Unexpected Fall

by Ryan, Kaylee

  “You.” She chuckles softly. “You know how to hit a girl with all the feels.”

  “What’s that? You want me to feel you?” I say, lightening the mood.

  “That too,” she says, this time it’s full-on laughter.

  “Music to my ears,” I say in regard to her laughter. “Tell Amelia I said hello.”

  “Will do. I’ll text you later.” She ends the call.

  I already feel lighter by just talking to her and hearing the sound of her voice. I have to admit talking with the guys earlier helped. I knew I was all in and have told her this, but telling her again, reminding her that we’re in this together can’t hurt. Repeating that I want Daisy in our lives as well, reassuring her is always a good thing. Pulling into my parents’ driveway, my stomach rumbles, already calling out for whatever it is my mother is creating in her kitchen. I don’t know what it is, but I know if Mom’s making it, it’s going to be delicious.

  Climbing out of the truck, I check to make sure I have my phone in case Dawn needs me, and head inside. I don’t bother knocking, instead calling out my arrival.

  “In here,” Dad calls from the kitchen.

  I let his voice and my nose guide the way. “Is that… roast?” I ask.

  “Sure is.”

  “My stomach thanks you,” I say, kissing Mom on the cheek. “Can I help?”

  “You know how she is, son. This is her domain.” Dad laughs.

  I raise my hands, backing away, and Mom tosses a dishtowel at me. “What did I do?” I ask, laughing.

  “You two.” She points between the two of us. “I’ll be glad when we can bring Daisy home. Then you two are outnumbered. Finally, the women will rule.” She holds up the tongs she’s using to plate the roast as if she’s the victor.

  My chest tightens at their automatic acceptance of Daisy. I know they love Dawn; they’ve both been telling me for months to stop beating around the bush and make us official. Then that night happened—the night she lost her parents—and things spiraled, but we made it to where we’re supposed to be. She knows I love her and support her. That’s what matters.

  Dad and I clean up after dinner, forcing Mom to sit and relax. We catch up on life, and everything would be perfect if my girls were here.

  They’ll be home soon.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Dawn

  It’s been five long weeks, but finally today, Daisy Elizabeth is coming home. I chose Elizabeth because it was my mom’s middle name. I filed for adoption, and the attorney has told me he sees no obstacles that would prevent that from happening.

  I’m a mother.

  To my niece.

  I have a daughter.

  It’s all new, and I’m scared as hell to leave this hospital with her. To know that her care is in my hands. If it were not for the fact that I know I have Kendall and Reagan to rely on, I’d be freaking out more than I am. Oh, and then there’s Mark. My amazing boyfriend, who has accepted this new change in my life. He’s been there every step of the way with his never-wavering support. I’m lucky to have him.

  “I’m going to miss her, and you,” Lynn, the pediatric nurse who’s been with us since day one, says. She’s currently going through our discharge paperback.

  “I know. We’re going to miss you too,” I tell her. “However, I’ll be glad to be home and get settled. Get into a routine.”

  “Routines are important with little ones,” she agrees.

  “Okay. I think we’ve gone over everything. The social worker has signed off on the release so you’re free to go.”

  “That’s it?” I ask. After all this time, it’s hard to believe we’re going home.

  “That’s it. Mark’s pulling the car around front, right?”

  I work to not roll my eyes. “He is. I explained that I didn’t give birth, which means walking to the parking lot is fine, but he insisted.”

  “From first glance, I’d have pegged him for a fighter more so than a lover.” She laughs. “But he’s all heart when it comes to the two of you.”

  “He is,” I agree. There’s not much I can say that she hasn’t already witnessed firsthand over the past few weeks.

  “You girls ready to go?” Mark asks, walking into the room. He’s carrying a baby seat. It’s dark gray with pink and white daisies on it.

  “Your mom.” I smile and shake my head.

  “This is nothing. She bought her a blanket online with her name on it and it’s covered in daisies too.” He shrugs.

