explode. First, you can’t do anything carrying me around, so you should put me down. Then we’ll figure it all out, step by step. I’m six weeks along, Ian. Lots of time so we don’t need to make any major decisions right now.” Then she grinned. “Although I do want to marry you. But maybe in a couple of weeks? Give a girl time to find a dress.”
I sat down, still holding her. “Anything you want. Sam,” I breathed out. “I love you.” I spread my hand across her stomach, knowing inside, our child was there, growing. “I love you so much.”
Her eyes glowed. “I love you. And Chloe will be thrilled. Everything else is just noise, Ian. I don’t care where we live or what people think. I just want to be with you and be a family.”
I kissed her. “Me too, sweet Sammy. Me too.”
Eighteen months later
I pulled up to the house, stopping for a moment to enjoy the vista in front of me. The sun was bright, the flowers in the front garden blooming, their vivid colors setting off the green grass. The bungalow gleamed with a fresh coat of paint, and it looked cared for and homey.
And inside, was my family. I grabbed the flowers I had stopped to pick up and headed to the front door, grinning as it burst open and a little girl tore off the porch, her arms open wide.
“Daddy!”
I lifted her up, kissing her cheek. “Hey, Pumpkin. Have a good day?”
She bobbed her head enthusiastically. “Mommy made a picnic for the backyard!”
“Awesome. Did you help?”
“Yes. I mixed the brownies and looked after Theo!”
I kissed her again and handed her a bunch of daisies. They were her favorite these days. “These are for you for being such a good girl.”
She squirmed from my arms, heading for the door. “Mommy! Look, I got flowers!”
Smiling, I followed her, enjoying the feeling of home when I walked in the door. Sam had created a warm, loving space for us. The bungalow had needed a lot of TLC when we found it, but we liked the area and the huge backyard. There was a newer pool, which I had fenced off, and we were still working at making it ours, but it had come a long way since the first time we saw it. The hardwood floors gleamed under my feet as I made my way to the kitchen we had gutted and redone. It was Sam’s domain, and she chose every single detail that went into making it hers.
She turned as I entered the room, holding Theo close to her chest as she gave a small vase to Chloe. I set down my messenger bag, handed Sam some flowers, and took my son into my arms.
Then I kissed my wife. It was a long, lingering kiss of “Hello” and “I missed you.”
“Hey,” I murmured against her hair.
“Hi,” she whispered back.
Theo squirmed, and I glanced down, grinning. “Hey, buddy. I see you. And I didn’t forget about you.” I slipped a new squishy bunny into his hand, laughing as he grabbed on to it, flinging his arm around and grunting in curiosity.
“I hear there’s a picnic happening.”
Sam chuckled. “We’re celebrating we get you for six months.”
I grinned. “We’ll see if you’re celebrating at the end of it.”
Sam and I split the year-long parental leave that the Canadian government allowed. I kept working and she took six months off, and now our roles were reversing. I wanted the time to spend with my son. He changed so much every day, and I hated to miss it. I had barely taken a day off since I went to medical school, so the prospect of six months with just my family and no patients was both exhilarating and frightening. Sam was only returning part-time for the next six months, so we would have lots of downtime together. She planned to work around Theo’s schedule, and I planned to accomplish some renovations and quality time with my wife and children.
After a lengthy conversation, Alan had relinquished his parental rights, and now, legally, I was Chloe’s dad. I never wanted her to think she meant anything less to me than Theo or any other siblings. She was my daughter, and I loved her.
I settled Theo on my shoulder, and we carried the picnic out back. Sam had the table set, and we enjoyed the fun meal she had made, finishing it off with brownies.
I sat back, Theo asleep in his carrier