Page 110 of A Game Plan for Love

The flight attendant makes the rounds before we take-off, and Nora squeals as the plane takes to the air.

Addie, on the other hand, is asleep and snoring before we reach altitude.

“Where are we?” Nora asks, face glued to the window of the taxi as we pull up to the hotel.

Addie and I exchange a look, and I nod. She should get to break the news.

“We’re in Florida,” Addie says, and the responding scream could power an entire city inMonster’s Inc.

“Princesses!” Nora yells, bright yellow dress bouncing as she sprints into the lobby, and we’re transported to an African safari, the hotel lobby full of dark wood and high arched ceilings.

Addie chases Nora around as I check in, and when we make it to the one-bedroom villa I booked, equipped with a full kitchen and Nora gasps and sprints around the hotel room.

Three park wristbands sit on the counter, and I drag our luggage into the main bedroom and drop it in the corner. Addie overpacked, but she was so excited picking out outfits for her and Nora, I couldn’t find it in myself to tell her she didn’t need twenty outfits for a five day trip.

Nora’s giggles filter in from the living room, and Addie wraps her arms around my waist, cheek pressed against my back.

“This is more than she could ever have imagined,” she whispers, hand trailing up and down my abdomen, “Thank you.”

“You need to stop thanking me all the time. I’m not doing anything out of obligation, it’s because Iwantto spoil her.”

“We’ll talk about that,” she says with a small laugh. I can already visualize our impending battle of how spoiled she can become before Addie draws a line. I think getting her a puppy might be the line. “I’m saying it because she might forget, but you deserve to know how much this means to her.”

I spin around to kiss her, grazing a hand up her back to tangle my fingers in her hair, only my fingers get caught in a mess of hair attached to the chain of her necklace.

“Let me help,” I say, spinning her around so I can gently untangle the dainty gold necklace from her hair. I tug, and Addie hisses. “Shit, sorry.”

“How did it get so tangled?” she asks, trying to tame the rest of her hair.

“No idea.”

“Decy,” Nora calls out from the main room of the hotel. I fiddle with the clasp of Addie’s necklace, attempting to unlock it, but I keep dropping it thanks to my fat fingers. She repeats my name a few times, but I’m lost in my task. “Decy!” Nora screams, and when I don’t turn quickly enough, she yells again, stealing the air from my lungs.“Daddy!”

Addie’s sharp inhale is all that follows my stomach plummeting to the floor.

With Addie’s necklace in my grip, we slowly spin to Nora, who stands in the doorway, cheeks flushed with annoyance.

She tugs on the thin strand of metal and it gives, falling into her palm with a chunk of auburn hair attached, but she’s not looking at that, she’s looking at me like deer in a headlights.

I crouch to Nora’s level, her crystal blue eyes piercing into my soul. Tears rim my eyes as I say softly, “You can’t call me that, sweetheart. I’m not your dad.”

The words crush my soul, because I love Nora more than I thought possible to love another human being. She’s consumed every piece of my heart that her mother hasn’t stolen. I would be honored to be Nora’s father. Her small mouth purses as she spins to Addie, who looks like she’s seen a ghost.

“But Mommy loves you and mommies and daddies love each other and you love me.”

Solid logic.

“I do. I love you and your mom very much.”

Nora will never question my love for her. I spent a majority of my early life questioning if anyone loved me, and until I met Alan I can’t say anyone did. I don’t want that for Nora.

It’s an isolating feeling, believing no one loves you.

But loving her does not make me her parent.

“So you can be my Daddy.”

“Declan,” Addie’s voice cracks. “It’s—”

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