Chapter 31 Poppy
Poppy
Feathered Indians by Tyler Childers
We’ve been settling into a semi-normal routine. As normal as it can get, when life drops big surprises on you, one right after the other. School just got out, and we just got home and pulled into the bay.
Ollie’s standing in the bay, holding Ellie up in the air like Mufasa holding Simba, when I pull into the bay to park, and the way he’s smiling so proudly makes me laugh.
Owen’s talking a mile a minute beside me, with Bandit perched between us in the cab of the truck, words tumbling over each other, backpack half unzipped, hoodie sleeves pulled over his hands.
I park and cut the engine, heart already racing and excited to see Ollie and Ellie.
Owen’s out of the truck before I can say anything, sprinting towards Ollie and jumping up and down, telling him something exciting.
Bandit is next to him, tail wagging wildly, just as excited for whatever is happening in this moment.
Those two have basketball practice tonight, and Owen is very excited, to say the least. For a kid who went from living alone with his older sister to having two parental figures and a little sister in a month, I’d say he hit the jackpot.
A month ago, everything felt uncertain, and now? Now, it’s exciting and full of hope.
Ollie watches him like he’s just as excited as Owen is. While Owen is yammering, Ollie is intently listening, focused on him, nodding and grinning. Ellie’s comfortable in his arms and sleeping, her little face scrunched, not a care in the world.
And I think...damn. This is my whole world right here in this auto shop bay, where memories here feel like bad ones, not the good ones standing in front of me right now.
I mocked that white picket fence life, but life sure has a way of laughing and handing me something that looks an awful lot like it.
Two kids and a dog, a home, and Ollie? Yeah, maybe that picket fence life isn’t so bad after all because it feels strangely like it fits on us anyway.
Ollie’s smiling so big, and he’s practically bouncing on his heels, hands shoved into his pockets like he doesn’t know what to do with them. His eyes are bright and shiny and fixed on me like I’m the only thing in the room.
“What?” I say, breathless. “What happened?”
Lately, I’ve been really trying to stop waiting for the other shoe to drop. And right now, I have a feeling something big has happened. And judging by his face, it looks like it’s good.
He crosses the space between us in three long steps. “We got the paternity results back. She’s biologically my half sibling,” he says, voice thick. “She’s ours.”
My knees go weak with emotion. Hearing this definitely brings us some closure while we move forward and build this life together.
“I didn’t doubt it,” he keeps going, words tumbling over each other. “I never doubted it. But Weston wanted everything clean with no loose ends. He crossed every t, dotted every i. I swear, he doesn’t miss a damn thing.”
I laugh and cry at the same time, covering my mouth with one hand. “No, he doesn’t. This is great news!”
Ollie lets out a shaky breath and nods. “He called a little bit ago. Confirmed it all. Madison signed everything. She officially gave up her parental rights to us, so we don’t need anything else. He’s handling my dad.”
I feel it then, the shift. The weight lifted off my chest that I didn’t even realize I’d been carrying. “She’s yours,” I whisper.
“She’s ours,” he repeats, softer now, like he’s afraid saying it too loud might break something between us.
His smile wobbles. He scrubs a hand over his face, blinking hard. “I’m relieved that this is confirmed and everything is going to be done.”
I wrap my arms around his waist and press my face into his chest. God, he feels good.
“I knew it,” I say into his shirt. “Somehow she was meant to be.”
He laughs. “Yeah. Me too. I didn’t doubt it.”
“Well, she’s kinda cute, for a baby, I guess. I’m glad we’re keeping her,” Owen says as he scratches Bandit’s ears. “Although she does poop a lot, which is gross, but she can work on that.”
We laugh, and I take Ellie from Ollie and kiss her head, holding her to me, breathing her sweet baby scent of baby lotion.
Ollie hugs Owen. “You okay with all this?”
Owen nods immediately. “Yeah. That makes us an even weirder, cooler family.”
Ollie looks at both of us and says, “He did update us on Sully. He’s been trying to find him to get him to sign some papers, but no luck yet.”
“What about the club? Do you think they could find him?” I ask with a shrug. “They must know where he is if they’re getting money from him.”
Ollie sighs. “I don’t want to ask them for anything. But speaking of, somehow another envelope appeared on your desk today.”
Ohhh, interesting. I don’t even know how they got in here and I probably don’t want to know. I make a mental note to rekey the locks.
“But they did give us this super cool dog.” Owen grins as Bandit wags his tail, happily watching all of us.
