Page 78 of Blindside Love

She runs over to me, wrapping her arms around my leg, and I feel like this hug just healed something inside of me that I didn’t even realize was broken. I look over at Ellie and see her wiping away a tear, quickly looking away from us, and this hug just became that much more important to me.

“Love you too, sweet girl. Now let’s go get some ice cream and then go ride the carousel,” I say, still holding her, but the second she hears ice cream, she’s smiling and ready to go. She walks ahead of us, and surprisingly, she remembers exactly where it is.

“You really went through the trouble of taking us out and getting her a tiara? You planned an evening for her just to make her smile?” Ellie asks, almost cautiously.

“That’s exactly why. I hated that she had this shitty memory when she wanted a fun one. A meaningful one. The least I could do was give her something to make her smile when that’s what she does for me all the time.

I must have said something right because she looks up at me and shakes her head, her smile as wide as it’ll go, her hand holding mine just long enough for a couple of squeezes, but it’s fine by me. It’ll take time to let Addy know that we’re more than just friends.

For now, we are just enjoying spending time together.

After we get our cones, chocolate with extra fudge for the girls and chocolate peanut butter for me, we make our way over to the carousel, riding it at least four times before Ellie finally cuts Addy off.

Apparently, she loves the carousel, and it’s always been a struggle to get her to want to come off. So, I told her a little secret when she started to throw a fit.

“So, Addy girl, there’s another surprise for you at my place. For you and your mom. Which means the sooner we get there, the sooner you get to see your second surprise.”

Addy smiled brightly, her happiness evident as she grabbed Ellie’s hand and started skipping away.

I’m going to get whiplash from my own emotions, but I smile the entire way home, loving every second.

I hold my breath as I open the door to my place. All the main lights are off, only the twinkling lights Stella insisted on buying illuminate the living room. As I walk in, I set my things down on the entry table as the girls follow me in. Ellie’s eyebrows are scrunched together as she notices the Disney piano music playing through the speakers. I follow them as they make their way through the kitchen into the living room.

I can’t tell if I’m more nervous because I have no idea what the girls did to my apartment or to see their reaction. Luckily, I don’t have to wait long as Addy runs in, her immediate squeal of excitement warming my heart.

“This is so cool! Did you do this?!?” Addy asks, spinning around with a smile on her face as she looks at my living room.

She’s not wrong, though, what they were able to pull off is pretty incredible. My entire apartment is Frozen-themed, with lights everywhere and music playing in the background. They already have the movie queued up, so it’s looping through some of the movie.

“You did all this for her?” Ellie asks, her voice a little shaky.

I smile even wider, knowing exactly why she’s nervous, but I wish she realized she didn’t have to be. Even if Ellie decided that she didn’t want to be with me, these two are stuck with me for as long as they’ll allow.

“I did,” I smirk, rocking on my heels a bit as I watch her.

“But… why?”

“Because I care, and I hate that she got hurt, that Tom hurt her. I may not be able to bring her to Disney right now, but at least I can make her smile.”

“This has my name on it,” Addy says excitedly, noticing the bags next to the TV. “Is this for me?”

“Yes, it is, sweet girl. Go on and open it.”

I love the way her eyes light up, her whole body filling with excitement as she digs into the bag. It’s even more exciting watching Ellie watch her, seeing the single tear slip down her face when Addy opens the Elsa costume excitedly.

“I thought you could put that on, and we could watch the movie and eat all the Disney snacks that Stella made for us today.”

“Mommy! Look at this. Can I put it on?”

“Yes, sweetie, you can.”

“Thank you, Trevor! This is the best surprise ever!”

Addy squeals as she runs to the bathroom to change into her new dress. Ellie turns to look at me, an adorable, happy smile now on her face. “You’re really something else, Trevor. You’re too good to us.”

“No, Ellie, that’s where you’re wrong. You have this image in your mind of what a man is supposed to do for you and for your daughter, and it’s the bare minimum, at best. That’s not your fault, though, that’s just what you’ve been shown. I want to help you reach your dreams and see your potential, but I also want to spoil the hell out of you two because you deserve it. It’s still only a fraction of the happiness you give me.”

She steps forward, her arms wrapping around me as she hugs me, her whole body stepping into me, as she looks up at me with a smile that makes me believe that maybe, just maybe, she cares about me as much as I care about her. I step to the side and grab the other bag for her, loving the way her eyes continue to light up. When she sees the dress inside, she starts laughing; it’s an adult version of the Elsa dress.

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