Just Sign Here - Cara Dee Page 0,43

Mommy liked girls,” she recited.

I chuckled quietly and combed back her hair a bit. “That’s right, and in college, Mommy S met her first girlfriend, Mommy M.”

“Tha’s when Daddy got mad.” Julia made a scowl, presumably to mimic me.

“He did. It wasn’t his proudest moment,” I admitted. “He was just afraid that Mommy S would forget Daddy, but he shouldn’t have worried. He became great friends with Mommy M too.”

The heaviness landed on my heart like I knew it would. I still saw us, the three of us, back then. Fresh out of college, traveling together, them trying and failing to hook me up with someone, me trying and succeeding to play peacemaker when they’d argued. Sandra, with her calm demeanor, dirty-blond waves, blue eyes, and the biggest stubborn streak in history. Then Mona. A fiery brunette with Italian roots, a loud mouth, short fuse, and yet, so much patience. She could never hold a grudge.

“They were the best friends Daddy could ever ask for,” I went on, swallowing the emotions that rose. “And one day, when they asked Daddy to help them have a baby, he didn’t even think about it. He said yes right away.”

Julia turned onto her side and closed her eyes, searching me out with her hand. She played with my earlobe. “Then Daddy was silly again.”

“Was he?”

She nodded. “Cuz he say he wanted only to be an uncle.”

I grinned. “That’s true. It was very silly of him.” Christ, I’d been naïve. Mona hadn’t thought much of it, but Sandra had known me better than I’d known myself. The two had wanted to raise a baby together, without a father involved, and I’d been wholly on board. Family hadn’t existed on my radar. “The three of us agreed that Daddy would stay close, but Mommies would raise the baby together. And we were all excited. We went to the doctor together, and Daddy only missed one single appointment.”

Julia hummed. It was usually her favorite part, though she was too tired now.

“One day, Daddy came over to Mommies’ apartment.” I stroked her cheek gently, the memories still so fucking vivid. “He wanted to know how the doctor’s appointment had gone, and he almost stumbled right there at the door.”

“Shoes,” Julia whispered knowingly.

“Mm, he looked down and saw a pair of cute shoes for a girl.” I released a breath and rubbed at the tightness in my chest. “He picked them up and stormed into the kitchen, where he found Mommy S and Mommy M. ‘We’re having a girl?’ he asked. And they nodded and beamed brighter than the sun and burst into happy tears. ‘We’re having a girl!’ they said.”

Thinking back on it now, I could see where things began to change for me. Finding out the gender had made everything more real. Suddenly, I was picturing glimpses of the future. I was going to teach this little sprite how to cheer for the Patriots, how to ride a bike, and I was going to be there when she took her first steps.

Sandra had seen it and suggested a contract. First and foremost, to make sure I got custody should anything happen to them, and secondly, in an attempt to give me some rights. I’d always liked contracts. They were insurance. They were security. She’d known that too. And so, we signed an agreement that would grant me one weekend a month and a couple weeks in the summer when Julia had grown out of the newborn phase.

Everyone was happy again, and the vise around my chest had loosened.

“The day you were born, it was love at first sight.” I gathered Julia’s hand and kissed the top of it before I tucked it under the duvet. She was asleep. “I understood that being an uncle and godfather would never be enough.”

I’d kept it to myself for three months. Three excruciating months. Then I started planning how to tell Sandra and Mona. Hell, I’d been ready to beg. I’d invited them over for dinner the following weekend.

We never got that far.

Definitely needed a drink now. After kissing Julia on the forehead, I rolled off the bed with a grunt and reluctantly faced Peyton.

I met him in the doorway, where he slipped his hand into mine and looked down at our fingers.

“How did they die?” he asked quietly.

“Car accident. They were out test-driving an ugly fucking minivan.”

Julia had been with Sandra’s mother for the afternoon.

“I’m so sorry, sir,” he whispered.

“Edward.” I cleared my throat and peered down at our