look into my eyes as silent tears coat her cheeks. So I keep going, knowing I will until she understands what I’m telling her. “It’s news that is unexpected, but that’s life, right? Life is full of unexpected moments that lead you to find your way. Maybe Melissa sent you to me. Did you ever think about that? From the beginning, my pull toward you was something like I’ve never experienced. Maybe that was her pushing us together. I don’t know how the universe works, but I can tell you that I thank God for you every day.”
She’s quiet for a long time. I don’t say anything else, just letting her process my words, what I’m saying. That I will love her until the day I take my last breath.
“I love you. I love Knox, and the thought of not having either of you, it breaks me.”
Oh, my sweet girl. “Won’t happen, baby. It’s you and me, remember?”
She nods and wipes her eyes.
“Can I kiss you?” I know it’s not really the time, but I need something. I need to show her that nothing in that letter changes a damn thing for me. She’s my heart.
She laughs. “You really want to kiss this mess?” She points to her face.
“Yes, you’re my beautiful mess,” I say, leaning in to kiss her salty lips. The door opening has me pulling away.
Mark is carrying Knox in his seat and sets him on the couch beside us. He sees us and babbles, moving his little arms and legs.
Kendall laughs and turns sideways in my lap, pulling him out of his seat. Immediately, she hugs him tight to her chest. The little bugger grabs onto her hair, and she smiles. “I love you, Knox Beckett,” she says, kissing him on the forehead.
Is it possible for your heart to be too full of love and happiness and hopes for the future? Mine feels so full it could burst from my chest at any minute.
“We love you, Kendall Dawson,” I whisper in her ear, hugging them both. She smiles through more tears, and that smile tells me we’re going to be okay. We’ll take it one day at a time until we learn to live with our unexpected reality.
The last three months have been filled with tears and uncertainties. It took Kendall some time to process that she’s a twin and that the man she loves and his son are connected to said twin. I also had some processing to do—I had to decide how long I needed to wait to ask her to marry me.
Knox will be seven months old in a week. It’s hard to believe. He really is starting to look like my little man. It’s been so much fun to see him learn new things and to be able to share that with Kendall. I’m ready for more, and Knox is too; he told me he’s ready to be a big brother, in his own little babbling way.
I talked it over with Knox, and we decided tonight is the night. I called Kendall and invited her over, told her we were having a quiet night in. We are, just the three of us. Hopefully, by the end of the night she’ll be my fiancée, and I can finally convince her to move in with me. I’ve been trying for the last two months, but she still turns me down. I know she’s still leery, and in the back of her mind she feels like she has taken her sister’s family, but she needs to see that we’re her family, Knox and me.
I have everything set up. I bought the frozen lasagna and put it in the Crock-Pot just like she did that first day the three of us spent together. I have the same blanket we used down at the gazebo the night before, washed, folded and waiting for us by the back door. Nothing over the top, just us and how it all started.
I hear her pull in, so I quickly zip up Knox’s hoodie and hand him the red rose, hoping like hell he doesn’t try to eat it.
As soon as she opens the door, we’re standing there, both of us holding a single red rose. I offer her mine and Knox mimics me. “Thank you, handsome.” She leans in and kisses his cheek. He giggles. “And you.” She stands on tiptoes and presses her lips to mine. Knox grunts and pulls on her arm. He’s a little jealous when it