Clinched

by Nikki Ash

  “Let’s buy a house,” I insist. “A fresh start for all of us. Once we’re married we can all move into the house together.”

  Charlie’s face lights up. “I like the sound of that…so six months?”

  “It will be the longest damn six months of my life.”

  “I want to get married in Vegas.”

  “Anything you want.”

  “I want to honeymoon with both our girls,” she chokes out, another sob coming out. “I can’t believe it. Both girls,” she cries. “I have my daughter back.”

  “She looks just like you.”

  “I can’t wait for Lexi to meet her,” Charlie gushes.

  “They’ll be best friends. So, where do you want to honey moon?”

  “I always wanted to take Georgia to Disney but Justin wouldn’t allow it. I’m thinking a Disney trip or a Disney cruise.” She beams.

  “I say we do both.”

  Thirty

  Charlie

  Christmas morning…

  “Mommy! Wake up! I want to go see Lexi pleeeeaaassseee.”

  I stretch my arms and legs as my beautiful baby girl jumps onto the bed we share, her loose curls bouncing in the air as she jumps up and down next to me in excitement. Watching her face light up will never get old. When you find out you’ve been given a second chance, you suddenly view the world and your priorities in a whole new light.

  “Mommmmmy! Please!” Georgia squeals. “I wanna go see Lexi.” She jumps onto my belly, her tiny hands smashing either side of my face in an attempt to make sure she has my undivided attention.

  “Did you check to see if Santa came?” I ask, and Georgia freezes.

  “No! I’ll go now! Get up Mommy!” she yells as she jumps off the bed and runs out the door, the sound of her tiny feet pitter-pattering down the stairs. A sound I will never tire of hearing.

  I’ve only had Georgia back with me for a little over a week, but she and Lexi have already made the decision to be best friends. When Tristan and I brought Georgia back with us, our first stop was to Lexi. I felt it was important for her to be a part of Georgia’s homecoming, and Tristan agreed. What I didn’t know was that Tristan had already contacted Mason and Mila, and with the help of Alec and Lexi, they had a mini-surprise homecoming party waiting for us. Takeout food, a cake, balloons, and a huge ‘Welcome Home’ sign.

  We had to explain to Lexi, Georgia didn’t in fact go to heaven—we didn’t want her thinking people can just rise from the grave and return—and like the sweet girl she is, she welcomed Georgia with open arms.

  The days are spent at the studio getting ready for the grand opening—which will take place at the end of January—with Georgia by my side. On the days Lexi has school, I spend that time with Georgia attempting to make up for lost time. The great thing about kids is that they tend to bounce back easily. I am taking her to see my therapist on Mondays with me, and we have discussed her dad going to heaven. He might be an evil bastard but he was still her father.

  “Okay! Okay! I’m up!” I pull the blankets off my body, and as I’m about to stand, when my cell phone rings. I see Tristan’s name on the caller ID. “Merry Christmas.”

  “Merry Christmas, baby,” he replies. “I wish you were in my bed right now.”

  “Only a few more months.”

  “Few? More like five. I think we need to move the date up. The girls adore each other, and they can’t wait to live under the same roof.”

  “We still need to find a house,” I argue.

  “So, what you’re saying is once I find the perfect house for us, you’ll move in with me?”

  “After we get married,” I add.

  “I already found it.”

  “What?” I laugh. “You found us a house?”

  “I did! It’s perfect and you’re going to love it. We’re going to look at it next weekend. So…I’m thinking a January wedding.”

  The fact is I would love to marry Tristan right this second but I want to make sure I’m making the decision that is best for my daughter as well as Lexi. I’ve spoken to Dr. Monroe about this and she says there is no set timeline. However, the statistics for divorce in blended families is high and that scares me.

  “How about May?” I counter, and Tristan groans not liking my answer. I laugh.

  “February,” he argues.

  “April,” I volley.

  “March.”

  “Sold!” I yell and he chuckles.

