by Unknown
“This is why,” Becky explained. “I signed you both up for four months of Irish dance lessons starting next Tuesday.”
“I get to take dance?” Adelynn’s eyes became large saucers of excitement. When Becky confirmed with a head nod, she jumped up and down. “I get to take dance! I get to take dance!”
Kajsa didn’t look nearly as thrilled. “What’s Irish dance?”
“It’s sort of like clogging,” explained Becky. “You have to learn to move your feet really fast, and there’s skipping and jumping, and… I think you’re going to love it. Especially the instructor. She was one of my clients a few months back, and she’s so much fun.”
Kajsa still didn’t look convinced, which was exactly how Noah felt. He’d priced out dance lessons before—not Irish dance, but ballet—and knew it wasn’t cheap. How much money had Becky paid for those lessons? And what if the girls loved it so much they wanted to continue? What then? He still had school loans to pay off, a house to maintain, and two girls to take care of.
And no job to pay for any of it.
“Becky…” Noah started to say. But as he watched a grinning Adelynn plop down and pull on the funny-looking socks, he couldn’t find it in himself to argue.
Becky’s hand covered his, and her voice sounded quiet in his ear. “A friend of mine teaches the class. She’s giving me an awesome deal, and if your girls want to continue after this summer, she’ll work something out that you can afford.”
“I don’t know,” he said, allowing the worry of the future to creep back in.
“Haven’t you learned by now that you can’t argue with my wife?” Justin said, slipping his arm around the back of her chair and pulling her close.
“If you need help dropping them off or picking them up, I’ve got you covered,” added Becky.
“It’s not that. It’s just…” Noah wasn’t sure how to formulate his thoughts into words.
Becky’s head cocked to the side, and she gave his hand a squeeze. “They need something other than school and family. They need opportunities to develop their talents. Just let them try this and see how it goes. Please?”
Noah glanced at Kajsa, who was back in her seat, staring at her new dance shoes with a bleak look that broke his heart. Unlike Adelynn, this wasn’t what she wanted. But what she did want was something beyond all of their reach. Riding lessons made dance look cheap. Noah’s heart constricted. Why did Kajsa have to love horses so much? Why couldn’t Noah be in a position to give her that dream? Why couldn’t he be the one to give Adelynn this gift?
“Okay,” he finally said to Becky. He’d let Adelynn have her lessons, and he’d encourage Kajsa to give it a try as well. And then he’d pray that Kajsa would come to love something else more than horses. Miracles do happen, right?
Emma’s chair squeaked as she pushed it back. She grabbed her husband’s hand and pulled him up as well. “We have one more present for everyone. And I can’t believe that we actually have to announce it.” She scowled at the group. “It’s a good thing none of you are detectives because your observation skills are seriously lacking.”
Noah shot Becky and Justin a glance. They looked as clueless as he did.
With a sigh, Emma turned Kevin around and pointed at the sports insignia on the back of his shirt. On closer inspection, it wasn’t a sports logo. It was a circle with the words “Thing 1” scribbled inside it. Emma then pointed to the back of her shirt, where “Thing 2” was written inside another circle. Then she spun around and tugged on the bottom of her shirt, un-wrinkling the fabric. Noah had to squint to see the small cursive writing of “Thing 3 & Thing 4” written inside another circle.
An excited shriek sounded, a chair hit the ground, and Becky lunged at Emma and Kevin, hugging them both. “Are you serious? Twins?”
Emma nodded, her smile growing bigger with each passing second. Then Noah and Justin were out of their seats, hugging them as well. It was no secret that Emma and Kevin had been trying for a baby for years. And now they were getting twins.
Miracles really do happen.
Noah felt a tug on his hand, and he looked down to find Kajsa biting her lip in confusion. “What’s happening?” she asked quietly.
Noah put his arm around her and gestured for Adelynn to join them. He crouched down to their level. “Guess what, princesses? Your Aunt Emma is going to have two babies.”
“Two?” They both said.
He nodded.
