Chapter 6 #2
She shakes her head, smiling. "I've never had anyone treat me like this. I keep wondering what I did to deserve this, if it can last."
"You are a good person, Esme, and you deserve good things for that alone. And don't worry—we don't plan on being inconsistent."
Our food arrives before she can answer.
I pick up one of the crisp truffle arancini and hold it toward her. "Try it."
"You want to feed me?" She looks at me in surprise.
Her cheeks turn pink, but she leans forward and takes the bite from my fingers.
She chews slowly, then closes her eyes for a second. "Oh, wow."
I grin. "Good?"
"Very. It tastes rich and luxurious. I've never eaten anything like this." She looks between us, still blushing. "This is the most romantic date I've ever been on."
Something about hearing that makes my chest ache.
Then one of the babies begins to cry.
Rhett looks toward the stroller. "I've got her."
Before he can stand, I reach down and lift the bottle from the diaper bag.
"I've got it."
The baby quiets the moment I pick her up. I settle her against my arm and give her the bottle. Her tiny hand curls around one of my fingers.
Within seconds, she's drinking peacefully.
Esme watches me. Her expression is so soft that I have to look away for a second.
When I look back, she's smiling. "I love this about you."
"What?"
"The way you take charge."
I raise an eyebrow.
She laughs quietly. "Not just with the babies. With me. With everything."
Rhett is feeding the other baby now.
Esme looks between us. "I love how paternal you both are. How protective you are. How you take care of everyone you love."
Her voice gets quieter.
"I love being part of this." She looks down at her plate. "Even if it's only for a short time."
The words hit me immediately. Rhett and I exchange a glance.
Then he reaches for her hand. "It doesn't have to be short."
She looks up.
I hold her gaze. "We'd love to have you forever."
Her expression freezes. "Forever?"
Before I can answer, a shrill female voice cuts across the restaurant. "So this is where you've been hiding?"
Every muscle in my body goes still. I turn toward the sound.
A woman is standing several feet from our table.
She looks like she hasn't taken care of herself in years.
Her hair is greasy and tangled around a face that is prematurely worn, her eyes red and unfocused.
She's wearing an oversized coat over a stained shirt, and the sharp smell of alcohol reaches us even from a distance.
Her expression is angry.
Mean.
And then she looks at Esme. I don't know her, but I can guess who it might be.
"You disappear off the face of the earth and don't even bother telling your own mother where you've gone?"
Esme goes completely pale. "Mom."
The woman's eyes narrow.
"That's right. Your mother." She steps closer. "Do you have any idea what I've been going through? I had no money. My debtors have been chasing me."
Esme's hands tremble. "I told you I couldn't keep giving you money."
The woman's face twists. She laughs bitterly. "So that's what this is about? You thought if you ran away, you could stop giving me money?"
"Mom, please, don't make a scene." Esme hisses.
"You abandon me and run off to live with these men?"
Her voice rises. People at nearby tables begin looking over.
I stand. "That's enough."
She looks at me. "Who the hell are you?"
"Someone who isn't going to let you speak to her like that."
Rhett stands too.
The woman points at Esme. "She owes me. I'm her mother."
"No," I say calmly. "You're her mother. That doesn't give you ownership over her."
She scoffs. "Everything she has, I helped give her."
"Then you should be proud of her," Rhett says. "Instead, you've taken her money and left her afraid to answer the phone."
The woman's face reddens. "She wouldn't have anything without me."
Esme's eyes fill with tears. "That's not true."
Her mother rounds on her. "You ungrateful little?—"
"Don't." I step between them. My voice is quiet. Cold.
The woman stops.
"Your daughter's money belongs to her. Her life belongs to her. She doesn't owe you access to either."
Rhett reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. "You need to leave now."
The woman stares at him. "Or what?"
"Or I call the police. You are an addict. We know that. And I'm sure you have committed more than a few crimes the police would be interested in, including intimidating and extorting your daughter."