  “She’s too sweet.” I smile up at him.

  “Come here, sweet girl,” he says, taking Daisy from my arms.

  I don’t even try to stop him. Instead, I admire this man—all tattoos and muscles—cuddle the pink bundle. It melts my heart to watch him with her like this. To know that regardless of what life has thrown at us, he’s here for the long haul. I’ve seen him with his twin niece and nephew, and of course our friends’ kids, but this feels different.

  “Thanks, Lynn,” Mark says, pulling me out of my thoughts. “Ready, baby?” he asks.

  He’s standing before me, diaper bag—that he bought, which is pink and gray, not manly at all—thrown over his shoulder, and the car seat in his hand. Daisy is snoozing away, all bundled up with her pink fuzzy blanket that Reagan brought her last weekend.

  “Yes.”

  I hug Lynn and then turn back to him. He holds his free hand out for me, and I don’t hesitate to put mine in his. Together, we make our way to the elevator, and out to the parking lot. Mark places Daisy in the middle of the back seat of his truck, placing her seat in the base as if he’s done it a million times.

  “Up you go,” he says, turning to me and placing his hands on my hips, lifting me into his truck.

  “Mark.” I laugh. “I’m capable of getting into your truck.”

  “Probably.” He shrugs. “But I needed my hands on you. It’s been too long, Pixie.”

  I don’t bother to argue with him. I know it’s not going to do me any good. He waits until I’m buckled up in the back seat before closing the door and rushing around to the driver’s side.

  “Homeward bound, ladies,” he says, adjusting his rearview mirror.

  “This day seems like it took forever to get here.” I glance at the sleeping baby.

  “Glad it wasn’t just me. I’ll be glad to have the two of you home, where you belong.”

  My heart does that thing again where it squeezes in my chest when he says things like that. Words can’t describe how much I love this man.

  * * *

  “I thought we could swing by my place first, if you don’t mind,” Mark says from the front seat as we get closer to my place.

  “Sure,” I say, because being alone with this little angel beside me for the first time is freaking me out.

  “Mom stopped by earlier. She left us her crockpot lasagna, and some other stuff.”

  “That was sweet of her. She didn’t have to do that,” I tell him.

  “She’s been there with me and my sister. Taking care of a newborn is exhausting. Her words, not mine,” he’s quick to add. “She wanted the first day home to be less stressful. I told her to just take it to my place.”

  “I’m suddenly starving. Your mom is an outstanding cook,” I say, even though he already knows.

  “That she is,” he agrees, pulling into his driveway.

  “What in the world?” I say, looking at the front porch. It’s decorated with pink balloons and a big stork that’s in the flower bed that says Welcome Home, Daisy. I try but fail to fight the tears.

  “Did you do this?”

  “Not directly.” He smiles over his shoulder at me.

  “Meaning?” I ask, wiping my tears and smiling at the same time. I’m such an emotional roller coaster you would think I’m the one who just gave birth.

  “I might have helped orchestrate it. And by that, I mean, I bought everything and my parents took care of it when they dropped the food off.”

  “What am I going to do with
you?”

  “Love me?” he offers with a boyish grin.

  “Done.”

  He throws his head back and laughs, which causes Daisy to startle, but fall right back to sleep. “I’ll get her,” he says, climbing out of the truck and opening the back door. “You remember the garage code?”

  “Yes.” Grabbing the diaper bag, I rush to open the garage door so they can get inside.

  “You know, my truck not fitting in this garage is an issue. Not now, but it will be this winter when we take her out. I should look into getting an SUV or something.”

  “We have my car,” I remind him. I don’t ask why he assumes Daisy and I will be here this winter. I’ve accepted that he wants to be in our lives and it thrills me. I don’t know what I did to find him, to have his love and attention, but I’m forever thankful for him.

  “You should probably look into something bigger too,” he tells me. “By the time you put that stroller in the trunk, it’s full.”