Kajsa dropped her dancing shoes on the counter and threw her young arms around Emma’s stomach. Adelynn joined her seconds later.
“Two babies!” cried Adelynn. “That means we won’t have to share, Kajsa.”
“Are they both girls?” said Kajsa.
“I don’t know yet. We won’t find that out for another month or so.”
“When are you due?” Becky asked.
Kevin hugged Emma from behind, pulling her close. He rested his chin on the top of her head. “August, though they’ll probably come in July.”
“August! That’s forever away,” pouted Adelynn. Kajsa frowned at her dancing shoes again, probably wondering how many times she’d have to wear them before the twins came.
Noah couldn’t help but laugh, and all the adults joined in, filling the room with the kind of feeling Noah had come to associate with this house. A deep sense of love, family, and hope.
If Emma and Kevin could get their miracle, maybe things would work out for him too.
Noah shut off the family room light, enshrouding himself in darkness. The tree in his front yard moved with the wind, creating an eerie shadow in the space. He dropped down on the couch and leaned forward, resting his chin on his palms. Exhaustion overtook his body, but with the state his mind was in, sleep wouldn’t come easily. Sometimes, Noah envied how quickly his girls could drop off. But at the same time, he was grateful the worries of the world didn’t rest on their little shoulders.
A soft knock on the front door interrupted his thoughts. Noah opened it to find Emma hugging her arms to her chest to ward off the cold. He quickly ushered her inside.
“This pregnancy must be getting to me already.” She smiled. “I left my ring by the sink. Sorry. I hope I didn’t wake you.”
“Nope. Still wide awake. Let me grab it for you.” Noah quickly retrieved the ring and handed it back to his sister. “It’s a good thing you came back tonight or the girls might have found it in the morning. Who knows what would have happened to it then.”
Emma nodded knowingly. “Nothing intentional, I’m sure. But Adi does love to try it on.”
“Thanks for all your help tonight. I really appreciate all you do for the girls.”
A soft smile formed. “They’re my girls too. And you know I love it.”
“I do.”
She took a step toward the door then paused, studying Noah with a shrewd look. “Is something the matter?”
“Just tired. It’s been a long day.”
The moment her eyes narrowed, Noah knew he hadn’t fooled her. She plopped down on the couch and patted the spot next to her. “It’s more than that. I know you. Something’s been bothering you all night, and I want to know what it is.”
He should have known that Emma would see right through him. Sometimes her perceptiveness was annoying, and sometimes, like tonight, he could have hugged her for it. Noah sat down beside her and raked his fingers through his hair.
“I was let go today,” he said quietly.
Her quick intake of breath signaled that she’d heard him. “Why?”
“Not enough business. It’s the slow time of year for the construction industry, and they couldn’t afford to keep paying me.”
“But I thought they’d promised you a promotion after your graduation last month. I’ve been expecting to hear news of that.”
Noah had too. He’d worked so hard to get his construction management degree, believing that things would look up when he did. Unfortunately, it hadn’t worked out that way. “They can’t promote someone t
hey can’t pay.”
“Oh, Noah.” Her hand covered his. “I’m so sorry.”
He shrugged. “It’ll be okay. I’ll find something else. It’s just… frustrating.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m here for you. You know that, right? Whatever you need, I’ll always be here.”
He gave her shoulder a playful nudge. “Until those babies come, you mean. Then you’ll need to focus on your own family. Believe me, I’ve been there. Newborns are amazing and special, but they’re a handful. Literally. I can only imagine what it will be like with two.”
Emma looked him in the eye. “You’re right. I’ll be a wife and mother first, but always a sister and aunt second. I’m not going anywhere. And you’d better not either. I’m going to need you and the girls when these little angels come.”
“We’ll be here.” Where else would they be?
“It’s settled then,” Emma said matter-of-factly. “Life will be crazy for a while, but we’ll muddle through it, and Kajsa and Adelynn will make the best babysitters ever. My two babies are going to be the luckiest girls alive.”