Her expression changes. "You wouldn't."
"I absolutely would. I'm not your daughter.
I'm not as tender-hearted or kind as her.
I would make sure you rot in prison for coming near my family.
" Rhett unlocks his phone. "You're intoxicated, you've entered a private interaction you weren't invited to, and you're harassing her.
I'd be happy to explain the situation to the police. "
The woman takes a step backward.
I keep my eyes on her. "You don't come near Esme again. Do you understand? If we ever see you asking her for money, you will find yourself in far worse trouble than you ever imagined. I'd hand-deliver you to your debtors."
She swallows. "She's my daughter."
"She's a grown woman. You have no right to be near her if she doesn't want you to be." Rhett's voice becomes sharper. "And she's ours now."
The woman stares at him. "Not yours."
"Family isn't about blood," I say. "It's about who protects you and who loves you. We're not going to stand by while anyone takes advantage of her again."
Her bravado finally disappears.
She looks around at the people watching.
Then back at Rhett's phone.
"Fine." She turns and leaves.
I don't sit down until I see her disappear through the restaurant doors.
Then I turn toward Esme. She's crying. I pull her into my arms immediately.
Rhett comes around the table and wraps an arm around both of them.
"You're safe," I tell her.
She shakes against me. "I'm sorry."
"For what?"
"Your dinner. Your date. Everything. I ruined it."
I tighten my arms around her. "You didn't ruin anything."
"I bring so many problems into your lives."
"No." I pull back enough to look at her. "Listen to me."
Her wet eyes meet mine.
"You are not a problem." I brush her hair away from her face. "Your mother is a problem. That's different."
Rhett nods. "We can deal with people like her."
Esme wipes her cheeks. "I should have known she'd come for me."
"Maybe." I soften my voice. "But you shouldn't have had to handle her alone."
She looks down. I've seen that expression before. The instinct to apologize for needing anything. The belief that being loved means becoming less work for someone else.
I hate it.
"You don't have to be strong alone anymore."
Her lip trembles.
"You can lean on us."
Rhett's hand settles against her back. "We're here."
She looks at both of us.
Then, unexpectedly, she throws her arms around us.
She kisses my cheek. Then Rhett's.
"I love you." The words stop me cold.
For a heartbeat, none of us speaks. Then she laughs through her tears. "How could I not?"
She looks from one of us to the other. "You're both perfect."
I shake my head. "I'm very far from perfect."
"Me too," Rhett says.
She smiles. "I don't care."
I take her hand. "I love you too, Esme. We've been wanting to tell you that. That's why we invited you on a date."
Her eyes widen.
Rhett smiles. "I do, too."
She looks stunned.
I squeeze her fingers. "That's why we asked you to stay forever."
"We don't want you here temporarily," Rhett says. "We want to build a life with you."
"A family," I add.
Her expression softens. "You might not know this, but I want lots of kids."
Rhett laughs. "How many is lots?"
She thinks seriously. "At least four."
I grin. "We can manage that."
She looks at me.
"You mean it?"
I nod. "We both do."
Rhett reaches across the table. "We've worked hard. We're financially secure. If having a big family is your dream, there's no reason you can't have one."
Her eyes fill again.
This time, she smiles. "I can't believe I found you."
I look at her. Neither can I. Because I thought I knew what I wanted.
A successful career. A good home. Children I could protect.
A life that made sense. And somehow, somewhere along the way, Esmeralda became part of all of it.
She isn't simply the woman who came into our house because she needed a job.
She's the woman sitting between us now, wiping happy tears from her cheeks while the babies sleep peacefully beside our table.
She's the woman I want beside me when this house is full of noise.
When the children are older.
When we're gray.
When life gets difficult.
When it's wonderful.
Forever.
I look at Rhett.
He looks back at me.
Neither of us needs to say anything.
We already know.
We're keeping her.
We're building this family.
And this time, I'm not afraid of how much I want it.