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A different emotion flared inside me. “Dad...”
“Yes, kiddo,” said Brian, giving me a hug. “You can call me ‘dad’ for the rest of your life now. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to call me that.”
Tears ran down my cheeks as I held onto him. “Dad,” I said. “Dad, dad, dad!”
“Does that mean you’ll be my daddy too?” Irene asked in an innocent, inquisitive voice.
I broke away from my father to look at her while Noah, Corey and Caleb chuckled.
“Of course,” said Noah, laying a gentle hand on her head. “We’ll be your dads.”
“None of my friends at school have three dads,” she said, grinning like she’d won the lottery. “I’m going to be so much happier than them all.”
I cried and laughed, feeling like the happiness flooding through me was turning me crazy. The most precious people in the world surrounded me. What else could I want from life?
“You knew about this, didn’t you?” I asked, facing Brian.
“I knew,” he confessed. “I even took them to get the ring custom-made. They needed me to make this a success.”
We were soon drinking champagne and toasting.
“Can I have a glass too?” Irene asked, looking longingly at my flute.
“Sorry, honey. You’re still too young.”
“Apple juice is so boring.” She pouted, glaring at her glass that was filled with a golden, sparkling beverage.
“Here, try it,” said Corey, giving her his glass.
“Corey!”
He raised a hand, silently asking me to be patient.
Irene’s eyes lit up with mischief at once. She grabbed his glass before I could say no and took a big gulp.
Her face crumpled with a disgusted look at once. “Eww!”
We laughed, enjoying the pure look of confusion and disgust on her face.
“Here, have some apple juice to wash that taste away,” said Corey.
Irene grabbed the glass from him and drank deeply. “How can you enjoy that sour, bad-smelling thing?” she demanded, glaring at us all.
“That’s why it’s a grown-up drink,” said Noah, rubbing her shoulder. “You’ll like it when you’re older.”
“I’m never going to like it,” she declared, stomping toward the table in the corner.
“I hope she stays like this forever,” I said, watching her cram chocolate truffles into her mouth.
Caleb chuckled. “Life’s great right now, isn’t it?”
“Even if it isn’t, we’ll all stay together and make it wonderful again,” said Corey.
“Let’s drink to that,” said Brian.
I took a deep breath as everyone drank and laughed.
Surrounded by my father, my daughter and the three men who possessed my heart, I felt like the richest, luckiest person to be alive. This was a happy ending to the day, but I knew my happily-forever-after was just beginning.