A weight eased off his chest, and Noah smiled. “Girls, huh? Has Kevin heard you say that?”
“He says they have to be boys. We have enough estrogen in the family already. But I keep telling him a mother’s intuition is never wrong.”
Noah leaned back, draping his arm across the back of the couch. “I have to agree about the estrogen. Kajsa and Adi have more than enough to go around. The thought of them becoming teenagers scares me to death.”
Instead of laughing or teasing him, Emma’s brow furrowed. She chewed on her lower lip the way she did when she wanted to say something but wasn’t sure she should.
“What is it?” Noah said.
She worried her lower lip a bit longer. “It’s just that… well, Angie’s been gone for four years now. I’m just wondering if… you know… you have any desire to date again.”
Noah sighed. “Not you too, Emma.” Becky was already on his case. As a real estate agent, she came across a lot of available women, and ever since Noah had moved here, she’d been subtly trying to set him up with all of them.
“Becky told me she’s been trying to nudge you back into the dating scene.”
“Shove me is more like it.”
A light chuckle sounded. “She’s right, though. It’s time. And not just for you. Adelynn and Kajsa—”
“Have you, Becky, and Sam.”
“Of course they do. But like you said, I have twins coming, Becky’s getting busier and busier with her real estate stuff, and Sam is away at college now, preparing to start her own life.”
Noah scowled. The moment Emma and Kevin had announced the twins, he’d known things would be different. Change was always inevitable, and Noah would deal with it as it came. The twins would arrive, Kevin and Emma would get sucked into their new role as parents, and he, Adelynn, and Kajsa would adapt. That was how life worked.
“I’m not saying you should run out and marry the first girl that comes along,” Emma continued. “I’m saying you should stop running away from it.”
“I’m not running away.”
Emma’s sudden burst of laughter jarred Noah. “You’re joking, right? The next time Becky mentions a woman she wants you to meet, do me a favor and go look in the mirror. You’ll see pure, raw terror.”
“Give me a break.”
“I’m serious. You are most definitely running.”
Noah shifted, feeling uncomfortable. Maybe she was right. Maybe he was, but why was that a bad thing? Instead of spending time, money, and effort dating, he’d been focused on finishing his degree, taking care of his girls, and being the best father he knew how to be. Wasn’t that enough? Wasn’t he enough? Even when Angie was alive, she’d been so busy with school and work that Noah had been the one to cook the girls’ dinner, kiss their ouchies, and read them bedtime stories. Why couldn’t he continue to do that?
“You can fall in love more than once, you know,” said Emma quietly. She gave his fingers a gentle squeeze. “I’ve seen the way you look at me and Kevin sometimes. Or Becky and Justin. I see the loneliness in your eyes.”
Noah pulled his hand free and clenched it. “Of course I get lonely. Some days I miss Angie so much I’d give anything to get her back. But that’s what happens when someone you love dies. You miss them. It’s called life.”
“It’s also part of life to let go, move on, and discover that you can open your heart to someone new.”
“Is that what you’d do if something happened to Kevin?” Noah shouldn’t have said it, but Emma had no idea what she was talking about. What she was asking. “You don’t just let go of someone you love and decide to move on. It doesn’t work like that. Those memories will always be there, making me smile sometimes or squeezing my chest so much I can barely breathe others. I can’t push that aside and walk into another relationship. Right now, Adi and Kajsa are enough for me, and I have no desire to fall in love again. Ever.”
Noah clamped his mouth shut, feeling the familiar constriction in his chest. He hated constriction. Why couldn’t he talk about Angie without this response? Why couldn’t he do what Becky and Emma seemed to think he was capable of doing and let go?
Emma’s hand found his again, and this time she gripped it hard. “I’m sorry, Noah. You’re right. I don’t know what it feels like. I just miss seeing you happy, that’s all.”
“I am happy.” Noah stood, signaling an end to the conversation. Emma took her cue, gave him a kiss on the cheek, and left. Through the front window, he watched her pick her way across the snow then smile when she saw Kevin coming to look for her. Hand-in-hand, they walked back home.
