Page 76 of Embracing the Change

Her face scrunched, and she hid her emotion by dropping her forehead to his shoulder.

“She knows that, right?” Dru inquired of his shoulder.

Oh, Nora knew that, for certain.

“Yes.”

“How does a woman come after something like that?” Dru asked.

And there was more of Nora’s magic.

“She understands that life keeps going, and love has no limits, and the man I am that she can love, Lindy helped create, so she’s grateful I had what I had with your mom. She’s grateful for me, and because she liked Lindy, she’s grateful your mom had it too.”

Dru nodded her head against his shoulder, before she mumbled, “I heard you laughing.”

“Sorry?”

She still didn’t raise her head when she said, “This morning. I heard you laughing.”

“As you know, Nora is funny.”

“Mom made you smile a lot. But she didn’t make you laugh. Not like that.”

Right.

“Darlin’, what I have is different with Nora because they’re two different women. One is not better than the other. It’s just different.”

“Okay,” she said softly, still not lifting her head. “And don’t get me wrong, I like she makes you laugh. Even before you guys sorted it out, I liked how happy she made you.”

And damn.

He’d been a total fucking imbecile.

“Things will be changing,” he warned.

She looked at him then, and the smile she gave his comment wasn’t small. “I guessed.”

“But you will always be a part of it, Dru. I might not have been able to adopt you, but you’re mine. You’re my little girl. You’re my daughter. I raised you. I claim you. And Lindy left me the most precious gift she had to give when she left you to me. I’ll always think that. Always, honey.”

Tears filled her eyes, and she said, “I know that, Dad.”

“Never forget it.”

She shook her head. “I won’t.”

“So, why are you out here by yourself?”

“Because I was feeling funny because I’m not really…you know.”

Yes.

Nora had been right.

“Tell me.”

“I’m not feeling it anymore.”

“Tell me anyway.”

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