  “I’ve been thinking of a new car, but not with baby paraphernalia in mind.” I hold the door open for him. “Times, they are a changing.”

  He bends to place a kiss on my lips. “Let’s change with them,” he says, stepping into the house.

  I follow along behind him. “Where are we going?” I ask when he doesn’t go to the living room or even the kitchen. Instead, he heads to the opposite side of the house where the bedrooms are. “Mark?” I ask, and he keeps on walking, Daisy’s seat in his arms until he reaches one of the bedroom doors.

  “Close your eyes,” he instructs.

  “What’s going on?” I ask, confused.

  “Please? Just close your eyes.”

  “Okay,” I say hesitantly. My eyes flutter closed. I hear the door open and feel his arm slide around my waist.

  “I’ve got you. Just step forward,” he says, his lips next to my ear. Once we’re in the room, he releases his hold on me. “Give me just a second. Keep them closed.”

  “You know this is killing me, right? What are you doing?” I can hear him moving around, but the sound gives nothing away.

  “Almost ready.”

  I wait, shifting from one foot to the next, antsy for what’s about to happen. I have no idea what he’s up to, but I’m sure whatever it is, it involves the baby. He’s been adamant the last couple of weeks making it known he wants the package deal. It’s hard to tell what he’s done.

  “I’m going to count to three and you can open your eyes. Are you ready?” he asks, teasing me.

  “Really?” I laugh.

  “Thought so.” His deep chuckle washes over me. “Okay, open,” his deep timbre whispers.

  I blink my eyes open. Immediately, my hand flies to cover my mouth. We’re standing in the middle of the most beautiful nursery I’ve ever seen before. Each of the four walls are painted in soft pastel colors of purple, pink, yellow, and green. There’s a white crib, a changing table, dresser, and a rocking chair. The white wood stands out against the colors on the wall. Over the baby bed, hangs the letters of her name. The strings are white, and each letter is painted bright colors of blue, orange, pink, green, and yellow.

  “Crazy daisies,” he says from behind me.

  “How did you? When did you?” I turn to look at him, and he has Daisy in his arms.

  He shrugs. “I had some time on my hands when you asked me to leave, and later when I was here without you. I used it wisely.”

  “Mark, this is— It’s incredible.” I turn, taking in every detail. “I can’t believe you did all of this.”

  “I told you I picked up a few things,” he says.

  “This is more than a few things. This is everything she needs.”

  “The changing table has diapers and a wipe warmer. The sales lady assured me it was an essential item. There are some clothes of all sizes in the closet. Those are from Mom, Reagan, Kendall, and Amelia. The guys helped with painting and assembly. Reagan, Kendall, and Mom made me a list of what we would need, and I went shopping. This is what I came up with. I know there is a lot more that we’re going to need, but this will get us started.”

  “You think?” I go to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, careful of the baby. His free arm wraps around me, hugging me tightly. “This is a lot of work for her to have a place to stay when we’re here. I can’t believe you did all of this.” I look up at him. “I love you. My heart is full.”

  “I love you too.” He drops his arm from around my waist and walks to the bed where he places Daisy. “You’re home now, Daisy girl,” he whispers, leaning over the edge to kiss her tiny forehead.

  Tears sting my eyes. “Mark,” I say, but it comes out more like a sob.

  “I got her a shirt. You want to see it?” he asks. I nod because words aren’t possible at the moment. “Come here.” He motions for me to join him by the crib.

  One step at a time, my feet carry me to them. Mark steps back and gives me a clear view of Daisy in her bed. Peering over the bed, I take in her sleeping form. Her little lips are puckered as she sleeps. She makes the cutest faces. My eyes scan her shirt and I read it. Then read it again.

  Mommy and Daddy’s Angel.