That they did, and Sully hasn’t been around. I’ll take those wins.
A few days later, Ollie refuses to tell us where we’re going. He just told us to dress very warmly and bring warm blankets. Which didn’t give me a lot to go on, but I did what he asked.
Which automatically means Owen is vibrating with excitement in the backseat, next to Ellie in her car seat, with a million questions.
“Is it snow stuff?” Owen asks for the fourth time, nose practically pressed to the window. “Because I brought my gloves. And my backup gloves. And my extra socks just in case it does involve snow.”
Ollie grins over at him, one hand on the wheel. “Probably a good idea. You’ll see.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “You’re being very secretive. Are you sure it’s going to be warm enough for Ellie?”
He just smiles wider and shrugs. “I guess you’ll see.”
When the gates to Wilder Ranch come into view, Owen practically loses his mind when he looks over and sees a sleigh with horses attached to it.
“No way,” he says, excitedly. “NO WAY.”
Jack and Cami are out front waiting for us, bundled up. Maggie’s there too, bundled up and waving. She’s wearing a massive puffer coat that looks comically oversized on her small frame. Walker’s truck pulls in and parks next to us.
We get out, and the air smells like pine and cold and something clean and quiet that makes my shoulders drop the second I step out of the truck. It’s been snowing for a few days straight, and the snow is beautiful and perfect for a sleigh ride, which sounds amazing.
“Ollie, this is so amazing!” I say as I wave to Violet and Mack.
We get out, and Ollie comes to my side, kissing me softly. “I knew you’d love it.”
“It’s stunning,” I say, breathless, looking at the massive white sleigh that’s decorated in pine and lights.
Walker, Violet, and Mack get out of the truck, and they’re in awe, too. “Where did you get a sleigh, Jack?” Mack asks as she finds Owen, and they both are practically jumping with excitement.
Jack smiles and says, “Tucker found it at an auction and brought it home. He restored it for the past few months, and it’s finally ready for its maiden voyage.”
We laugh and bundle up in layers until Ellie looks even more like a marshmallow, snug in her carrier, with only her pink cheeks peeking out.
Jack hands Owen a pair of snowshoes like he’s presenting a crown. “These are also for you to try out later with your dad and me...I mean Ollie,” he says and shakes his head like he made a Freudian slip.
“Sorry,” he says.
Owen laughs and shrugs. “Well, he’s kinda like my dad.”
Ollie and my eyes lock, and he grins as he squeezes Owen’s shoulder. “I definitely am, bud.”
Owen looks down and back up at us, bashful. I put my arm around him and pull him in for a squeeze.
“You ready?” Jack asks. "We’ll do some snowshoeing and take turns with the sleigh.”
Owen nods so hard his hat slips down over his eyes. “Yes!”
“Wait for me!” Mack calls as she scrambles to grab her snow shoes from the truck.
“This is so magical! Also, I bought you something,” Violet says as she motions for me to come to the backseat of their truck. “I got Maggie and Cami one, too.”
I walk over, pulling Ellie in tighter. She’s bundled up and sleeping soundly. “It is magical! Did you know about all this?”
She shrugs with a grin. “Kinda. That’s how I knew to buy you this!”
She pulls out a white coat and squeals. “It’s like mine, and it’s heated!”
I laugh, and she helps me put it on over the baby carrier. “How is it so big and perfect?”
She laughs. “I got them big to go over our belly and babies!”
If you’d have told me that a few months ago, Violet and I would be standing here talking about holding babies, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are, and I realize I love it. It’s kind of crazy that I thought I didn’t want something I now can’t imagine not having.
“Thank you,” I say, hugging her. “Ellie thanks you, too.”
We spend the next hour laughing ourselves breathless sledding and snowshoeing through the trees.
Owen wiping out and popping right back up like it’s the funniest thing that’s ever happened to him.
Sledding down a gentle hill while Jack pretends not to be competitive and Ollie absolutely is. Both of them crash and laugh.
Ellie’s bundled up and tucked against my chest, blinking up at the sky like she’s trying to memorize it. She’s probably going to sleep so well with all of this fresh air, we all are.
Eventually, Maggie clucks her tongue and reaches for her. “All right. That’s enough winter wonder for you, my girl. I’m taking her inside the lodge to watch you guys from the window while I drink my hot cocoa.”
I gently hand her over, and Maggie beams as if she just won a prize.
“I’ll keep her warm,” Maggie says. “You all go play.”