Page 166 of Shades of Loyalty
Thanks to all the drama finally settled, I don’t have much work to do. And Daniel can take today off; Hayden is handling all the important things.
Thank God.
“Mommy?”
I immediately look up to Mary, taking my sunglasses off. “Yes? Is something wrong, honey?”
She pouts. “Do you think sandcastles can last forever? I’m working so hard! I don’t want it to be gone tomorrow.”
I hum, acting like I’m thinking hard about her question. “Maybe, if you put just enough hard work into it and make it extra pretty, it can last!”
Daniel laughs next to me. Within a second, I send him a warning glance, but he’s already talking.
“Tell the waves not to mess with your castle. The waves don’t appreciate castles as much as we do.”
She immediately looks at the water, squinting her eyes and giving it the best death-stare she could.
My god, how much I love this little girl.
When Mary goes back to working on her sandcastle, grabbing her bucket to get some water, Daniel slowly sits up, watching her.
I glance over at Daniel, both of us watching her with quiet smiles.
“Should we tell her?” I whisper, like sharing a secret we’ve been keeping just for the three of us. He leans in a little, brushing a kiss to my shoulder.
“Right now?” He watches Mary one more time and nods. “Yeah… good idea.”
“Hey, sweetheart?” Daniel calls out to her softly as she comes walking back to us, looking at him with a slightly panicked face.
“Did the waves ruin my sandcastle?” But as she looks back to her castle, it’s still perfectly fine. She’s so silly. My baby…
“No, no,” he laughs as he opens his arms, inviting her to come to him. “It’s perfectly fine. Come here, your mommy and I want to tell you something.”
She immediately runs into his arms, the bucket filled with water completely forgotten already. That was… Quick.
“What is it?” Mary asks, her eyes wide open filled with happiness. It’s like she can already tell what he’s about to say.
I snuggle onto Daniel while Mary sits on his lap, looking at us.
“Do you remember when I asked you something a few days ago?” Daniel asks her. Of course, she’s confused.
She furrows her brow but then shakes her head. “I don’t know…”
He smiles. “That’s okay. I asked you for your permission to marry your mother. Remember?”
Immediately, she nods, and her face lightens up, pure euphoria in her eyes. “Yes! Yes, I remember!”
Just a second after, her little hands fly over her mouth. “Wait, really? You’re going to marry mommy?”
Daniel nods. “Yes, sweetie. You’re correct, I am.”
I glance over at him, my heart filling up with love as I watch his expression change. He looks at Mary with pure love and warmth toward her.
She squeals loudly, but we ignore the looks of the other families. All that matters to us isthis.Ourfamily.Ourmemories.
Mary’s eyes go even wider, and her little hands wrap around his neck as she pulls herself into him. “So… you’re really gonna be my daddy now?” she asks, her voice almost too big for her small frame, a mix of disbelief and excitement.
I smile, tears fill my eyes. But Jesus, it’s not because I am sad. My tears are a pure sign of happiness.