  I turn to look at Mark, only to find him down on one knee holding a gorgeous sparkling diamond ring. “I love you, Dawn. I love that little girl, and I’m tired of being in limbo. I’m tired of worrying if where I want us to go is where you want us to go. I want forever, Pixie. I want to know that at the end of each day, you and Daisy are going to be here, in the home I bought for us. I didn’t get a chance to tell you that. This place, I want it full of Daisy’s brothers and sisters. I want a swing set in the backyard and lounge chairs on the deck for us to watch our children grow.” He smiles, and it lights up his face. “My love for you and for that little girl, that was my unexpected fall. It came out of nowhere, but I want it. I want you both in my life, in my home, in my arms. I promise that I’ll always be there to catch you.”

  Tears are falling and my vision is blurry. My heart, it beats for this man. “Yes,” I say through my tears.

  “I didn’t ask you yet.” He smiles up at me.

  I drop to my knees before him. “Mark Adams, will you—” I start, but he places his hand over my mouth.

  “No way, sweetheart, you are not stealing my thunder.” He drops his hand and takes my left hand, ring poised at the tip of my finger. “Dawn Miller, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?”

  “Yes.” I launch myself at him, fusing our lips together. He falls back onto the floor, me on top of him, never breaking our kiss.

  “I love you,” he says, finally pulling away. He smooths my hair back out of my eyes from where I’m staring down at him. “I love her too. I want us to get married and adopt her together. I know that means this will have to happen fast, but….” He trails off, not sure of what I’m going to say.

  “Yes. Yes, to all of it. Yes.” He pulls me into a hug, and just like that, the worry and the fear are gone. I know that no matter what I do in my life, with this man by my side, we can conquer anything.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Mark

  She said yes. My arms are locked tightly around her, holding her close. In the back of my mind, there was this fear she would say no. That she would struggle to prove she can raise Daisy on her own. I was prepared to change her mind. To fight to prove to her that she’s never going to be alone as long as I’m still breathing.

  My hand slips under the back of her shirt, feeling her soft skin. “We need to pack up your place,” I tell her. “I was going to do it for you, but I didn’t want to overstep, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure you would say yes.”

  She lifts her head. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah.” I cup her face in my hand. “You’ve been through so much, I wasn’t sure. I was hopeful.” I give her a smile.

  “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  “Never.” I roll us over on the floor, so I’m hovering over her. “I’m always going to be right here.”
Sliding my hand under the front of her shirt, I run the pad of my thumb over her nipple. Even through the silky material of her bra, I can feel the pebbled peak.

  “Should we move?” she asks, motioning her head toward the crib.

  “She’s sleeping, and even then, she has no idea what I’m about to do to you.”

  “It feels… weird,” she says, scrunching up her nose and looking cute as hell.

  “Right.” Standing from the floor, I turn the baby monitor on and offer her my hand, helping her up. “This thing is pretty cool. We can see and hear her in our room. Come on. I’ll show you.” I guide her down the hall to our bedroom.

  Our bedroom.

  “See.” I go to the nightstand and point to the small screen.

  “Aww,” she says, picking it up to get a closer look.

  “I read a lot of reviews online, and this is the best rated one I could find. I liked the video option so we can see her and not have to go into her room and risk waking her up.”

  “You thought of everything.”

  I fight the urge to puff out my chest at her recognition, and the fact that I’m taking care of my girls. That’s all I want. “Not everything. I’m sure there are things that I’m missing.”

  “Maybe, but that’s going to be our life as she grows.”

  “I like the sound of that.” I snake my arm around her waist. I need her close.

  “Me too.” She looks up at me and then holds her left hand out in front of her. “We’re getting married.”

  “Mrs. Adams,” I say, kissing her softly, tracing her lips with my tongue.

  “Tell me I’m not dreaming. Is this really happening?”

  “As soon as we can make it happen.”

  “How soon?” she asks, kissing the underside of my jaw.

  “How soon can you plan a wedding?”

  Sadness crosses her face. “I-I don’t really know. I always imagined that when I was married, they would be there, you know? All three of them.”

  “I wish they could be here too. They will be. They’re here.” I place my hand over her heart.