Page 195 of Take My Hand

“How are you going to do it anyway?” Maddy asked, peering in the glass case at some diamond earrings. “And yes, I am changing the subject.”

“You little turd.” I ruffled her hair. “And I have no idea.”

“Dad,” she exclaimed. “You have to have something fancy planned out.” She shook her head disdainfully and gave an exhausted sigh. “You’re hopeless.”

“No, I’m not,” I protested. “Maya isn’t into fancy. She likes normal, but romantic, and so it will be.”

“Just don’t do it when you’re cutting your toe nails or anything like that.”

I did have an idea, but it involved us being naked, so I wasn’t going to tell Maddy about it. All I knew was the question would be asked soon. Now I’d made my mind up, I didn’t want to wait.

I’d only told Maddy a couple of days before what I was planning on doing, in case her stupid grin gave it away, and she’d insisted coming with me for the ring. She said it was to give her guidance, but I knew it was more to make sure I shelled out afucking heap load of money. Between us, we’d narrowed it down to three rings, all diamonds with a diamond encrusted white gold band. One was a pear shape, one round and one what the jeweller had informed me was princess cut. I knew which I liked but I hadn’t said anything, because I wanted Maddy’s honest opinion.

“We can go and get Maccies after this,” I told her.

“With an eight grand ring in your pocket.” She looked at me wide eyed. “Maybe we should do the drive thru.”

I chuckled at the idea of dumping it in the bin with left over burger by mistake, then my skin went cold. “Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

As we continued to wait for the jeweller to come back, I looked at Maddy’s profile. She was the image of Andy from that angle. The same tilt of her nose and little elfin like chin. In fact, she was a good mixture of both of us and I knew her mum and Aunt Miriam would be proud of her and her decision to go to Edinburgh. I didn’t even think Zak being there was the biggest part of her reason for going. We’d been to visit the campus with Zak and his parents, and they both fell in love with the place. Maddy more than Zak. I was quite glad they would be studying a bus or bike ride away from each other, because at least then they wouldn’t be in each other’s pockets. Zak’s parents, however, had decided to invest in a property near to the uni and Maddy was moving in with him; him, two lads and a girl who were going to rent rooms from them. I hadn’t been totally in raptures about it, but I couldn’t have everything, the main thing she was going to be spreading her wings.

“Right, sir,” the jeweller said, coming back and placing a pad on the counter top. “Here’s the three you requested a closer look at.”

He talked to me about diamond clarity, and which would retain the most value, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the pearshaped one. It was clearer and sparkled more, and the glint reminded me of Maya’s eyes when she found something funny. It wasn’t huge but it wasn’t small, it was perfect, like her.

“Mads?” I asked her. “Which do you like?”

Beaming at me she pointed to the pear shaped one. “It reminds me of Maya’s eyes.”

God, my daughter. I couldn’t express how much I loved her.

“My choice, too.”

She giggled. “And the most expensive, so it’s perfect.”

It really was and so was everything else in life. All I needed now was for Maya to say yes.

“Did you have a nice day with Maddy?” Maya asked as I rubbed her back with the bath sponge.

I watched the bubbles trail slowly down the groove in the middle of her back and disappear into the water. Her hair was up in a messy bun and some of the strands that had escaped stuck to her neck and cheeks as she rested her head on her knees. She was the picture of beauty.

When she’d been in plaster, taking a bath together had become our favourite thing to do with Maya sitting between my legs so I could wash her. It wasn’t as easy as a shower, but it was more fun because it usually ended in me giving her an orgasm with my fingers.

I’d lit candles and placed them around the bath and the room, and I’d even brought the speaker in to play music softly in the background. We had a bottle of wine, and it was the most relaxed I’d felt in months.

“Maddy and I had a great day. She cost me a fortune, though.” Maddy and Maya, but I didn’t mind one bit.

“Aww she deserves to be spoiled. She’ll be gone too soon.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” I dropped a kiss to Maya’s shoulder. “The house will seem a lot quieter without her and Zak blasting music and eating us out of house and home.”

Maya didn’t say anything but hummed her agreement. Maybe Maddy leaving was upsetting her more than I thought. They’d become close since Maya had moved in, their own little girl gang who picked on me relentlessly; I loved every single minute of it.

“Lisa is already talking about a trip to see them,” I said, talking about my conversation with Zak’s mum.

She glanced at me over her shoulder. “He’s a lovely lad and such great parents. I can’t believe they bought a house to make life easier for them.”

“I know, I wish I could help more.”

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