Page 35 of Fake Out Forever

“You are family,” I say softly.

Suddenly, the kitchen is flooded with bright, twinkling lights. Holly claps her hands and gives me a belly laugh. Maya leans up to kiss my jaw.

“You put the lights on a timer, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“They’re beautiful.”

“Not as beautiful as you, duchess. Wait until you see the outside. Get your coat.”

As I turn to hand Holly to Maya, I catch our reflection in the window. This time, my heart doesn’t skip a beat— it swells. I have everything I never knew I needed.

A daughter.

A family.

And a wife who makes every day worth living.

There’s no faking this. It’s forever.

---