“Not today, Garret. Today’s about family, not work.” Pearce smiles at me as he says it. He loves retirement, or semi-retirement. He still works, but not anywhere near as much as he used to. He helps Garret run the company and gives speeches at business conferences. He makes a lot of money giving speeches, sometimes as much as $50,000 a speech. It just shows how well-respected he is in the business world.
“Would anyone like a cookie?” Charles walks in with a plate of sugar cookies. He lives here now. Well, not with us, but here in town. Charles is like a member of the family, so when Pearce and I moved, Charles decided to move here as well.
Charles doesn’t work for us. He works part-time at a local restaurant and does catering for the company Jade’s friend, Harper, owns. He loves his new jobs and being out here in California with us. And he recently started dating someone, a woman he met at one of the events he catered.
Charles spent Thanksgiving with us and today he’s making Christmas cookies. He makes the best cookies. They melt in your mouth.
“Cookie!” Abi reaches for one.
Charles looks at Jade.
“She can have one,” Jade says, trying to get up. She sighs. “I can’t even get out of this chair.”
The poor girl. Her belly is huge and she still has over a month to go.
Garret goes over and helps her up, then gives her a kiss. “Just a few more weeks.”
“That’s too long. I can’t take this anymore,” she says. “This baby needs to hurry up.”
Lilly pops up from the couch. “Okay, they’re all ready.” She sets the box of ornaments by the tree and Jade and her start hanging them as Garret finishes the lights.
“We need some music,” Grace says. She was with us for Thanksgiving, but for Christmas she’s going to William’s house in New York.
Christmas music fills the air and Pearce and I watch as our three children decorate the tree. I know Garret is the only one who’s mine, but I feel like a mother to all three of them. I love Jade and Lilly as if they were my own.
“This one really’s pretty.” Lilly holds up the crystal star ornament Pearce gave me on our first Christmas together. “I’m guessing Garret didn’t pick this one out.”
“Dad did,” Garret says. “He always gave Mom an ornament at Christmas.”
Pearce leans over to me and says quietly, “Let’s go outside.”
He sets Abi down and offers me his hand. I don’t know what he’s up to, but I follow him out to the back patio.
He draws me into him and gives me a kiss. “Remember when I gave that to you?”
“The ornament? Yes. Of course. I loved it.”
“You had us make a wish. So what did you wish for?”
“A baby. I wanted us to have a child. What did you wish for?”
“For you to be safe. It was always my wish.”
“You wished for that every year? Never anything else?”
“Our second Christmas together, I wished for you to be happy. You were so sad after your parents died, and I wanted you to feel happiness again. Right after I wished for that, we found out you were pregnant with Garret.”
I smile. “That definitely made me happy.”
He reaches in his pocket and pulls something out and hands it to me. “The tradition continues.”
It’s wrapped in red tissue paper and when I pull the paper aside, I see a crystal heart ornament.
“Pearce, it’s beautiful.”
“You’ve always had my heart. The first time I saw you, my heart raced in my chest because it knew that it had found its match. The person it belonged to. The woman who would own it then, now, and forevermore.” He kisses me. “I love you, sweetheart.”
“I love you too.”
He holds me in his arms and I listen to his heart beating in his chest. He owns my heart too. He always will.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Five Weeks Later
PEARCE
“It’s a girl,” Garret says, beaming with pride, as he exits the delivery room.
Lilly squeals. “Yay! Another girl!”
Rachel races up to him. “Congratulations, honey. How’s Jade?”
“She’s good. Tired, but good.”
“Congratulations,” I say, going up to Garret. “You look tired, as well.”
It was a long labor and delivery. Last time, Jade had the baby in a couple hours. This time it lasted eighteen.
“I was starting to think this baby would never come,” he says.
I chuckle. “I felt the same way when your mother was in labor. After sixteen hours, I was thinking it was never going to end.”
“You?” Rachel kiddingly punches me. “How do you think I felt?”
Garret laughs. “I have to go back in there.”
“Can we see the baby?” Lilly asks.
“Not yet. I gotta go.” He disappears back in the room.
“Dad, can I get a soda?” Lilly asks.
“Yes.” I get my wallet out and hand her some dollar bills and she takes off to the vending machine.
“He looks so happy,” Rachel says as I put my arm around her.
“I remember that feeling. Seeing your child for the first time. I couldn’t stop smiling.”
“Garret was such a sweet baby, and so alert. He used to look at you with those big blue eyes and just watch you.”
“Yes.” I smile, remembering it. “He did that from the first moment I saw him.”
“And then you had to take him home from the hospital all by yourself.”
I nod. “I was scared out of my mind.”
“You were?” She laughs. “You didn’t act like it.”
“I didn’t want you to know. But it all worked out. I was fine after a day.”
She lays her head on my shoulder. “You were such a good father. You still are.”
I finally agree with that statement. When Garret was born, I had no idea how to be a father. My own father taught me nothing in that respect, other than to never act like him with my own children. So I learned from the other men in my life. Jack. Henry. And even Royce’s father, Arlin. Those men were like fathers to me and taught me how a father should act. But I still struggled with it, and regret that I wasn’t always there for my children. But I am now. I have been for years.
