Page 72 of Single Dad's Christmas Cookie

“I don’t want you to think…” I shoved my hand deep into my pocket until my fingers wrapped around the velvet box. I kept my fist closed as I pulled it out. “That my giving this to you is driven by my mother’s attitude. She literally has nothing to do with this decision, other than as a means of shutting her up. Amelia.” I held my hand out to my daughter.

She climbed off the couch and stepped between me and Nova.

“You said, shut up,” Amelia whispered so only I could hear her. “That’s a bad word.”

I laughed. “It’s not a bad word, sweetheart. It is rude. I know they don’t want you using it at school, but it is not a bad word. It’s not a curse word. But you should also never say it in front of Grandmother. Understood?”

Amelia’s eyes went wide and she nodded.

“Good, hold out your hands.” I placed the small green velvet box onto her outstretched palms. “Now I want you to give this to Nova.”

I spun Amelia around. She held her hands out to Nova, presenting the box.

My heart pounded in my throat the entire time. I hadn’t planned any of this, other than that Nova needed to officially be part of the family, and this was how I was going to do it. It wasn’t until that very moment that I knew Amelia had to be part of the plan for this to work right.

I reached around Amelia as she held the box out to Nova. I opened it so that Nova could see the ring inside.

“Will you please become part of our family?” I asked her.

Nova tentatively reached out and took the box. “I don’t understand.” She started crying again.

“Does this mean Nova will be my mommy now?” Amelia asked.

“If she says yes,” I said.

I looked deep into Nova’s eyes.Please say yes, the voice in my head begged.

“You want me to be Amelia’s mommy?” Nova blinked and wiped at the newly formed tears in her eyes.

I nodded. “If you say yes.”

“What about you?” Her eyes were locked with mine.

I could see all of her questions, all of her fears. It felt like she could see into my very soul where my fears lived.

I nodded very slowly, even though my heart was racing.

“Will you be my wife?” I asked quietly.

Nova covered her mouth with her hand, her other hand clutching the box as she started crying even more.

The uncertainty felt like knives. Was she crying because I asked the wrong thing? Was she crying because she was happy? Was she crying because I didn’t know how to read the fucking room and I had proposed after her best friend and ex-boyfriend destroyed all of her trust in humanity?

I held my breath until she started nodding her head. She flapped her hand about her eyes and her lips were spread into a broad smile.

My entire being relaxed and flooded with warmth and love.

She was crying because she was happy.

She grabbed Amelia and kissed the top of her head. “Oh, my God, yes, I would love nothing more than to be your mommy. And then she took a breath to say something to me. She just smiled.

“Are you serious right now?” she asked.

“I couldn’t be more serious.”

“But we’ve only known each other since?—”

“We met a few days ago when you came to cook for me.” I finished her sentence for her.

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