Page 38 of The Grinch who Loved Me
She smiled up at him, “I love you too, you know.”
He grinned, “I know.”
Then he kissed her and his dad chuckled, “You are definitely not the son I left behind. You are better. And I’m only sorry I missed it.”
Aria took a small step forward and then another, “You don’t have to miss anything else. If you don’t want to. I know Ryland has missed you greatly and I want to have you in our lives.”
Rick blinked at her, “You do?”
She smiled, “I do. I love your son. And as he said, one day we will have children. They should know the man that Ryland loves and looked up to. The one who taught him all he knows. You are his father and they deserve their grandfather in their life if we do end up with children. And if we don’t, Ryland still needs his father. He has missed you and I don’t want him to be without you.”
Rick’s eyes went wide and then they softened even more.
“You mean that?”
Both Ryland and Aria nodded and Rick smiled. “I want to be part of both of your lives. You are my family and I want to change. To not be afraid of people. To get out in the world.”
Ryland walked over to his dad and hugged him, “It won’t be easy, but I will be at your side the entire time. As will Aria.”
Rick looked over at him and then at Aria, “I want that. I will do my best to change. I swear.”
Ryland grinned, “With Aria around, it’s not going to be hard. It only took me seconds to become a different man.”
He looked over at the woman who had changed it all.
And he moved to her side and when she gave him her brilliant smile, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her.