Yes, Noah did get lonely. But he was happy. He had a nice home, two beautiful daughters, a college degree, and the prospect of a new and exciting job just around the corner.
That was all he needed.
“Right cross over, hop up, hop back two-three-four.” With her rigid back to her class, Cassie slowly walked them through each step. Then she spun around and clasped her fingers together. “Now I want you to try. She repeated the steps and watched each girl in her class of eight. As usual, Adelynn, Lizzie, Kara, and Hailey picked it right up. Three others were almost there. And then there was Kajsa, the sweet girl with two left feet who never complained but never seemed to find much enjoyment in dancing either. Not for the first time, Cassie wondered why Becky had signed her up.
“No, Kajsa, that’s not right. It goes like this.” Adelynn executed an almost flawless hop back two-three-four before raising her blond eyebrow expectantly.
Kajsa tried, but stumbled and took five steps instead of four, ending with her weight on the wrong foot. Cassie smiled and intervened. “Let’s try it again, only more slowly this time.” Four attempts later, Kajsa finally pulled it off. Cassie was quick to congratulate her, but Kajsa ducked her head against the praise, looking embarrassed that she’d taken so much longer than the others to learn the steps. Cassie’s heart went out to her.
“All right, girls, time for our cool down.”
They all grumbled but sank to the floor anyway, bending forward to touch their toes in a stretch. After only four lessons, they had this part of the routine down pat, and it was adorable to watch them attempt to keep their legs straight.
Five minutes later, parents started to arrive. One after another, the girls thanked Miss Cassie and skipped out the door. Their faces were bright with excitement as they met their mom or dad and gushed about class and what they’d learned, just like they always did. It was one of Cassie’s greatest rewards for teaching. The only exception was Kajsa, who always met Becky with a resigned expression.
Today, however, there was no Becky to greet them, even after all the other girls had left. There was no one. Cassie glanced out the window. Maybe she’d lost track of time and had forgotten. Cassie pulled out her phone to call her friend when an ugly brown, beat-up truck sped into the lot, scattering some of the snow that had accu
mulated during the past hour. It slid to a crooked halt in front of the glass doors that led into the dance studio.
Both girls cried out, “It’s Daddy!” and rushed for the door. It was the happiest Cassie had ever seen Kajsa.
Curious, she studied the man who jumped from the truck, clearly frantic about being late. He had short, wavy dark blond hair and the most striking blue eyes Cassie had ever seen. His rumpled t-shirt was filthy and his jeans were covered in holes and what appeared to be paint. But the girls didn’t seem to care as they flung their little arms around him.
So that was Noah Mackie.
Becky had told Cassie about the single father who lived across the street from her. Well, gushed would be more accurate. According to her friend, not only was he handsome, but he was incredibly talented, the best father in the world, funny, kind, and… had Becky mentioned handsome? She couldn’t have been more obvious.
Unfortunately, Cassie’s interest in Noah Mackie went only as far as his two daughters. If Becky wanted to sign the girls up for her Irish dancing class, awesome. If her friend was out to set her up with some guy—no thanks. For Cassie, marriage was a been there, done that sort of thing—not a rinse and repeat.
Thankfully, Becky had dropped the subject of Noah and signed his two girls up for dance instead.
And now here he was, helping them into his truck. Cassie was glad they’d run out to meet him so she didn’t have to make polite, uncomfortable small talk.
With a sigh, Cassie spun around and began cleaning up the foyer. She bent to grab a sweatshirt that had been left behind by one of her young dancers and shook it out, immediately recognizing it as Kajsa’s. A horse galloped across the front of it, looking ready to rush the world head-on.
The door opened behind her and a whoosh of winter air swept around her. “I think my daughter left her sweatshirt.”
She forced a smile as she turned around, holding up the sweatshirt. “You mean this one?”
“That would be the one.” He took it from her then held out a hand covered in white paint splotches for her to shake. “You must be Cassie. I’m Noah Mackie.”