even after the movie ended.
“Are you all right, Amy?” I asked, seeing the way she looked at Mia.
She nodded, but once again, her eyes filled with tears.
“She’s fine,” I whispered. “Evan did a great job talking to her, and she is okay. I’ll watch her.”
“I don’t know if I’m okay,” she whispered back. “I knew I loved her. I knew she was so special to me, but when I saw Kelsey and the way she was dragging her away, something just snapped.”
I caressed her cheek. “Your momma bear came out. Evan said you were ferocious. Standing your ground, telling Kelsey off. Refusing to release Mia. Protecting her.”
“I couldn’t bear to let her touch her. Just thinking of what might have happened if I had been two minutes longer coming outside…” She covered her face and began to weep silently. I stood, taking Mia with me and settling her into the corner of the sofa. I sat next to Amy and pulled her into my arms, letting her cry. I ran my hands up and down her back, making hushing noises the way I did when Mia was upset, but I didn’t try to stop her tears. I let her cry it out, then pressed some tissues into her hand, and once she lifted her gaze to mine, I cupped her face. The tears had washed away some of the makeup, and I saw the faint outline of the bruise Kelsey had left behind. I kissed her skin gingerly, not wanting to hurt her at all.
“You were there,” I murmured. “You stopped Kelsey. She will never come near Mia again. Or you. Any of us. Halton texted and said she’s under watch in rehab. She’s signed everything and will have a record now. She’s out of our life for good.”
She nodded, a silent shiver running through her.
“Thank you for protecting our girl today, Amy. I have the same images of Kelsey getting away with it, but it didn’t happen. We can’t think about the what-ifs but celebrate the reality we have. Mia is safe, slightly annoyed at the rudeness of a woman she has no desire to know, and she is with us. Where she is gonna stay. Okay?”