Epigraph #7
That all turned out all right, too. LJ hadn’t been there, and he got to have an intimate moment where he found out he had a daughter. The two had been inseparable since that day. We took Lady everywhere in town. She got to see where LJ grew up. She got to see our world.
And she got to know her father.
Lady wasn’t staying at her hotel anymore.
LJ and I had her right under our roof at our home here in Maywood Heights.
We had a few houses all over the world, but here was where our roots were.
Lady had been with us all week, and we got to meet her family, too, through FaceTime.
Her parents were diplomats, which was insane but not surprising. They raised such a wonderful daughter.
Lady’s time wrapped up too quickly with LJ and me. I enjoyed the time too, so much. It felt like we had a little family for a while. I cooked breakfast every morning and Lady and I even had some quiet conversations while LJ wasn’t in the room.
“He’s wonderful,” she said to me, and that made my heart so warm. I knew he felt the same way about her and that all our friends did. The Prinzes, Reeds, Mallicks, and Ambroses had all met Lady, obviously. She squeezed my hand. “I’m so happy I came.”
I was sure she was nervous. I mean, who knew the reception she’d get from a man she’d never met?
She had no idea of the love we had in our family and community of friends, but I hoped, by the time LJ and I had driven her to the airport, she’d gotten a little taste of it.
“You’ll text when you land back home?” LJ asked her.
My husband wasn’t an emotionless man, but he wasn’t overly emotional.
He certainly was during this journey of Lady’s homecoming though.
His face was red during this departure, but he had so much joy lacing his expression the whole time his daughter had been here.
He smiled. “I just want to make sure you arrive home safe.”
I stood off to the side during this moment. I wanted them to have this time, but I couldn’t help watching on.
“Of course,” she said, then he froze when she wrapped her arms around him. I hadn’t seen them hug, but this felt like the first time. She squeezed him. “Thanks for letting me stay with you, Pop.”
Pop.
My heart literally melted with that. Lady’s grin was so wide, and LJ’s face was even redder when he hugged her back.
“Of course,” he said, distinct emotion lining his voice. He let go of her, and LJ beamed when Lady was suddenly hugging me.
“Thanks, Billie,” she said, and I had no idea what she was thanking me for, but I received that hug so hard.
I squeezed her. “Keep in touch, okay? You have my line.”
“And mine,” LJ told her.
Lady nodded, looking emotional herself, before she headed toward security. LJ and I both watched her until she disappeared beyond the reaches of our sight.
The drive back home was quiet, but I didn’t think that was because either of us was unhappy. In fact, quite the opposite. Our lives had changed in only the best ways, and, that night, I went to sleep with nothing but elation in my heart.
“Billie, everything all right?” LJ asked when he caught me crying the next morning. I was in the bathroom by myself, and I didn’t realize I was crying until he opened the door. His eyes flashed at what he saw, and I wasn’t surprised.
I mean, what I had in my hands was eye-widening.
I hadn’t had my period in a few months, but I was always irregular. Even still, something told me to take a pregnancy test that morning. I didn’t know if it was my gut or something else. Either way, I did it.
I did it.
Swallowing, I blinked down tears as I stared at the positive pregnancy test. I’d taken three and the others were on the floor. I just didn’t believe them. I didn’t…
“Beauty queen,” LJ said, coming forward. He took my hand, the one holding the test, and something overcame his face again. I always thought my husband wasn’t an overly emotional man, but he was proving me wrong. A rose color flushed his strong jaw. “Billie, are you…”
“I don’t understand. We weren’t trying.” I mean, we weren’t not trying, but I never paid attention now after so many doctors told me this wasn’t possible. We’d seen so many doctors, fertility specialists. My mouth parted. “LJ, I’m older. This shouldn’t happen.”
But it was happening. It was.
We were pregnant.
I was shaking as LJ brought me into a tight hold. I was still crying, and I think he might have been a little bit too. This shouldn’t be happening. They, the doctors, told us this couldn’t happen.
“A miracle,” LJ said, his hand in my hair. He was holding me so tight. “It’s a miracle, baby.”
“A miracle,” I gasped out, and LJ started to laugh. He kissed me, then he was on his knees, and I laughed.
“Hi, baby,” he said, then kissed my waist so gently. He closed his eyes. “We’re your parents, baby.”
We were pregnant. We were having a baby.
I had a feeling LJ was right with his miracle. He was, and she came in the form of Lady. LJ’s daughter had somehow done this. I didn’t know how, but I fully believed that in my heart. I believed it with my entire being.
I placed my hand on my husband’s head as he kissed my belly.
We just stayed like that seemingly forever.
I didn’t know when we broke the moment. We just lived in it.
We loved, and we contacted Lady about things first. She was going to be a sister and how wild was that? Our family just kept getting bigger.
We just kept getting miracles.