  “I’ll take it.”

  “Mommy!” Georgia screeches, running back into our room. “Santa brought me so many presents! Can we bring them to Lexi?”

  “My daughter wants yours,” I inform Tristan who is laughing over the phone.

  “Lexi wants to open her presents with you guys as well. Why don’t I pack up her presents and come over with Mason and Lex?”

  “Sounds good! See you soon.”

  We hang up, and I grab Georgia by her tiny waist and pull her into my lap. “They’re on their way over. Merry Christmas, baby girl.” I give her a kiss on her cheek and hug her tightly, thankful for the priceless gift I’ve been given this year.

  Tristan

  We get over to Mila’s house and the kids are all chomping at the bit to open their gifts. My mom and dad have made the move to LA, not wanting to miss any more time with their kids. They pull up at the same time Morgan and her fiancé pull up. Emma is in the car with them because she’s living with Morgan and Adam temporarily to help out with the baby which is due in June.

  “Grandma! Grandpa! Hurry!” Lexi yells from the front door. “We’re waiting for you! Santa came and I was such a good girl! Alec got a lot of presents too, but I don’t know why.” She rolls her eyes. “He wasn’t that good.”

  “Lexi, be nice,” I scold her and she just shrugs.

  “I was good!” Alec argues.

  We all pile into Mila’s house and watch the kids open their gifts. A couple days ago we went to see Santa at the mall. When Georgia said what she would like, Charlie freaked out realizing that she completely forgot she would need to buy her daughter presents. We’ve been so busy getting her situated, it slipped our minds.

  I went out that night and bought several gifts for her knowing Charlie wouldn’t want to leave her side any time soon. I did it without expecting anything in return, but I will tell you, the reward I was granted by my woman was well worth it.

  “Should we tell everyone?” Charlie whispers into my ear. She’s tucked perfectly into my arm right where she belongs.

  I lean over and give her a kiss on her cheek before pulling her to stand next to me. “We have an announcement to make.” Everyone stops talking and turns toward us. “As you guys know I asked Charlie to marry me in Vegas after the fight and we originally decided to put it off until June—”

  “But there was no way Tristan was going to wait that long,” Charlie says and everyone laughs. “So, we have set a date for March 14th. We’re going to get married in Las Vegas at the Bellagio and then we’re honeymooning with the girls.”

  “Which is a surprise,” I add, and Charlie gives me a look of confusion. She mentioned wanting to go to Disney for the honeymoon, so she knows that’s going to happen, but the little girls don’t know, and Charlie doesn’t know that I’m booking a two week trip to all of the parks and a weeklong Disney cruise.

  “Mason, I would love for you to be my best man.”

  Mason gives me a chin lift. “For sure.”

  “And Mila, I would love for you to be my maid of honor,” Charlie adds.

  Mila glances over at Mason who looks almost scared at the idea of walking down the aisle with Mila before rolling her eyes. Then she smiles. “I would be honored.”

  Everybody gets up to give us a hug and congratulate us. Once Mila announces she’s going to start breakfast, Lexi and Georgia come over holding hands.

  “Daddy, Charlie, I have a question,” Lexi says before glancing over at Georgia who tilts her head slightly. She’s been fine around me so far, but it’s on
ly been a week. However, if she’s anything like her mother, I’ll win her over in no time. “Well, me and Georgia have a question.”

  “Okay. What can we do for you ladies?” I ask, pulling Charlie into my side.

  “We were wondering…well…Georgia doesn’t have a daddy anymore, and I don’t have a mommy. So, I told Georgia I will share my daddy if she shares her mommy.”

  Charlie stiffens next to me, and when I look over at her, her eyes are already watering. “And what did you guys decide?” I ask.

  “We want to share. Is that okay?” Lexi looks back and forth between Charlie and me.

  “It is more than okay,” Charlie says. Kneeling down, she takes both girls into her arms. “I would be so, so, so happy to be both your mommy’s.”

