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Reese walked right over to her, extended a hand and introduced herself. Alice’s eyes widened at the last name Hayes.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hayes,” Alice said, taking the offering. “Darren didn’t tell us it was you.”
“Would it have made a difference?” he asked. It clearly did, considering Alice didn’t answer. “Reese is going to be part of my life and I’d like her to know my girls.”
Alice nodded but she was hiding something. He prepared himself for them to say they planned to fight him for custody.
“Let’s clear the air, shall we?” he asked. “Before you fight me for custody you should know how much I love those girls and—”
“Oh, we do,” Clifford Brown said. “And they are lucky to have you.” Cliff shook his head. “We’ve had them for two nights and realized the amount of work they are.”
“It’s twenty-four-seven,” Alice added. “Believe me when I say we are happy as larks being grandparents. We don’t want to go back to being full-time parents. It’s hard work.”
Well, that news really made Darren laugh. But when he turned around to see Ivy reaching for Reese to hold her, his heart would never be the same.
“In fact, we don’t want to be rude, but we’d like to go home and take a nap,” Cliff said.
Then they all laughed, including the girls, who were clueless. He hoped to maintain their innocence for as long as humanly possible. But they were also going to be signed up for self-defense classes before their fifth birthday.
“Thank you for keeping them,” he said, waving to Alice and Cliff as they couldn’t get out of the house fast enough. He turned to Reese. “I guess that’s settled.”
Her smile lit a dozen campfires inside him.
“If you ever need a babysitter,” she said as Iris cooed at her, “I’m your girl.”
Darren wasn’t sure if this was the right time, but he decided to throw caution and logic to the wind. Because those last three words spoken out of Reese’s mouth made him want to make it a permanent arrangement.
“I know it’s been a long time since we’ve known each other,” he began, running with the first words that came to mind, “but I know you, Reese.”
She practically beamed at him.
“And I know me, too,” he said. “Being friends isn’t going to be enough. Not when I haven’t been able to find anyone else who holds a candle to you. I fell in love with you in high school and I’ve been in love with you ever since.” His heart pounded the inside of his ribs with the next words. “I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t ever want you to leave again.”
Reese walked over to him.
“You would forgive me?” she asked, blinking those beautiful eyes up at him.
“Already done,” he said. And it was the truth. “I can’t push away the woman I love.”
“Because I don’t think I ever stopped loving you, either,” she admitted. “And now, these girls, it just feels like the family I’m supposed to have.”
Darren dropped down on one knee. “Then, I have one question for you.”
Tears welled in her eyes before rolling down her cheeks.
“Will you marry me?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, pulling him up to standing. “I love you and I would be proud to be your wife.”
Coming home was exactly what Darren and his girls needed. With Reese, his family was complete.
Epilogue
Darren wasn’t sure he wanted to wait any longer for the lab results. In fact, getting the pediatrician involved might have been a mistake. “I’m not sure any of this is necessary. These are my girls and no test can say—”
“I know,” Reese reassured him. “Weknow. But there could be medical history questions that come up later, and they need to know. It’s just biology, Darren.Youare their father, and they love you.”
He nodded, tapping his fingers on the chair of the waiting room of the pediatrician’s office.
