“Not all of it. Some, yes. But not all. With the loss of Miranda, even before that, with us not involving ourselves in her life, and with the twins, it put a strain between us. Livvie is a stubborn woman.” Dad grinned before clearing his throat. “So we’re separating, going to try to reconnect. I’m furious with her, but I don’t hate her. I don’t think I can hate her. She’s my childhood sweetheart.”
“Really?” That surprised me. I didn’t know anything about their relationship. I’d never wanted to know, and they’d never pushed to share. Twenty-five years old, and only now was I learning anything about the relationship between my father and stepmother.
“Really. She was a firecracker when we were growing up.” Dad’s smile was full of love for the person he knew Olivia to be. I kind of wished I knew that person too. “I’m dedicated to the marriage. I want us to work. So we’re separated while we get help. She needs to pull herself out of the hole of depression she’s in, and I need to learn to be a husband she can trust. I broke that when I had the affair and then never bothered to apologize for it after she found out. I never even talked about it with her when I took you in.”
“So, taking a break? Is marriage something people take a break from?”
“If it means we stay together in the end, then yes. Sometimes, in life and in marriage, we lose ourselves, we lose touch with what brought us together. I lost touch with Livvie a long time ago. It’s the reason you exist.”
His words felt a bit like a slap in the face.
Realizing what he said, he tried to quickly fix the pain he easily inflicted. “I’m sorry. I’m not here to fight.”
“What do you want then?” I asked, my voice coming out strained. Of course something had to come and ruin all the fun I’d been having. It was against the pendulum of life to have too much fun. Eventually, something would come and ruin it all in the name of balance.
“I want to open communications with you so to speak. I do want to be in the twins’ lives. I want to be in yours, too. In any way that you will have me. If it’s only a dinner once a month, or only during holidays, then that’s fine. I’ll take what I can get.”
“Olivia?” I asked.
“Same. She’ll take what she can get. We understand if right now, you don’t want to see our faces. We understand why.”
It was so hard to unclench my teeth. There was so much I wanted to say, so much I wanted to scream about.
But we had to start somewhere, right? That was what he was trying to say.
Swallowing my need to throw a tantrum until all the injustice I felt growing up went away, I grabbed the doorknob. “Would you like to see the twins and meet some important people in my life?” He’d seen the guys but this would be the first time I formally introduced him to them. I had never ever introduced a boyfriend to my dad before. It almost felt like I was finally having that high school moment I’d been deprived of.
Nerves washed over me and my hand shook. Gripping the knob tighter did nothing to hide my anxiety.
Dad’s expression brightened. “Yes, I’d like that.”
Okay. I could do this. I blew out a small breath and pushed back into my apartment.
“Lawson, Lee, your grandfather is here to see you.”
They came bounding over as Dad removed his shoes at our mud section.
Dad got them talking over each other as they greeted him and threw more questions than I could process at him.
Maybe he was the perfect diversion I needed. I inched toward the living room where the guys were all hiding, trying to pretend to give my family their moment.
“You guys should go say hi to my dad,” I said, blinking innocently.
Bryce’s eyes narrowed. “No, it’s good for him to have some private time with Lawson and Lee.”
My gaze involuntarily went to the stack of DVDs. They were so close. I could just swipe them and run. Toss them out my window.
The guys knew exactly where my thoughts were because all three of them moved into my sight, blocking my view.
“Not happening.” Bryce’s grin was boyish. Even the dimples came out. He needed to put those dangerous weapons away. My legs wanted to go gooey as I looked at them.
The twins dragged my dad into the living room and gave him no choice but to sit down.
Koen brought me into the kitchen and in a low voice, asked, “Are you okay with this?”
The low murmuring and giggling coming from the living room was enough to make my answer easy. “Yes. They deserve to know their family.”
“And you?” Bryce asked. “Do you want to invite him into your life? Is this what you want?”
I stared at Dayton’s chest since he stood directly in front of me. Needing to fidget, I played with the fabric of my dress. “The little girl in me says I need to do this. I can’t be scared anymore. It’s easier now too.”
“What do you mean?” Dayton asked.
“You guys are here. With you around, I’m slowly learning how I should be treated as a human being, not as a burden. I’m learning that I can be appreciated and cared for, despite my quirks.”
