Her lips curved. "That's true."
We decided not to find out the gender of our baby. We wanted to be surprised. But it was easier to call the baby something, and he had been our fallback. Today, we were meeting with Clint, not the rest of the family. He wanted to take things slow and not overwhelm Ivy.
He was aware that she'd been told a different story her entire life and that she was struggling to come to terms with this new one. I think she wanted to believe that he was interested in a relationship with her. But she was cautiously optimistic. "Do you think he'll like me?"
I heard the vulnerability in her question. "How could he not?"
She shrugged, and I knew it was the old insecurity creeping out. "He never had a chance to before. He's going to want to make up for lost time." Or at least, that's what he told me when I called him to set up the meeting. He was grateful to me for locating him. I don't think Ivy ever would have done it, knowing what she was told.
I pulled up to the restaurant where we were scheduled to meet. I opened the door for Ivy and helped her get down. She was getting close to her due date. She said she felt like a whale, but I thought she looked beautiful. Her belly was round with my child. She was going to be an incredible mother.
I held her hand as we walked into the restaurant. Clint had texted to say he had a booth in the back, so I headed in that direction. When he saw us, he stood, his eyes full of emotion as he took in his daughter for the first time.
It was a little emotional for me too. When we stopped in front of Clint, I wasn't sure if I should introduce them or not.
Clint stepped forward. "Ivy." His voice was rough. "It's so good to meet you."
Ivy met his gaze. "You as well."
"May I hug you?" Clint asked hesitantly.
She bit her lip and nodded.
I had a feeling she was holding back tears.
Clint hugged her, and she buried her head in his shoulder. They had the same sandy blond hair and stubborn tilt of their chins. I wondered what else would end up being similar.
When Clint finally stepped back, his eyes were shiny too. "Let's sit. I bet you're hungry."
"I'm always hungry," Ivy said to him, smiling at me.
She'd forgiven me for hiring a private investigator to find her father. This was a better ending than I could have imagined. She needed to confront her mother, but I wouldn't rush her on that. That was for her to do on her own. I'd be by her side if she wanted me there, but I wouldn't push her to do anything that she wasn't ready for. It was more important for her to see that her dad wasn't the villain in this scenario. He hadn't abandoned her. And now our child would have two sets of grandparents.
We sat in the booth, Clint across from us.
The waitress stopped by our table, and we gave her our order. Then we handed our menus to her, and she left to put the order in.
"I'm not sure where to start," Ivy began.
"Why don't I tell you the story of how I met your mother?" Clinton said, and Ivy smiled.
"I'd like to hear that."
I wasn't prepared for Clint to start there, but it was a smart approach. He relayed the story of how they'd met at a local bar, and he'd instantly been attracted to Tessa. She was happy and outgoing. They'd dated for a while, but he was working at a garage where he wouldn't have a chance to work full-time. He needed to move off island, and her mother didn't want to leave Sanibel.
"If she had told me at any point that she was pregnant, I would have made a different decision. I would have certainly been part of your life. I still can't believe I have a daughter."
"Cooper said you have two sons," Ivy said softly.
He grinned. "You have two brothers." He pulled out his phone and showed her the picture of him with family. "I'd love for you to meet them. When you're ready."
"I'd like that."
"I'd love to keep in touch with you, especially now that you're starting a family of your own."
"I'm a little overwhelmed because it has only been me for so long. I was an only child until my mom had my brother and sister. They're so much younger than me; I'm more of a mother figure to them."
"She looks out for her siblings," I said proudly.