As the customer left, she turned and saw Leo walking out with Hailey on his shoulders. He yelled out “duck” as they came through the doorway and the little girl dropped down like a ninja to clear the door.
“Mommy, look what I made!” she yelled proudly.
In her hand was an oblong cylinder that was so thin it had flopped over creating a crease in the middle.
“Oh, it’s wonderful. Are you sure Leo didn’t make this?” she teased.
“Nope, all me. It’s a flower pot to put pretty flowers in. Leo, why don’t you bring mommy flowers?”
“Busted, I’ll get right on that, princess.” Leo had taken to calling her princess and Hailey thought it was completely fitting to her status.
“Hah, she called you out. But if it’s going to hold flowers, it needs to have an open top. Let’s see if we can fix it.”
Evie gently pushed the top back up and put her fingers in to smooth the crack. Her fingers bumped into something hard and she looked down in the bottom of the vase. Pressed into the clay was a ring with a large black pearl with a silver vine trailing over the top with diamonds in the leaves.
“Mommy, you should marry Leo!” Hailey screeched.
Evie looked up at Leo and back down at the ring.
“I saw that and thought of you. I’ve had it for months waiting for the right time. Evie Ward, will you marry me?”
Evie had thought about marrying Leo. She was so happy how could she not let the thought drift through her mind. She thought she would hesitate, or would hurt his feelings if she didn’t immediately say yes. She couldn’t have guessed how easy it turned out to be to answer him.
“Oh, yes!” Evie threw herself into his arms and felt one of his arms wrap around her. The other was still holding her precious baby girl and she was grateful.
“What about me?” a little voice cried.
“She’s absolutely right.” Leo stepped back and pulled the little girl off his shoulders, setting her down in front of him.
“Hailey Ward, will you let me be the man in your life? Let me love you and protect you and take you fishing whenever you want?”
Hailey pretended to think by tapping her chin. “Hmm, yes!”
Evie was crying because she knew that her little girl would grow up with the memory of a father that loved her with all his heart, and the reality of Leo who would keep that love growing as the years passed.
Leo picked up Hailey and pulled Evie to his side. “My girls.” He sealed his mouth over Evie’s, and she kissed him back pouring all the love she had into that kiss. Later she would show him just how happy she was that they were going to be a family.
“Eww…”
They broke apart and both kissed Hailey on each of her cheeks.
“Okay, fine!” The little girl giggled.
Epilogue
They were married on an overlook with just Hailey and Mabe attending as flower girls. They took their honeymoon in Colorado so the family could meet Leo. They all approved and gave their blessing knowing that Isaac would have been happy to know that such a man would be watching over the family he had started.
Evie and Hailey had moved in with Leo and his dog right before the wedding. Leo’s dog had switched allegiances and was now quite obviously Hailey’s dog. They added a new puppy, Mo, to the mix since Leo had presented Hailey with a puppy on a quiet Sunday.
“Babe, she needs a dog.”
“You mean you need a new puppy. Don’t blame it on the child.”
“Okay, well I wanted her to have it because I’m bribing her.”
“Honey, she’ll be fine with it. She’s a smart girl.”
It was fall, and Leo had never been happier in his life. To say he was a contented man was an understatement. Last week, his life had gotten infinitely more perfect.
“Hailey-girl? Come over her a minute,” Leo called out.
The little girl skipped over to him with her fluffy Corgi pup dangling over her shoulder asleep.
“What, Papa Leo?”
She had taken to calling him that because she said she thought his name was too short. Neither Evie nor Leo had wanted to push her into calling him anything.
“Your momma and I got some news last week. It’s a big change for our family and we want to know how you feel about it?”
“Another puppy?!”
“No, no more pets. Actually, your mommy and I are going to bring a new baby home next year.”
Hailey frowned at Leo and then at her mother. Then the little girl got up and walked around Evie who had been standing at the kitchen counter.
Evie turned to her and squatted down in front of her. “Sweetie, what do you think?”
“I think you shouldn’t squat like that, momma. The baby egg will fall out of you.”
Leo snorted then gained his composure. “Baby egg?”
“That’s how the chickens at school make babies. Are you gonna lay an egg, Momma?”
Leo went and picked up the second love of his life and gave her a big squeeze. He helped Evie to stand up and then pulled her into his arms too.
“No eggs, princess. We’ll explain that later. But how do you feel about a new brother or sister?”
Hailey paused for a moment then declared, “You always have room to love someone new.”
Leo and Evie exchanged a glance that said they knew their little girl was the smartest person in the room.
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