“Have you seen the baby yet?” Grace asks. She just arrived with Abigail. Charles is right behind them.
“Not yet,” Rachel says.
“Come sit on Grandpa’s lap,” I say to Abigail as she toddles over to me, practically running. She’s always so excited to see me.
I pick her up and she wraps her arms around my neck and hugs me. “Papa!”
“It’s Grandpa,” Lilly says to her as she returns with her soda. She sits next to me and talks to Abi. “Try it. Gran-Pa.” She says it slowly.
“Papa,” Abi says, kissing my cheek.
Lilly laughs. “I give up.”
We remain in the waiting room until we’re allowed in Jade’s room to see the baby. Jade’s so tired she can barely keep her eyes open.
Garret’s holding the baby, a proud smile on his face. “Here she is.”
We all gather around to see her.
“Aww, she’s so cute,” Lilly says. “Look how tiny she is.”
Rachel touches her cheek. “She’s beautiful.”
“You want to hold her?” Garret asks.
“I would love to.” Rachel takes her from him, smiling at the baby. “You are so precious.”
“What’s her name?” Lilly asks Garret.
“Hannah Julia Kensington.”
“Julia was my mom’s name,” Jade says quietly from her bed.
“That was nice you honored her that way,” Rachel says to her.
It’s one of my many regrets. That I didn’t do more to help Jade and her mother. If I had, her mother wouldn’t have died and Jade wouldn’t have grown up in poverty. When Royce told me he got a woman pregnant, I should’ve done some research and found out who the woman was and where she
lived. I should’ve made sure she was taken care of, instead of trusting that Royce had done so. But I didn’t, and I regret that. At least I was able to save her child, and because I did, my son now has a loving wife and two beautiful children. He has love and happiness, which is all I ever wanted for him.
“Hannah, you need to meet your grandfather,” Rachel says.
I take the baby from Rachel.
“Hello, Hannah.” As I say it, her eyes pop open.
Garret notices. “Dad, look at her watching you.”
“You did the same thing when I held you for the first time.”
“Oh, yeah?” Garret’s eyes are on the baby, but mine are on him.
My son is all grown up. He’s a husband and a father. Time goes so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him in my arms, and now I’m holding his daughter.
GARRET
Seeing my mom and dad together, holding my new baby girl, is almost too much. I have a huge lump in my throat, trying to control the emotion, but shit, it’s hard. My emotions were already high from the birth of my daughter, but having both my parents here has got me all teary-eyed.
Sometimes I still can’t believe that she’s here. That my mom is back. That she’s alive. She’s been back for months now, so I should be used to seeing her, but I’m not. I keep thinking this is just a dream and one day I’ll wake up and she’ll be gone.
“Look at her blue eyes,” my mom says to my dad as they both look at Hannah. “They’re the same color as Garret’s.”
“And yours.” My dad kisses my mom and they gaze at each other like they’re saying ‘I love you’ without words. They do that all the time. It’s like they have their own secret language, just like Jade and I do.
I’m so freaking happy for my dad. And my mom. I’m happy for our whole family. We’re all happier now. Our lives were good before, but having my mom here has made everything so much better. My girls have a grandmother. Jade has a mother-in-law who treats her like a daughter. Lilly has the mom she always wanted. And I have my parents back.
They’re even more in love now than they were when I was a kid. They were over-the-top in love back then, but now, their love is even stronger because they know what it’s like to be without each other. It’s changed how they act and their priorities. Now, no matter what, they always make time for each other. They never take each other for granted. They live every day like they’re newlyweds. Like they can’t wait to spend another day with each other.
It’s a good example for all of us. Jade and I are young, and it’s easy to get wrapped up in work and everyday stuff that takes us away from each other. But I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want Jade and me to ever grow apart or take each other for granted. When we’re old, I want us to be like my parents. Still holding hands, gazing at each other, and kissing like newlyweds.
“Daddy!” Abigail is clinging to my leg.
I reach down and pick her up and kiss her. “Hey. You have a new baby sister. Do you want to meet her?” I point to Hannah, who’s still in my dad’s arms.
Abi seems unsure, but then she reaches out, trying to get to Hannah. I keep hold of her, not sure what she plans to do. You never know with a toddler.
“I’ll let you get closer, but you have to be gentle, okay?”
Her eyes are on Hannah.
“Abi, remember how I showed you?” The past month, Jade and I have been trying to show Abi how to handle the baby, using her dolls for an example. It hasn’t really worked. Abi still tosses her dolls around and drags them on the floor, banging their heads into things.
I bring her closer to Hannah, keeping an eye on Abi’s hands so she doesn’t hit the baby. She holds onto my shirt as she leans over and kisses Hannah’s cheek.
My mom’s watching her. “That’s so sweet.”
“That was nice, Abi.” I bring her back to my chest and hug her. “You’re a good big sister.”
“Baby.” Abi points to her and smiles.
“You guys still up for babysitting?” I ask my mom.
“Of course we are, honey. We love watching Abi.”
“I know, but this is for a few days. You usually just watch her for a few hours. She might wear you out.”
