Chapter 32 The Lucky Ones
The Lucky Ones
MILLIE
The morning light is soft and warm, spilling through the balcony doors. The air is different here. Tropical, fresh, and alive with the sounds of nature outside. The hum of the ocean waves mingles with the chirping birds.
I lay in bed, curled up against Gabriel, my head resting on his chest. He has his arm wrapped around me, holding me close the way he always does.
I can hear the soft little breaths telling me Aura is still peacefully sleeping. A reminder that we are doing something right. For all the uncertainty and sleepless nights, there’s a certainty that we are a family now.
I feel the gentle rise and fall of Gabriel’s breathing underneath my cheek. Steady and calm. I smile, tracing the lines of his muscles with my fingers.
I shift just enough to look at Gabriel. His features are soft in his slumber. His hair is disheveled from sleep, and I can’t help but smile at the way it lays on his forehead. He’s always had a quiet strength about him, a presence that makes everything feel grounded, even when life is anything but.
He stirs a little, sensing my gaze, and when his eyes flutter open, they meet mine.
“Morning,” I whisper, my smile widening as I lean in to kiss his chest.
He smiles, his eyes still heavy with sleep, but his hand comes up and rests on my cheek. His thumb brushing along my jawline. “Hey, beautiful,” he says softly, his voice low and warm.
I lean into his touch, relishing the softness of it, the tenderness.
“Did you sleep ok?” He asks, still in a quiet, soft space between sleep and wakefulness.
I nod, a slow smile spreading across my face.
“Yeah, just needed some extra time with you,” I murmur.
His hand slips to the back of my neck, fingers spreading through my hair as he pulls me closer. I close my eyes, letting myself sink into him.
“I could stay here forever.”
His lips press against the top of my hair. “I never take waking up next to you for granted.”
There’s a soft sound from the crib. A little coo, a gentle sigh. Aura stirs, and I feel a flutter of anticipation, my heart quickens the same way it always does when I hear her wake up. She’s my little girl, and she is everything to me.
I glance at the crib and catch Gabriel’s eye. He gives me a sleepy grin, his hand still resting on my back.
“Ready to get our girl?” he asks softly, the question filled with affection and the joy of this early morning moment.
I nod, feeling excited.
“Yeah,” I say my voice filled with validity I am right where I need to be. “Let’s go.”
He kisses my forehead and shifts to get up, stretching as he moves. I sit up, reaching for his hand.
Aura is wide awake in her crib, babbling softly, clearly in a good mood. When we reach the edge of the crib, we are greeted with her wide eyes that resemble the water outside our door. Her hands grab at the side of the crib, pulling herself up to a sitting position.
Her face lights up the moment she sees us, and she lets out a happy babble, her body wiggling with excitement.
Gabriel leans over, gently lifting her out of the soft cotton sheets, her little body warm and snug in his arms. “Good morning, Aura,” he says softly, his voice full of affection.
I move closer to them, brushing my fingers against her soft cheek, and she turns her head towards me, giving me a big, toothless grin.
“Good morning, Sweets,” I whisper, leaning in to kiss her head. I am overwhelmed by the smell of her baby lotion and sunshine.
We get a second of peace before she begins to squirm to get down.
“Looks like she is ready to go,” Gabriel says, smiling.
I laugh softly. “She’s always ready to roll. Like a little energizer bunny.”
I lean against Gabriel, wrapping my arm around his waist as we both admire her. Taking in the simplicity of the moment. The way she looks at us—curious, trusting, so full of love is enough to keep me full of love for a lifetime.
We go out to the balcony, and the cool morning breeze runs through our hair and the world in front of us. Being here feels like a dream, wrapped in the arms of the man I love and my little girl.
“I think it’s time for breakfast.” “I say, my stomach choosing the perfect time to let out a loud rumble.
“We definitely can’t skip that,” Gabriel says with a laugh, adjusting Aura in his arms. “Let’s go find some fruit and pancakes, then head to the beach.”
We get ready in our swimsuits, and I pack a bag with diapers, wipes, and sunscreen. I put Aura in her one-piece bathing suit and throw her hat in the bag as she refuses to wear it.
“We all set?” Gabriel asks, glancing at me with a grin as I finish getting ready.
Once we are full on pancakes and fruit, we step outside, the air is warm but refreshing, the sound of the ocean grows louder as we walk down the path leading to the beach.
The beach is still quiet and we find two chairs under an umbrella, perfect for being on the beach with a baby.
“I still can’t believe we are here,” I say, glancing at Gabriel, who is grinning from ear to ear.
“I can,” he says with a chuckle, swinging his arm around my shoulders as we walk.
We walk out to the water, letting the waves hit our ankles. The cool water contrasts with the warmth of the sun on our skin. Aura kicks her legs in the air, in awe of the movement of the water. I can feel her excitement of the newness of everything down to my toes.
“Look at her,” I say, my voice filled with awe. “She’s already in love with the ocean.”
“We will have to come back,” Gabriel says, his tone affectionate as he reaches over to touch her head.
