Page 166 of That First Flight

Before you open it, I need you to know how much I love you, which I hope you already know at this point. You mean the world to me and you coming into my life was the greatest gift anyone could give me. I want you to see the world with me, but through your own lenses.

Happy Birthday, my girl. I love you.

Oliver

Mackenzie swipes a tear from her cheek and before she opens the box, she stands and rushes to me to wrap her small arms around me. A tear of my own mixes with hers on her cheek.

“I love you too, Ollie. So much,” she says as she squeezes me tighter.

“Go on, open it,” I encourage her.

She tears the paper off like it’s Christmas in June. Her eyes go wide with shock when she sees the box.

“You didn’t,” she shrieks. “This is mine? All mine?”

“It’s all yours.” I smile at her.

“Mom.” She turns her head to Macey and she’s standing off to the side with a tissue in hand crying. “Ollie got me my own camera to match his!”

“I see, babe.”

“This is the greatest gift anyone has ever given me,” Mackenzie says, staring down at the box. But it’s not long after that her face falls the slightest bit. “I know it’s my birthday, but can I give you something too?”

My eyebrows pinch together in question. I look over at Macey and wonder what’s going on. She turns her gaze away from me as if she doesn’t want me to see the emotions bubbling inside of her at what she just asked.

“I don’t need anything, Mackenzie,” I finally say, turning back to her.

Mackenzie doesn’t answer and inside finds Thomas on the couch. He pulls out a piece of folded paper from his back pocket with a grin on his face. He looks over to me and gives me a reassuring wink.

What are these two up to right now?

I turn to Peyton to try and assess the situation, but she has her head turned as well, blotting her cheek with a tissue to catch her own tears that have fallen.

Mackenzie stands before me, unfolding the piece of paper my brother just handed her. She pauses every few seconds to swipe the tears from her eyes.

“As much as I love the camera, Ollie. Trust me, I really do.” She huffs out a laugh. “But there’s something I wanted to ask you.”

I nod.

“Will you give me an even greater birthday gift and be my dad?”

Everything around me stills. My heart stops and my chest constricts as the air stays trapped so deep in my lungs I can’t breathe. I stare into her perfect green eyes that match her mothers, eyes that have the power over me to do whatever she wants me to do.

“You want me to adopt you?” I choke out.

“Only if you want to.” Mackenzie shrugs so casually. “I don’t have a dad. And you really love my mom and I think one day you two will get married anyway. I could save this and ask at your wedding whenever that does happen, but I thought thatthiswould be the bestest birthday gift I’ll ever get in my life.”

“I plan to spend the rest of your life with your mom, Kenzie. That means you too.”

She blinks a few times, more tears leak from her eyes.

I place two hands on her shoulders, leaning down so I’m more eye level with her. “There’s nothing in the world that would make me happier than adopting you, Kenzie. You know I love you so much. More than traveling and way more than orange soda.”

She giggles. “Is that a yes?”

“Yes. A million times, yes.” I pull her into me wrapping my arms around her head and she returns the embrace wrapping her arms around my waist.

“God dammit,” Avery huffs, patting her eyes with a tissue. “That was the most perfect thing I’ve ever witnessed in my life.

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