Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56208 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 281(@200wpm)___ 225(@250wpm)___ 187(@300wpm)
I walk toward him on numb legs, my steps unsteady. “What’s this for?”
“What do you think, C-A-L-L-I-E?” He grins as he spells my name, then takes both my hands in his. “This is to show you how special you are to me. You’ve changed me, Callie. In no time at all—quicker than I thought was possible. You’ve shown me that I can be happy. Truly, unselfconsciously happy. You’ve made me want to strive to be a better father. You’ve inspired me. You do inspire me every single day. You make each day an adventure.” He clears his throat, getting choked up. “I know we tried to fight it, tried to pretend, tried to ignore this feeling. But I felt it the moment I laid eyes on you. And I think you did, too.”
“You can bet on it,” I whisper, tears pricking my eyes as I stare up into his intense, captivating face. “Gray, what are you saying?”
He tenderly strokes the hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear, tickling me, and making me laugh. But then the laugh turns into a wracked, sobbing noise. But there’s no pain in it, no regret. Just happiness—and a release, as if I can finally let go. I can finally stop second-guessing this feeling. He makes it possible. Somehow. By being him. By his daughter being who she is. By us being us.
“Callie Monroe,” he says, dropping to one knee and looking up at me.
“Daddy, wait.”
I turn to see Emery running across the clearing. Her eyes are glistening, too. She beams up at me, joining her father, standing at his side. He’s so tall that they’re around the same height, even when he’s kneeling.
“Don’t forget the best bit,” she says, reaching into the small pocket of her dress. “Duh.”
I cover my mouth as if to trap the joy there. She takes out a ring box, opening it to show a ring with a glittering diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds. It’s the most beautiful piece of jewelry I’ve ever seen, and it’s made even more beautiful by the moment, by the cute-as-heck little girl holding it, by her father beaming up at me, and the husky words leaving his kissable lips.
“Callie Monroe,” he says. “Will you marry me?”
Under her breath, Emery is whispering, “Say yes, say yes, say yes…”
“Yes,” I say, my voice quivering.
“Yippee!” Emery yells. “Daddy, put the ring on. Yay!”
Gray takes the ring and slides it on my finger, then stands up and spins me around into a kiss. I throw my arms around him. If Emery wasn’t here, I know I’d get carried away right now. But I wouldn’t have this any other way. Her being here makes the moment so much sweeter, so perfect.
“And we all lived happily ever after, right?” Emery says, glowing with joy.
No, the pessimistic part of my brain whispers. There’s no such thing as that, not in real life, only in books.
But with Emery beaming up at us, Gray’s arms wrapped around me, and more love glowing in me than I ever thought myself capable of before I walked into their lives, I know I’ll always be able to live in the light, in love.
“Who wants ice cream?” I say, winking at Emery.
“Uh, me,” she says.
I take Gray’s hand with one of mine, Emery’s with the other, and we walk out of the clearing and into our future together.
Epilogue
Gray
One Month Later
I walk among the partygoers, doing my best to smile and ‘people-please.’ Socializing is a decent-sized portion of my job, and although a plaza isn’t exactly the greatest achievement in an architect’s world—hence the speedy completion time—I’m still proud of my work. The modern art pieces I selected have been a hit, and everybody is complimenting me.
The problem? Lately, I just want to be with my girls. Gone are the days of burying my head in my work as though I’m outrunning something, stubbornly remaining in the office as though that will answer the questioning demons inside. Lately, I just want to be with Callie and Emery.
Emery darts into my path as though reading my mind. She’s wearing a pretty dress, her hair in pigtails. Lately, she’s adamant she wants to be a, in her words, fashion god. But last week, she was going to be an astronaut. As long as she’s happy, I’ll consider myself a success.
“Daddy,” she says. “Callie-kin asked me to give you something. She said it’s very important.”
I smile at the term of endearment, Callie-kin. Emery heard Callie’s friend, Katerina, call her it a couple of weeks ago, and it stuck. Emery reaches into her pocket and hands me a small pink envelope.
“Where is Callie-kin?” I ask.
“Sneaking.” Emery giggles. “Watching. She wants to see your…” Emery thinks for a moment. “Reaction.”
I smile, opening the envelope. There’s a small note and an object inside. I read the note first. Do you think Emery would prefer a little brother or a little sister?