I feel a little flutter in my chest. I’ve always admired the way he looks at his daughter- like he sees her with a kind of love and wonder that is indescribable.
We make our way back to our chairs. I sit down in the sand, gently placing Aura on the blanket I brought down with us.
I watch Aura play with the sides of the blanket, grabbing handfuls of sand along with it.
When I look to Gabriel, his hand is resting on his knee as he watches his daughter with a tender, protective look in his eyes.
There is so much love held within his gaze.
It’s the kind of love that is not just in these moments when everything is perfect but also the quiet ones, the ones that pass without a fuss.
“You’re such a good dad, you know?” I say, my voice is soft and full of sincerity.
He smiles, a little sheepish, but I don’t mistake the pride in his eyes. “I’m trying my hardest to be the best father I can to her.”
I shake my head, laughing softly. “You’re not trying, Gabby. You are doing your best. Watching you with her reminds me of my dad. You’re not just her dad. You’re her everything. Every time she looks at you, her eyes light up. It’s like you’re her whole world.”
He glances down at her, his lips curling into a soft smile as his daughter reaches up to him, her little hands grabbing his face. His voice drops to a quiet murmur as he lifts her up, setting her up on his lap. “I don’t know about all that. I’m figuring everything out as I go.”
I watch as he adjusts her, holding her so naturally. “It’s true, though,” I say, my tone full of admiration. “You’re patient with her, calm even when she is fussy or crying for no reason at all. You never get frustrated with her. You just- you just know how to be with her.”
He looks up at me then, his eyes softening.
“She’s a good kid,” he says with a small smile. “It’s easy to be patient with her.”
“She’s so lucky to have you,” I whisper, my voice barely audible
“Bumper, trust me when I say this,” he says, moving from his beach chair to the sand. “We are the lucky ones to have you. You’re an incredible mom. You may not have birthed her, but in her heart, you’re it. You’re her mom. The one she wants in the morning, the one she trusts.”
We spend a few hours on the beach, enjoying each other’s company. We watch Aura play in the sand, nap under the sun and splash her hands in the ocean.
I decide to check in with my family back home and see how the café is going. I had just hired Baylee as the GM, but then the engagement happened and everything has been crazy.
Me
Hey, how is the café?
Lucie
It’s great! You’re smart to make so many pastries in advance and freeze them.
Me
How is Baylee adjusting? She’s doing good?
Lucie
She is a really good fit. How is paradise?
Me
It’s amazing here, Lulu. Aura loves the sand and the ocean
Lucie
Well, get back to your family, Mills. Everything is good here. See you tomorrow.
Leaving unexpected to come here put a damper in business, but I’m lucky my mom and Lucie offered to take over for a few days. Since the proposal, life has been so chaotic, and being able to escape with my two favorite people has been the best medicine I could’ve asked for.
A few hours later, after spending all morning at the beach, we head back to our room to let Aura take her afternoon nap.
“Do you think Aura knows there’s something going on? Gabriel asks when he settles on the bed.
I glance at him, considering his question for a moment. “I don’t know,” I say, brushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “But I think she knows things feel different…peaceful. Like we’ve all settled into this new rhythm together.”
He raises an eyebrow, a thoughtful look crossing his face. “Maybe she does, in her own way.” His fingers play with the edge of the blanket. “I just…feel like this moment is something I’ve dreamed of for a long time. Like we’re finally here, you know?”
I curl into his side, resting my head on his shoulder. “I know exactly what you mean, babe,” I whisper. “And I’m not going anywhere. I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Gabriel’s arm tightens around me, pulling me closer as if to anchor both of us in the serenity of this moment. His fingers trace lazy circles along my arm, and I close my eyes, letting the warmth of his touch settle deep in my bones.
There’s something about this place—that makes everything feel like it’s unfolding the way it was always meant to. The chaos of life back home, the wedding plans, the café, it all feels so far away right now.
“Do you ever think what our life would have been like if we hadn’t found our way back to each other?” Gabriel’s voice is quiet, as though he’s testing the idea out himself.
I tilt my head to look at him. His face is thoughtful and serious in a way I rarely see.
“I think about it sometimes,” I admit. “But only for a moment, you know? Because once I look at you, and then Aura…it’s like everything before doesn’t matter.
I can’t imagine any other version of us.
” I brush my thumb over the line of his jaw, feeling the stubble there.
“This…is our story. And I wouldn’t change a thing. ”
“I used to think life had to go a certain way,” he says, his voice a little rough.
“I had all these plans. I was going to work, get established, and take my time. And then you came into my life. And Aura... I can’t even explain it, but it’s like everything I thought I wanted suddenly wasn’t enough. I wanted this. I wanted us.”
My heart skips a beat at his words. I’ve always known that Gabriel loved me, that he was here with me through every storm, every quiet moment.
But hearing him say it this way, with such raw honesty—it hits me in a new way.
Like I’m not just a part of his life but the center of it.
The one he’d choose over everything else.
But for the first time, I don’t feel any anxiety about it. I just feel grateful.
Grateful for this moment.
Grateful for this life.
And most of all, grateful for the family I’ve found.