“We can handle it,” my dad says. “Besides, we have Lilly. She’s young. She can chase Abi around the house when your mother and I need a break.”
“What did you say about me?” Lilly asks. She was talking to Jade and didn’t hear what my dad said.
“Your father just volunteered you to babysit,” my mom says as Lilly comes up next to me.
“Here.” I kiss Abi, then hand her to Lilly. “You can start now.”
“I don’t mind.” She hoists Abi up on her hip. “I love my niece.”
My parents are going to watch Abi for a few days so Jade and I can get settled in with the new baby. It’s so awesome having my parents and Lilly close by. Not just to babysit, but so I can see them all the time.
“Lee-lee,” Abi says, hugging her.
“It’s Lilly,” she says, correcting her. “Lil-lee.”
“Lee-lee.” Abi giggles.
“Forget it, Lilly,” I say. “You’re going to be Lee-lee for at least another year. You called me ‘Garrah’ until you were three.”
“I did?” She laughs. “That’s funny.”
“We should get home,” my mom says to me. “Abi needs her nap. We’ll stop by later tonight.”
“Sounds good.”
My dad hands Hannah to me. “I guess I should leave her with you.”
I laugh. “Yeah, that’s probably a good idea.”
My parents go over and say goodbye to Jade. I hand the baby back to her and walk my parents to the door.
“Bye, honey,” my mom says, giving me a hug. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I smile as I watch my parents walk away, hand in hand. Together. And in love.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Two Weeks Later
RACHEL
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” Pearce asks. He’s leaving soon for a speech he’s giving at a conference in San Francisco.
“I told Jade I’d stay and help with the baby.”
“Sweetheart, she has plenty of help. She has Garret and Grace, and Frank and Karen will be arriving tomorrow.”
Frank is the man who took Jade in after her mom died. Karen is his wife. They live in Iowa and are coming to help with the baby, who is now a couple weeks old.
“I’ll miss the kids too much if I go,” I tell him.
“What about me?” He kisses me on his way to the closet. “Won’t you miss me?”
“Yes, but I’ll call you on the phone.”
“That’s not good enough.” He’s now in the closet. “I can’t find my gray tie. Have you seen it?”
“It’s around your neck.”
He looks down. “Oh.” He comes over and kisses me again. “What would I do without you?”
“Never be able to find anything.” I check the clock. “Pearce, you’re going to be late if you don’t leave.”
“Yes, I’m going.” He comes over and gives me one last kiss. “Last chance. Come with me.”
“Next time. Now go.”
“I’ll call you when I get there. I love you.” He takes his suitcase and leaves.
Once he’s gone, I change into my dress, then go down to the guest bedroom and take out the suitcase I’d hidden away in the closet, already packed and ready to go.
When I get back to my room, Lilly walks in and plops down on the bed, lying back with her legs dangling off the side. “You guys are so weird.”
“Why are we weird?”
“This whole surprise thing. Why didn’t you just go with him?”
“Because your father always surprises me and I never get to surprise him back. So this is my chance.”
“I don’t get it.” She takes a throw pillow from the bed and tosses it in the air.
“You will when you’re older
. Are you ready to go?”
“Yeah.” She sits up, tossing the pillow aside. “Rachel?”
“Yes.” I wait for her at the door.
She meets me over there. “I’m glad you’re with my dad. He’s really happy now.”
“We both are.” I hug her. “I’m going to miss you, honey.”
“It’s only for a couple days.”
“I know, but I’ll still miss you.”
She smiles. “I’ll miss you too.”
Before I met Lilly, I was so worried she wouldn’t accept me, but she did, and now we’re closer than ever.
“When your dad and I get back, we’ll have movie night, okay?”
“Can Jade and Garret come over?”
“If they’re able to, then yes. You can invite him when he gets here.”
We started doing movie nights again, but our family is so big now that we built a small theater room onto the house. We filled it with comfy recliners, a wrap-around sofa, and some bean bag chairs on the floor. In the back is a concession stand and a popcorn maker. The room gets a lot of use.
“You guys ready?” I hear Garret in the living room. He must’ve just got here. He’s dropping me off at the airport, then taking Lilly to stay at his house for the next couple days.
“We’re ready.” I bring my suitcase to the living room.
Lilly runs up to him. “Can you guys come to movie night when Mom and Dad get back?”
Garret smiles at me, because Lilly slipped and called me ‘mom’ again. She alternates between ‘mom’ and ‘Rachel.’
“Sure. We can do that.” He takes my suitcase and we all go out to the driveway. “So Mom, did Dad catch onto your plan?”
“No. I’m sure he’ll be surprised.”
“You guys are crazy.” He puts my suitcase in the trunk. “You should’ve just gone with him.”
“That’s what I said,” Lilly says as she hops in the back seat.
“You two don’t understand romance.” I get in the front seat. “It’s all about surprises.”
Garret glances at me, smiling. “I’m just kidding. I get it.”
We arrive at the airport and I say goodbye to the kids, then board the plane to San Francisco. It’s a regular commercial jet. I avoid small private planes whenever possible.
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