  “I agree. I’m completely shareable.” I give Georgia a wink and she grants me a shy smile that mimics the way her mother looked at me the first time she noticed me in the coffee shop, and I know I’ll definitely be winning her over.

  Epilogue

  Tristan

  March 14th

  I’m standing on the veranda at the Bellagio surrounded by our family and friends waiting with little patience for the ceremony to begin. It’s just me and the pastor up here at the moment. My mom is sitting in the front row, and when our eyes meet, she shoots me a wink. She told me last night at the rehearsal dinner she couldn’t imagine me ending up with anyone besides Charlie. For years, she thought Bella and I would end up together, and when that didn’t happen, I think she was worried I might’ve given up on love. And if I’m honest, I think for a little while I did. What I didn’t know at the time was that I was waiting for Charlie.

  The music begins and out walk my beautiful daughters. Lexi and Georgia are dressed in light pink frilly dresses, their hair and makeup done up to make them look like the most adorable princesses. They both smile up at me as they enter. It’s not really a walkway—more like an entrance. I watch them giggle as they throw rose petals from their baskets onto the ground, making sure to throw every last one before they meet me at the front.

  “They’re all gone, Daddy,” Lexi says, showing me her basket. Georgia giggles in agreement.

  “Do you like my dress?” Georgia asks.

  “I do. You both are the most pretty pink princesses I’ve ever seen.” Both girls giggle again. They sit down next to my mom like they were told to do as we watch Mason and Mila make their way down the aisle. Mason’s grinning way too wide and Mila is trying to smile through her scowl, which means Mason probably said or did something to piss her off. It wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. While he might consider Mila to be off-limits, it hasn’t stopped him from driving her nuts the last couple months. If I didn’t know better, I would almost think her being off-limits actually has him wanting her more, especially since their living situations have changed. When they get to the front, they separate, Mason standing on my left and Mila standing on the bride’s side.

  The music changes into the wedding march, and a few seconds later, Charlie and my father appear. Charlie had planned to walk down the aisle by herself, but when my dad heard, he wasn’t letting that happen. He offered to walk her down the aisle, and after Charlie cried for a good five minutes, she accepted.

  I watch as they walk closer, and I try to absorb every feature of her as quick as possible. The only downside to getting married on the veranda means the walk is short. Charlie’s in a simple floor length white gown. There are beads shimmering in the light and while I have no clue the style or name of the dress, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life. Her hair is down in loose waves, and her makeup is done naturally. But what makes her breathtaking is none of that, it’s the smile on her face. I’ve seen Charlie smile a thousand times, but I never realized until she was reunited with her daughter, how half-ass her smile really was. Not that she wasn’t happy with just Lexi and me, but there was a piece of her missing. A piece nobody can replace when you lose your child. I don’t know about that missing piece and I thank god every day Charlie is no longer missing that piece of her heart.

  Now, as I take her hand in mine, and kiss her cheek, I see the difference in her smile. It’s bigger, brighter. It tells me her heart is whole. We turn to face the pastor and he begins speaking.

  We decided to do the traditional repeat after me vows for our ceremony. The pastor starts with Charlie first, and she repeats after him. To be honest, the best part—and the only part I even care about—of the entire speech is when she says, “I do,” and slides my ring onto my finger. I go next, and when I say the same words, I see a single tear fall down her cheek. I know it’s a happy tear but I still catch it. I don’t like my woman crying whether it be because she’s happy or sad.

  “And now can we please have Georgia and Alexandria join us?” the pastor says. The two girls jump up from their seats and join us in the front.

  “While today is about Tristan and Charlie coming together, in this case, it’s not just about two people merging their lives—it’s about four people. I have here the adoption paperwork to make Charlie and Tristan the legal guardians to Georgia and Alexandria. But first, both parents would like to say something. Tristan, go ahead.

