Epilogue
EPILOGUE
TWO YEARS LATER…
K ent sat on the front stoop of the new home he’d bought for his family, twirling his wedding ring, staring at two envelopes next to him. Nicky, now five and about to start kindergarten, rode his big wheel around the cul-de-sac, chasing Elle. He couldn’t believe she was twelve. It seemed like just yesterday he was changing her diapers, and now he was fending off boys and watching her put on a tinge of mascara.
“Hey, you,” a voice sweeter than honey rang out from behind him. “You’ve been quiet all morning. What’s going on?” Dixie sat down beside him, resting her hand on her growing belly. In just four months, they’d be adding another child to their brood. His life was almost complete.
“The paperwork came to enroll Nicky in kindergarten yesterday.”
“Oh, good. I’ve been waiting for that.” Dixie tapped his thigh. “But I know you and that’s not what’s on your mind. What’s bugging you?”
“Nicky has been calling me Dad for over a year, and we’ve never told him otherwise.”
“Elle started calling me Mom , and we don’t correct her. We decided to be a family, and that’s exactly what we are.” She jerked her head. “Are you bothered by Elle calling me Mom? I know I can’t take the place?—”
“Sweetheart, it’s not that. The first time it slipped out of Elle’s mouth, it shocked me, but it warmed my heart and while I’ve never pressured her, I’ve encouraged it. She knows who gave birth to her. I’ll never take that away.”
“Neither will I,” Dixie said. “Are you feeling differently about Nicky? I don’t talk about his biological father, and I don’t want to. It’s a different situation,” she said defensively.
“I love Nicky. He’s my son in every way, which is what has me so quiet this morning.” He swallowed. Hard. He knew his wife and while she might agree with what he wanted to do, she wasn’t going to be happy with what he’d done. “I want Nicky to go into school with my last name. I want to officially adopt him.”
Dixie gasped.
He tilted his head. Her eyes grew teary. “We’d have to contact Daniel, and I don’t want to ever have that man?—”
He hushed her with a quick kiss. “I beg of you not to be mad, but I had a lawyer visit him in prison, and he’s agreed to give up his parental rights.” He rested one of the envelopes on her lap. “He’s signed all the papers. All I need is for you to agree.”
“You did what? Behind my back?”
“Honey—”
“Don’t honey me. You should have told me,” she said with a scowl, folding her arms. “We went through so much to get Daniel out of our lives. He could have made this so difficult.”
“I know.” He nodded.
“And it’s not something you should have gone through alone.”
“I didn’t want you to get your hopes up, only for Daniel to say no.”
She took the envelope and opened it. “But he didn’t. He agreed.” She cupped his cheek. “I should be mad, but it’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for me. For our family.”
“I’m glad you agree.” His heart hammered in his chest. “There is one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
He cringed. “I talked to Elle and she agrees; you should officially adopt her too.”
She made a weird screeching noise, covering her mouth.
“I know I should have had this discussion with you before I went ahead?—”
She grabbed his face, planting a wet kiss on his mouth. “This is better than a stolen moment on the Harley at sunset.”
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you more.”
“Not possible.” He rubbed his hand over her swollen belly.
“We could go on like this all day.”
“I have no problem with that,” he said, bending over and kissing her stomach. “If I could, I’d burn how I love you into the evening sky.”
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