Chapter 27 #3
El stroked the child’s back until she quit sobbing and looked up.
El grabbed tissues from her purse and handed one to Lucy.
She swiped her eyes and blew her nose, the sound apparently catching Gabe’s attention.
He picked his way between empty tables to get to them.
The team was already packing things away as Gabe settled on the bench next to Lucy.
“You okay, princess?” he asked.
She wiggled her way onto his lap and put her arms around his neck. “I miss Mommy.”
“I miss her too, and it’s okay to be sad.”
She looked up at him. “Are you sad too?”
“Very,” he said, the one word carrying a wave of emotion.
El moved to leave them alone, but Gabe took her hand. “I’d like you to stay with us.”
“Of course.” She swallowed and gave him a smile.
Reece marched across the pavilion and stopped in front of them. “We’ve got everything packed up and ready to go. We’ll take Mrs. Z. back to the inn unless you want someone to stay.”
“No, thanks. Go ahead.”
Reece smiled at Lucy. “See you soon.”
The team carried everything off, their arms loaded with leftover snacks and drinks and all the birthday presents. Even Mrs. Z.’s lap was stacked with packages.
Gabe looked at Lucy. “I have a special surprise for you. Your mommy left a video for you. She recorded one to play every year on your birthday.”
Excitement washed the sadness from her face. “I wanna see it. I wanna see it now.”
Gabe reached behind to grab his iPad from the table.
El didn’t know if this showing was meant to be for the two of them only. She didn’t want to intrude so she started to get up, but he placed a hand on her knee.
Lucy looked at her. “This is a video from my mommy. She made it for my birthday.”
“That’s really special, sweetheart. Do you want to watch it alone with Gabe?”
“No.” She grabbed El’s hand and clung tight. “I want you to stay too. I want you to meet my mommy. She’s special and you’ll like her.”
“I know I will.” El tried not to cringe when Lucy talked about her mother in the present tense. She’d yet to really come to grips with the fact that her mother hadn’t just gone somewhere for a short time and wouldn’t come back.
Gabe started the video playing. Kenna came on the screen, and he pressed a hand over his mouth.
El had never seen Kenna alive. She was a beautiful woman with a vibrant personality as she spoke to Lucy, affirming her love for the child.
Kenna told her she didn’t want to leave her, but she was happy that she was with Gabe.
But then, she took a turn and told her that someday he would get married, and Lucy would have a new mommy, and she wanted Lucy to love her new mommy.
Lucy whipped her head around to look at Gabe. “Stop the video, Gabe. Stop it! Stop it!”
He quickly pushed pause and took her hand. “What is it, princess?”
“Are you going to marry El?” She sounded so terrified by the idea that El was certain a steamroller had run over her heart.
Gabe glanced at El for a moment then back at Lucy. “I hope to someday.”
Lucy started breathing quickly, her little chest rising and falling under her blue dress. “And she’ll be my new mommy like my mommy said?”
“If you let her.”
“But I want my mommy. Not a new one.”
“Remember, sweetie, your mommy is in heaven, and she can’t come back.”
She flung herself at Gabe and clutched onto his shirt, sobbing.
Gabe flashed a look of confusion at El, then returned his attention to Lucy. “What’s the matter, sweetie?”
“I’ve only ever had a mommy, and she just said that El would be my mommy. So that means you would go away and just come to visit me like you used to do. But I don’t want that to happen.” She started crying again.
Gabe snuggled her close. “I’ll never leave you. Never. Always remember that, sweetie. I’ll be with you forever. So will El.”
El couldn’t stand it any longer, and she placed her hand on Lucy’s back.
The child looked up at her and gave her a wobbly smile. “I want to love you as my new mommy,” she said, “but you win at Trouble a lot, and I like to win.”
El held back a snort at the logic of a child. “What if we spend more time together, and I teach you some things to help you win?”
“Would you?”
“Of course, I would.”
She squirmed out of Gabe’s arms, and when she was on the ground, she threw her arms around El. “Okay. Now can we go home so I can ride my new bike?”
“Absolutely.” Gabe smiled.
Lucy jumped up and down.
Gabe took the child’s hand, his broad smile displaying his contentment. He clasped El’s hand too. “We can watch the rest of the video when we get home.”
“C’mon.” Lucy tugged Gabe to his feet, and the three of them started for his truck.
El moved closer to him. “Crisis averted one more time.”
He put his arm around her and used the remote to unlock the truck door. Lucy raced ahead to climb into her seat in the extended cab.
“I know her doctor said this was typical behavior,” El said now that Lucy was out of earshot. “To be unsure of me. To be happy one moment and withdrawn the next. All while she processes the loss of her mother, but I have to say my heart was crushed there for a while.”
“I can imagine, and I hope you’re still up for getting married and becoming a mom.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. God’s given me a chance to get rid of that awful guilt that’s plagued me for so long, so I can be a mother to this child without feeling anything but love.”
Gabe swung her around and into his arms. “And what about me? Can you love me after all these years you’ve avoided a relationship?”
She stroked the side of his cheek. “Not only can but do.”
“Good, because I was thinking now that Kenna brought up the subject of marriage to Lucy, we can move up the date when we say I do in public.”
El twisted her arms around his neck, and her heart fluttered. “Well, kind, sir, I think this is the type of decision that needs to be sealed with a kiss.”
She didn’t have to ask twice, but his head dropped and his lips pressed against hers.
Not a passionate kiss. But the sweet, tender kiss of a promise of working together to keep their pasts in the past where they belonged, so they could enjoy their future together as husband and wife and as Lucy’s parents.
He released her and looked her in the eye. “I promise I’ll never leave you either.”
She held up her little finger and grinned. “Pinky promise?”
He threw back his head and laughed before locking fingers with her. “Pinky promise.”
“Hey, no fair,” Lucy called out from the truck. “I want to pinky promise someone too.”
El and Gabe looked at each other and smiled, then joined her at the truck. This wouldn’t be the last time Lucy would want to be included in their newfound family, something El prayed the three of them would experience for a lifetime.
Thank you so much for reading Lost Lake.