CH 52 - #daddy
#daddy
Madison
“Do you see any boots you like?” Luke asked Bella while holding her hand.
She pointed at a pair on the top row. They were pink with white butterflies on them. “I want those.”
“Alright, let’s get your size, then you need to try them on.”
“Okay.”
After Luke grabbed the right box, he led Bella over to a chair and had her sit down while I held Beau. Luke put both boots on our girl, then had her stand up.
“How do they feel?” he asked.
“Good.”
“Walk around in them for a minute to be sure.”
I videoed her as she did, so captured by Luke’s attentiveness and tenderness.
“Are those boots the ones for you, little angel?” he asked her when she came back over to him.
“Uh-huh.”
“Alright! Do you want to keep them on or put your other shoes back on?”
“I want to wear my boots. They’re so pretty!” she said, smiling and throwing her arms up into the air.
“I’m glad you like them.”
She nodded, her eyes then turning serious. “Can I call you daddy?”
I was still videoing her with Luke when she asked that question, and I continued as my cowboy got down on both knees in front of our girl, took her hands, and looked straight at her.
“Yep, Bella, you sure can.”
Her chin started quivering. Luke hugged her to him and looked up at me, his hazel eyes brimming with tears like mine were doing. I’d just fallen in love with him even more when I thought it wasn’t possible. How could a man be so good?
After finding Bella a cowgirl hat, Luke had his turn at making our boy look even more like him by wearing a toddler cowboy hat and brown boots just like his daddy’s. He was freaking adorable in them. After capturing that moment on my cellphone, the four of us headed to the checkout.
The older woman at the register kept looking at us and smiling, then she said, “I believe y’all are the most beautiful family I’ve ever seen.”
Luke and I glanced at each other.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he told the kind woman, making me want to fill Amarillo with his babies.
When we got back to the ranch house, he fed Bella a grilled cheese with sliced apples while I nursed Beau in my rocking chair, with my mom sitting in my bedroom on the floor in front of me.
“I couldn’t wipe that smile off your face if I tried,” she said.
“Nope, you couldn’t.”
“It is incredible to me, and also wonderful, how you and Luke have reconciled.”
“It is to me, too. I never dreamed this would happen, but I am thankful it did. I love him so much, Mom.”
“I know you do, honey.”
“He’s…” I stopped to take a deep breath. “He’s just so amazing. He’s authentic and wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to Bella, Beau, and me.”
“From what I can tell, you’re wearing your heart on your sleeve for him.”
“Mostly. I’m still a little guarded, but not because of Luke. Because of me.”
My mom studied my eyes. “What’s the hold-up?”
“My past with Ty. I thought he was the real deal, only to find out he wasn’t.”
“Do yourself a huge favor right this instant. Stop comparing Ty and Luke. Luke is of a totally different caliber of man. He is exactly what you need and deserve. He deserves you, too, because of the caliber of woman that your dad and I raised you to be.”
“Can you guess what my biggest fear is about getting more serious with Luke?”
My mom shook her head.
“It’s him realizing I’m too much. I’m too hot-headed, stubborn, and set in my ways, and then he leaves me. He can’t take any more of me being who I am.”
“He already knows exactly who and how you are and loves you. Youngest daughter of mine, the things that you think are negative about you are also positive. They’ve given you the strength to make it through several storms.
“One that I wouldn’t make it through is Luke saying goodbye to me.”
“You don’t have to worry about that happening. He’s in this with you, as well as with Bella and Beau.”
“I want to show you something.”
As my mom watched the video of Bella asking Luke at Lasso and Lace if she could call him daddy, her eyes filled with tears. “Your daddy would have loved seeing this,” she said, looking back at me.
“Luke reminds me of him so much.”
“They are a lot alike. They have huge hearts and love hard.”
“I just hope Luke has enough for me, long term.”
“I’ve never doubted that he does.”
My mom and I stared at each other as I thought about her relationship with my dad.
“Tell me how you’re truly doing,” I said.
She shrugged. “Today’s been a good day, but I never stop thinking about your dad.”
“I know.”
“I miss seeing his handsome smiling face, hearing his deep voice, feeling his arms around me, and smelling him. He was my constant fix, if that makes sense.”
“It makes total sense to me. One whiff of Luke and I’m all good.”