Page 94 of Pastel Kisses

“S

he’d be proud of the dad you’ve become,” Kam says quietly, his voice rough around the edges. His eyes glisten like they always do when we come here—to the quiet hill under the old oak. “We did everything we could.”

Lexxas wiggles on my hip, completely oblivious to the heaviness in our hearts. Her tiny hand slaps my chest as she lets out a bubbly string of babble, her lips shiny with spit, her smile wide and carefree. She doesn’t know what this place means yet—but one day, we’ll tell her. One day, she’ll know just how much love she came from.

Liam runs his finger down her nose, chuckling under his breath. “We should head back. Her nose is turning red. If she gets the sniffles, we’re all going to hear about it.”

He’s right. We’re already running behind. Stopping by wasn’t part of the plan, but something in my gut told me we needed to. I just... I want her to know every part of her family, even the ones she’ll never meet face-to-face. That kind of love—it doesn’t disappear. It lingers. And I want her wrapped in it always.

When we step through the front door, warmth floods over us. The house smells like roasted vegetables and sugar cookies, and it’s glowing with twinkling lights. Christmas magic lives here now.

Lennox meets us at the door, arms already extended like he’s been waiting to take her all day. “Where have you been?” he scolds, but the softness in his voice betrays him. “Dinner’s ready. And her nose is running.” He narrows his eyes at me, wiping her nose with the edge of his sleeve. “I’ll get her cleaned up, but don’t expect sympathy when she wakes us up tonight with the sniffles.”

Lexxas squeals, delighted to be back in his arms, her tiny laugh echoing down the hall as he marches off with her like an overprotective bear in flannel.

I barely have time to breathe before I hear her voice.

“Where have you been?” Avery appears from the kitchen, apron tied around her waist, a smudge of flour across one cheek. Her arms cross, but there’s no heat in her tone—only worry. “You were supposed to be back over an hour ago.”

The light above the stove catches in her hair, and for a second, I forget how to speak. I take a step closer, tugging gently at the tie around her waist.

“We stopped by Mom and Dad’s,” I say softly. “Wanted to introduce Lexxas... figured it was time.”

Her eyes soften immediately. “You should’ve told me. I would’ve gone too.”

“We’ll go again tomorrow,” I promise, brushing a stray curl from her forehead. “But next time, we’ll bundle Lex a little tighter. Weather’s dropping fast.”

She grins, that bright, giddy smile that still floors me every time. “They’re saying snow tonight.”

I snort. “In Louisiana? We haven’t seen a white Christmas since I was ten.”

“Let me have my dream,” she teases.

“I’ll give you anything you want.”

I tug her closer and kiss her—slow and deep and full of the million words I’ll never say out loud. Her knees buckle just enough for me to catch her, backing her up gently against the fridge, our kiss deepening.

It’s not just affection. It’s a reminder. A vow. A silent whisper of how grateful I am to still have her in my arms after everything we’ve been through. There isn’t a second that goes by I don’t think about how easily we could’ve lost her.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Lennox’s voice cuts through the moment. He reappears with Lexxas cradled in one arm and a disapproving scowl on his face. “You two are ridiculous. Bee, come sit down. You’ve been cooking all afternoon with Kam—you’re done for the day.”

He unties the apron with dramatic flair and hangs it neatly on the kitchen hook, then guides her toward the dining room where Liam is strapping Lexxas into her highchair.

And me? I just stand back for a second, heart full to bursting.

This woman—our wife—is the glue that holds this family together. She nearly broke apart once. But now, she’s our center. Our home.

After she recovered, we didn’t waste time. We married her the moment she was strong enough to stand. She was already ours long before that, but making it official sealed it in a way that no one could ever touch.

And now, our lives revolve around love and dirt and design.Honeybee Designs—her dream, our shared reality. She still calls the shots, even if she’s taken a step back to raise our daughter. But I can already see the way her fingers twitch when we show her our latest sketches. She’s itching to dig her hands back in the soil again.

This is our first Christmas as a family, and it’s the beginning of something big. The kind of big that doesn’t scare me anymore.

I glance around at the dining room table—my brothers teasing one another, Kam piling food onto Avery’s plate, Lennox whispering something to Lexxas that makes her giggle.

This is it.

Everything I’ve ever wanted.

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