Page 33 of Fated Secret Baby

I blink.

He kisses my hand again. “I spent five years without you. Both of you,” he says, his head nodding in Juniper’s direction. “I don’t want to spend another second without either of you.”

“Deal,” I agree, my throat too thick with tears to say anything else.

“I’m ready!”

I look down.

My… our daughter has chosen to wear a pair of hot pink sparkly cowboy boots.

I raise my eyebrows. “Where did you get those?”

“Auntie Amara,” she says proudly.

I sigh. “Come on, kid. Let’s go get ice cream.”

“I want to hold Daddy’s hand!” she shrieks.

I look up at Orion. His eyes go wide. He looks down and holds out his hand.

Juniper takes it, then grins. “Okay. Let’s go!”

I take her other hand, and the three of us head out the door.

Together.

As a family.

Chapter 10

Orion

Calista spends the night at my house. With Juniper.

It’s quick, but we both agree it feels right. Juniper was less than thrilled to be told that her room is the extra bedroom that is currently pretty bland, but that quickly changed when Calista and I told her she could paint it whatever color she wanted. After pointing many times to the exact shade of pink she wanted (it was on the boots Amara bought for her), she felt she had made her point and eventually went to sleep.

Calista and I talked. She told me about all of Juniper’s big moments. She showed me pictures, videos, and talked me through dozens of stories. She tried to apologize about a hundred more times, but I stopped her every time.

I don’t care about the path that got us here. All I care about is that they’re both here. With me.

There’s only one person left to share our news with.

Calista and I agree that we’re going to tell my mom. Together.

Amara, who is clearly pleased with the news, agrees to come get Juniper the next day. She’s barely been gone ten minutes when we hear a knock on the door.

Calista freezes.

“Relax,” I murmur. “We’re a team. We’re going to handle this together. Deal?”

“Deal,” she says. But her voice is shaking.

“You and me,” I say. “Together.”

Calista nods.

I open the door. “Morning, Mother.”

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