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But she had just learned to walk a month ago, and now nothing could stop her chubby little feet from running circles around her father. Gracie, on the other hand, was sitting beside me on the picnic blanket, blocks spread out in front of her. She picked each one up and tried to see if they could fit in her mouth.
Two little girls with blonde curls and matching golden eyes, who looked so much the same but were so different from each other.
“When’s your brother arriving?” Alex asked, lifting Aggie into his arms. She wiggled her body like she was a slippery fish intent on escaping, but Alex was used to it. He masterfully threw her up in the air, getting her attention, and then he flipped her upside down, grinning when she laughed.
“He’ll be here around—”
The sliding door to the deck opened and Danny, wearing anI-am-the-best-uncleT-shirt, walked in with his arms opened wide. “I am here,” he sang, which had both Gracie and Aggie squealing.
Gracie, who was the first to saymamaanddada,had called her uncle Tan—which had now become everyone’s nickname for Danny. She flapped her arms, crying, “Tan. Tan.”
She wasn’t walking yet, and thankfully none of the doctors were worried. She’d pick it up as soon as she was ready, they had said. At the moment, Gracie seemed more than happy to be carried around, and even raised her arms when Danny came ambling across the yard.
“You’re late, Tan,” I said, standing up and lifting Gracie into my arms. “We’re supposed to be in Napa by two p.m. We’re cutting it close.”
Danny didn’t look at all bothered. He only pulled a face and took Gracie out of my arms.
“I can’t believe we’re finally babysitting for the two of you. The twins are already a year old—”
“Thirteen months—”
“Well, I’m glad you’re finally letting me babysit them.”
"Where's Vicki?" I asked since she was supposed to be here too, helping out my brother with the twins. I would never have let him babysit them without her present.
Vicki, who didn’t want her own kids, was surprisingly fantastic with the twins. She made up stories, used different voices, and even sang them to sleep. And Alex, who had finally warmed up to the fact that Vicki was here to babysit now, also trusted her more with the twins than he did with Danny.
The morning after the wild baby shower, Danny and I met at our usual coffee spot to dish about what went down with him and Vicki. Turns out, Dan's master plan was to ask her out as a distraction from her mean girl antics towards me at work. But lo and behold, Vicki was honest about her feelings and past relationship- and Danny couldn't resist her wit and charm. Despite some initial hesitation when Dan came clean about his true identity, their chemistry was undeniable. And thanks to hisslick lawyering skills, he convinced her to take a chance on him. Who would have thought that my protective younger brother would end up finding a fierce and independent woman? Talk about luck!
“We have to go,” said Alex, walking my way. He let Danny take Aggie from his arms, kissed each of the girls on the cheek, and found my hand, interlacing our fingers. “Before we’re late.”
“Are you sure they can’t come with?” I asked.
Alex smiled but shook his head. He tugged my hand, and I knew the answer wasn’t going to change. It had been ages since our last date night—though this was more of a date day—and I knew how important it was to him.
“Fine. I’ll meet you at the car.”
He walked off and I turned to my brother. “I want to be updated every hour, Dan. And if anything happens, I swear I will hunt you down and kill you.”
"Go have fun," he chuckled, then placed both wriggly girls back onto the picnic mat, which was smoothed out over a patch of grass under the tree in our backyard, and waved us off.
“We’ll be fine.”
By the time I’d grabbed my handbag and stepped out into the driveway, where Alex was waiting, I was already longing to race back inside, scoop up my two girls, and stay in the comfort of our beautiful home. A date out suddenly didn’t seem worth it. Takeout sounded perfectly acceptable.
“How about we just stay here and—”
“No, Soph.” Alex chuckled, reading my mind. “We are not going to stay home and order pizza. We deserve some time to ourselves.”
“You’re right,” I said. “You’re completely right.”
“I know.” He grinned and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, steering me to the car. “Now stop worrying about thegirls. Danny and Vicki are more than capable of looking after them.”
I was just about to open my mouth to say something when Alex pulled me to him and pressed his lips against mine, kissing me far harder than he had in days.
“I love you,” he said when the kiss ended. “Now stop worrying.”
“Fine,” I rolled my eyes and let Alex open the passenger door before I climbed in. “But only because I love you too.”
Sophie Manning, the mother of my children, and the love of my life, had absolutely no idea that just two hours from now, I was going to go down on one knee and propose. She also had no idea that the whole family would be waiting, watching from a distance, or that Aggie and Gracie were going to be there to give the ring to their mother—the woman I loved more than anything.
This was my biggest surprise yet.
The end.
