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“Yeah. But you haven’t really told me much. Certainly not who my dad is.”
“I didn’t think he’d ever be part of your life, so it was irrelevant who he was.”
“Are you finally going to tell me?”
Charli nodded.
“Why now?” Frowning, Layla lowered her brownie. “What’s changed?”
“He’s come back into my life, and he wants to get to know you.”
Layla didn’t seem as excited as Charli had thought she might be. “Is he nice?”
“Yes. He is.”
“I don’t know,” Layla said. “I haven’t thought about my dad in a while. And now there’s Uncle Blake and Amelia. Will him coming back into your life mess things up with them?”
Charli gave her a smile. “No. It won’t.” She took a deep breath. “Because Blake is actually your dad.”
Layla’s eyes widened as her mouth dropped open. “For real?”
“Yes. For real.”
“Is that why he came back? He found out about me?”
“No. He didn’t find out about you until just a few days ago.”
“You told him?”
Charli grimaced, but she was honest with Layla about how Blake had found out. And then, deciding that Layla was old enough to know most of the details, she shared a little more about what had happened twelve years ago, as well as over the past week.
“He already has Amelia,” Layla said. “Why would he want another daughter?”
“Do you know our family?” Charli asked.
Layla nibbled on her brownie. “That’s different.”
“How?”
“Grandma and Grandpa planned to have all you kids. So they love you all.”
“I didn’t plan to have you,” Charli said. “Do you think I don’t love you because of that?”
Layla’s brow furrowed. “You love me.”
“Yes. I most certainly do. And I know that Blake loves you, too.”
“Are you going to get married?”
“Yes. I want that, and so does Blake. He wants the four of us to be a family.”
“You both already know that you want to get married?”
Charli sat for a moment, then pushed up to her feet, choosing to ignore how much more effort it took these days. She went into her walk-in closet and retrieved the box she’d put there. Carrying it back to the blanket, she sat down and opened the lid.
“This is all the stuff I kept from twelve years ago.” She lifted out a small box and opened it. Seeing it again brought forth a lot of feelings and memories. But the overriding pain wasn’t there anymore. “Blake gave this to me before he left.”
Layla took the box and stared at the ring. “It’s pretty. Is it an engagement ring?”