  I turn toward my two girls, both of them so little and innocent. Georgia has no idea the type of person her dad was or why he died. Lexi doesn’t even know her biological mother is dead. But one day they’ll ask, and my goal in life is to make sure when they do, it isn’t because they feel I’ve failed them in some way. Knowing I’m speaking to little girls, I attempt to keep what I need to say short and simple.

  “There are three days in my life that I will always remember. The first one is the day my dad Kaden came into my life.” I look to my dad and he smiles warmly at me. “The next was the day Lexi was born.” Lexi grins happily. “The third was the day I met Georgia.” I glance Charlie’s way quickly and see her single tear is now multiplying by the second. Georgia smiles sweetly. “When I was a little older than you two, I met my dad, Kaden. He loved me and my mom more than anything in the world. He showed me what it means for a dad to love his child, to love his wife, and to be the man his family needs. My promise today is to spend the rest of my life loving the three of you, being the best dad and husband I can be, and supporting you in any way I can. Being there for every stage of your life, and making sure you know you are always loved.” Taking the box Mason was holding for me, I open it up, and hand Charlie, Lexi, and Georgia each a necklace. They are identical—all three having one large diamond heart with each of our birthstones. Lexi’s and Georgia’s will be put away until they’re older but I figured they could wear it today.

  “These necklaces symbolize the four of us coming together, becoming one family.”

  The two little girls giggle as they put the necklace over their heads. “I love you, daddy!” Lexi hugs me.

  “I love you too, Lex.”

  Georgia smiles shyly. While she’s coming around, she rarely shows any emotion toward me until I do it first. From the stories Charlie has shared, I would bet Georgia is scared because I’m a dad and a man like her father was, and he was a piece of shit. But that won’t ever stop me from trying to earn her affection.

  “I love you, Georgia,” I say, kneeling down so I’m at her level. I put my arms out and she wraps her tiny arms around my neck.

  “I love you too,” she whispers into my neck. When I go to stand up, she doesn’t let go, so I pick her up and hold her.

  I look to Charlie and she’s crying hard. Mila hands her a Kleenex and she wipes her eyes. Good thing she’s not wearing too much makeup.

  “My turn?” she laughs through her sobs.

  Charlie

  “I was sitting in a coffee shop drawing the day I met Lexi.” I look down at Lexi, remembering the first day I saw her. Tristan said one of the most memorable days of his life was when he met Georgia, and I know exactly what he means because one of mine was the day I met Lexi. The fact is, our children are the best part of both us.

/>   “You painted the big tree,” Lexi acknowledges.

  “I did. And you’re too little to understand this, but that day…” I take a deep breath. “That day you saved me, Lexi. You gave me your picture of the pumpkin and it made me so happy. I was missing my baby girl so much, and you invited me to your contest. It was so, so nice of you.” I’m speaking simplistically hoping Lexi will understand, but my words aren’t telling the entire story. The one Lexi isn’t old enough to understand. The one where I thought my daughter was gone forever and then Lexi came into my life and reminded me it’s okay to love again. The one where she and her father gave me their hearts so willingly and trustingly.

  “I love you girls so much.” I look from Lexi to Georgia, “And my promise to you both is to be the best mom I can be. To listen to you and love you and be there for you.” My eyes meet Tristan’s. “And my promise to you, as your wife, as Lexi’s mom, is to always treat her like she’s my own. Thank you for letting me love your daughter. Thank you for letting me in.”

  Tristan nods and smiles, my daughter still in his arms. “I love all three of you so much.” I pull Lexi into a hug and bring her up into my arms. The four of us hug and everyone claps. Once we’re done, we set both girls down and the pastor says, “ I now pronounce you husband and wife and a family. You may kiss the bride.”

  Tristan’s arms wrap around my waist as mine wrap around his neck, and we kiss.

  “My daddy is always loving on my mommy!” Lexi announces and everyone laughs.

  Tristan

  One week later…

  “My favorite part of Disney was seeing all of the princesses!” Georgia gushes.