Page 144 of Until I Find You

Camilla looks up at me with twinkling eyes. “That’s the strongest it’s ever been.”

Our eyes meet.

I’m overjoyed and terrified.

She touches my cheek, reading me so well. “Talk to them. They like it when you talk.”

“Okay, okay…” I drop down onto my knees in front of her and start. “Hey, baby. It’s…it’s Dad.” Emotions thrum through me, hard and fast. “I can’t wait to meet you.”

Camilla adjusts my hand to a specific spot where I assume the movement feels strongest. “Keep going.”

I muster up my courage. “I already love you so much. Both of us love youso much.” I kiss the soft skin of Camilla’s stomach. “Neither of us are going anywhere. Ever.”

Epilogue– Camilla

Nine months later…

I watch from afar as Jack and the farm manager, Ronnie, walk up the row of coffee plants. Their conversation is animated andfull of smiles which is a relief. Ronnie, a young native Hawaiian, has been doing a bang-up job of keeping Keiki running smooth and steady while we are in New York running the roastery and the shop.

On my hip, my baby reaches out her tiny hand in the direction of Jack and Ronnie. “Ba…ba…”

I bounce her on my hip and give her a squeeze. “Dada. That’sdada.”

She smiles up at me with her big brown eyes, then blows bubbles from her mouth.

“We’re getting there…” I giggle.

It’s my first visit back since we came to buy the place. Between opening the shop and then my pregnancy and subsequent baby, there hasn’t been a time it has made sense for me to come down. Jack, on the other hand, has flown down once a month since Alanna was born to make sure everything is above board, especially since the Keiki brand is exploding at an exponential rate.

So, when Jack invited me to join him on his visit to Keiki this month, I thought it was time.

My heart swells with pride as I watch Jack. He’s come a long way from being the quiet and reserved stockbroker I met over a year ago to the easeful businessman he is today. Not to mention, he’s handsome as ever. Long and lanky, his dark hair now cropped at the sides and long on top.

When Jack spots us at the end of the aisle, he grins ear to ear.

“See? Dada!”

Alanna babbles unrelated sounds and throws up her arms, reaching for him as he comes closer. Such a dad’s girl.

“There she is!” Jack announces as he swoops in to grab her. He lifts her into the air over him, then tucks her into his chest.

Alanna, or Lala as we call her affectionately, squeals with delight.

I laugh and say to Ronnie, “You’d think the two of them haven’t seen each other in days.”

“That’s love,” Ronnie says in return.

Jack comes over to me and slides his free arm over my shoulder. “Well, go on, Ronnie, tell her what you told me.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Good news, I hope.”

Ronnie nods. “We’re ahead of schedule on the new plot of land which means we’ll be able to start planting within the month and, if all goes to plan, we should have the new crops from those trees in three years!”

“Three years,” I say and wince. “I always forget this is a long game.”

Jack laughs. “Camilla’s the do it and do it now type.”

I smack him in the belly with the back of my hand. “You’re the coffee expert. Not me.”

---