A hand grabbed my chin and gently made me look into Bryce’s intense hazel eyes. “There is no despite, Maddie. Your quirks, your personality, who you are should never be put down by others, no matter who they are.”
The smile I responded with was sad. “I know that now. Because of you guys. Even Felix didn’t make me realize that. I’m learning about how I should be treated because of you three.”
“Maddie…” Dayton looked ready to pull me into a hug, but a throat clearing interrupted the moment.
We all turned as one to see my dad on the other side of the counter, looking embarrassed.
“Sorry. I need to get going.” His gaze flickered at all the guys before landing on me. By his expression, I knew he had questions, but he wasn’t going to ask them, even as my expression dared him to. “Is it okay to set up another time to visit?”
My nod was stiff. “Of course. Let me know when you’re available and we can synchronize our watches.”
Dad blinked for a moment before giving me a stiff smile.
He went toward the front door. When he’d made it almost to the mud section, I finally got enough nerve to call out to him.
“Um, Dad?”
“Yeah?” He turned to face us.
“Before you go, I’d like to introduce you to my boyfriends.”
I heard a chorus of sharp breaths from behind me, and it began feeling like molten lava was tossed on my face. This would be the first time I used that term, but I wasn’t going to hide it from my dad. There was nothing for me to be ashamed about. Nothing at all.
Those words became a mantra in my head as I pointed to each guy and gave my dad their names.
Dad’s expression was blank, giving none of his thoughts away. Was he disgusted? Did he not approve? How was he going to react?
His shoulders lowered and he rubbed at the back of his head. “I have no business butting in or saying anything, not with my past or with how my own marriage is going. I can only hope that whatever you are doing, you find happiness. You deserve that and so much more, and I know I never gave you any of it.” He looked over all three men. “And if they do something to break your heart, know that I’ll stand by you. I have connections.”
Oh my God. Did my dad just make a threat to my boyfriends? Did that make our father-daughter relationship official?
All three guys surged forward, blocking me from view. “We’d never do anything to hurt her,” Dayton said.
“She’s precious. I’d rather chop my own head off than hurt her,” Bryce said.
“We’re determined to give her the moon and the stars,” Koen said. “We won’t hurt her.”
Well, if Koen deemed it so, then it had to be true, right?
I blinked back traitorous happy tears. Their admission was everything I needed at that moment. They would stand between me and my dad if I needed it.
And apparently, my dad would help me h
unt them down and barbeque them if I needed it.
The love was being tossed all around, drowning me.
And the guys were promising to give it to me for years to come.
Was this my happily ever after?
Author’s Note
That’s it. You read the end to Maddie’s beginning. What did you think? I hope you enjoyed her little journey through adulthood as much as I have. This was probably the most challenging plot for me to write. Funnily, writing contemporary is not easy. And I tried to unpack so much in two books, when I originally only planned a standalone. I can only hope I did the issues I challenged justice.
Is this really the end of Maddie? For now! There will probably be other books in the distant future. If there are, they’ll be standalone books showcasing her relationship with the guys and the twins as they grow closer and older in different situations. There were some things I wanted to do that I couldn’t fit in here. Fall time has way too many holidays and Christmas is just around the corner!
For now, consider this chapter of Maddie’s story closed. We got her to the start of a beautiful relationship, we got her believing in those around her, in allowing others to support her. We got her to a happy place, and I’m glad I did. Maddie is so much like many of us. I hope this story gives you hope and happiness for your own lives. She’s a huge part of me, and as many have voiced to me after reading the first book, a huge part of others too. Her fears are our fears, and while they may come off as ‘silly’ sometimes, it doesn’t negate how very real they are to people. Anxiety is real and it’s hard. It’s not something for anyone to laugh at.
From the Author
Gifted Anomalies
Fate Foretold
Surviving Souls
Hidden Hearts (Coming Soon)
Adulting Not Allowed
Scalding Hot Chocolate
Sizzling Hot Apple Cider
Monster Academy
Lesson One: Finding Allies
Lesson Two: Staying True
Lesson Three: Fighting Bravely (Coming 2020)
Biomystic Security Completed Series
Magical Intentions
Magical Temptations
Magical Attraction
Magical Seclusion
Magical Redemption
Magical Collision
From the Embers Completed Series
Emergence
Transformation
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