Page 65 of Protected By Her Daddy

“Hard to believe she’s ours, isn’t it?” he asks, his gaze flickering up to meet mine for a moment before returning to the little bundle in his arms.

“Completely,” I agree, my eyelids growing heavier by the second. “I used to think I had nothing left to lose, and now I have everything to gain.”

“Exactly.” He leans forward to place a soft kiss on my forehead. “Get some sleep. We’ve got a lifetime of gains ahead of us.”

“Nova.”

Gabriel looks at me blankly.

“That’s what I’d like to call her. Nova. It means new. Like a new beginning.”

My husband smiles. “It’s perfect.”

I nod, satisfied. “Promise you’ll wake me if she…” My words trail off as a deep yawn claims me. I fight it, wanting to savor this moment a little longer.

“Shh, I promise,” he assures me. “Now sleep. You’ve done something amazing today.”

“Gabriel?”

“Hmm?”

“I love you.” The words come out in a contented sigh, my heart swelling with an emotion so profound it almost scares me in its intensity.

He smiles, and even though my vision is dimming, I know it’s that smile that reaches his eyes and makes them crinkle at the corners. “I love you too, little bird. I love you too.”

As sleep finally pulls me under again, I know I’ve found my reason to keep flying. Not away, but toward a future filled with love and laughter. And naps. Definitely more naps.

Epilogue 1

Wren

I watch Gabriel’s chest rise and fall in a steady rhythm, our daughter nestled against him in the sun lounger like she’s found her personal slice of heaven. The beach house we’re staying at for our belated honeymoon is the kind of place I used to dream about when I escaped into my mind from the dreary walls of my past life. The surf sways as we relax on the balcony, the sound wrapping around us in a natural melody that’s soothing but not sleep-inducing.

Gabriel’s eyelids flutter then close, his breath deepening as sleep claims him. It’s a sight that floods me with warmth. This man has become my everything. Holding our little girl on his chest like that embodies what has become my whole world: them.

Nova is three months old and thriving, all chubby cheeks and gurgles, oblivious to how much joy she’s brought into our lives. Or maybe she can sense how happy we are with her, and that makes her happy. All I know is that those two are my reasons for living and breathing.

I gently rise from my lounger so as not to disturb the peaceful scene before me, checking the umbrella is still shielding them both from the sun’s rays. Gabriel and our daughter look so content, so utterly at peace, that I can’t help but smile as I watch them. It’s a far cry from the life I used to know—a life that now feels like a distant, faded memory.

The waves crash against the shore as I lean against the railing, their rhythm soothing the restless thoughts swirling in my mind. It’s hard to believe how much has changed in such a short time, how far we’ve all come.

My thoughts turn to my mom. The visit Gabriel arranged was something I hadn’t even dared to hope for. Seeing her healthy, smiling, her eyes clear for the first time in years—it was like looking at a different person.

I’ll never forget the way she cried when she held her granddaughter for the first time. Those tears weren’t of sorrow but of joy, of hope. It was like something inside her had finally healed, a wound that had festered for years since my father died. I spent so long being angry with her, resenting her for not being the mother I needed. But that day, with her arms around my daughter, I saw the woman she used to be—the woman she could be again.

I close my eyes, letting the sound of the ocean carry me back to that moment.

Mom looked at me with such gratitude, as if she couldn’t believe she was allowed to be a part of this new chapter in our lives.

“I’m so proud of you, Wren,” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. “I’m so sorry for everything.”

I’d waited years to hear that apology face to face, only to find I didn’t need it anymore. Seeing her healthy, seeing her trying—really trying—was enough. She wasn’t perfect, and our relationship was still fragile, but there was something to build on now. Something real.

Gabriel was so patient, standing back to give us space while also being there for support when I needed it. He’s always understood that my past, messy and painful as it is, is a part of me—a part of what shaped me into the person I am today. He’s never tried to erase that, only helped me heal from it.

Of course, Gabriel, being the amazing man he is, bought her an apartment in the city—not far from us, but not too close. We both know that we need space while we continue strengthening our relationship.

I turn to look at my sleeping daughter, “Never going to happen with you, kiddo,” I whisper.

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