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We both looked over at Roman. I knew he had some attachment to the place.
“Sure, go for it,” Roman said. “As long as Ava is fine with it.”
“I’m good, I’m hoping to stay in St. Louis after I graduate, I need to be in a city to land a good job,” she said.
“Then it sounds good to me,” Roman said. “Like Dante, it’s a bit too rural for me. Are you guys sure you want to live that far away from civilization?”
He looked between Bella and me.
“Well, there’s a lot of space for the kids to run around. We have beautiful views of the river. It’s even bigger than this place, by quite a bit—”
“I’m already sold on the idea, Gabe, you really don’t have to say anything more to convince me,” Bella said with a chuckle. “I think after everything we’ve been through, getting away and just focusing on our family sounds amazing to me. And I’ll love being out of the city and raising our kids surrounded by nature.”
“Well then, sounds like a plan,” Roman said.
It had always been a dream of mine to raise my family there and knowing that it would soon become a reality filled me with so much joy. I glanced back over at Bella who was smiling at me.How did I ever get so lucky, I thought to myself, as I brought her hand up to my lips.
How did I ever get so damned lucky?
42
Bella
“Baby Vincent is home!” I exclaimed to Charles over the phone. “And I also got a little something in my email today, though I haven’t opened it yet.”
The email was regarding a DNA test that we’d all done. It held the results that would tell me whether or not we were biologically a family. Although I already knew in my heart, the results would be the verification we needed to correct all of legal my documents so I could officially be an O’Connell instead of a Stone. Since I was used to the name Isabelle, we had agreed I would keep my first name, but everyone called me Bella anyway.
“That’s great news, on both accounts,” Charles said.
“Are you driving? I can call back later if you are?” I had heard some road noise in the background.
“It’s fine, I have you on speaker,” Brenda said. “Harper and Liam are with us as well.”
“Oh hi!” I said to everyone. “I hope you’re all doing well, but if you’re on your way somewhere, I can let you go after I show you the baby.”
I walked over to where Vincent was sleeping in his father’s arms. Ari, Lucy, and Eli were also there, spread between Ava, Dante and Roman who finally gave in and decided to hold one of the babies. He was doing remarkably well for how worried he was about it.
I smiled as I stared at my family. In front of me was everything I had ever wanted.
“So would you like to see Vincent?”
“We would, but you don’t have to do it by video call,” Charles said.
“What do you mean?”
“We’re outside your door,” he laughed.
My heart skipped several beats as the doorbell rang. I heard it both in real life and over the phone.
“You’re here? But how?”
“Gabe gave us the address, we wanted to surprise you,” Charles answered.
“Are you going to answer the door or leave them standing outside?” Gabe teased.
I rushed to the front door and opened it up. Standing on our front porch were Charles, Brenda, Liam, and Harper, all with the biggest smiles on their faces and their arms open for a hug. I made the rounds, hugging each of them and greeting them.
“Wow, I can’t believe you guys came all this way,” I said.
