Page 76 of When Love And Destiny Collide

"Guess what?!" Marian exclaims, looking down at Davey with a bright smile. "Tonight is the last night the tooth fairy can come to visit you."

"The tooth fairy?" Davey's eyes widen in excitement. "Will she leave me some money?"

"She will," Marian replies. "But you have to spend the night where you lost your tooth."

"At the hotel!" Davey exclaims.

"That’s right, Darling. At the hotel with me."

I stare at Davey, then at Marian, struggling to process what just happened. It’s clear Marian has outplayed me, and I’m left with no choice but to let my son leave with her.

"That's why you kept his backpack," I say, suddenly realizing that Davey came home without it. "You packed enough clothes for him to stay with you tonight."

"That's right, Love," she smirks. "Don’t worry. I’ll bring him home tomorrow. I promise."

I try to mask my anger, determined not to give her the satisfaction or let Davey see how upset I am.

"Have him home by lunch," I say before kneeling down to hug Davey. "Have a good night, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Daddy," Davey replies, his eyes shining with excitement. "Do you think I'll get to see the tooth fairy, Daddy?"

"She usually waits until you're sound asleep," I smile. "But you never know."

When I walk back into the house, all eyes turn to me as if a thousand questions are about to be thrown my way.

"Don't ask," I mutter, sinking into the seat beside Lily. When her hand finds my knee, I catch it gently, bringing it to my lips. I linger there, pressing a kiss to her skin, feeling the warmth of her touch settle something deep inside me.

"Where did Davey go?" Holly asks, approaching me with one of my books in hand.

"He's spending the night with his mommy," I say, forcing a smile.

"I thought he lived with you," Holly says, her curiosity innocent but direct.

"Holly," Aaron interjects in a gentle, parental tone.

"It's okay," I reassure him, then turn back to Holly. "Davey lost a tooth, and he's expecting the tooth fairy to visit him tonight."

"I don't believe in the tooth fairy anymore," Holly whispers, pressing her fingers to her lips as if sharing a secret.

I chuckle softly, giving her a wink.

"Can you sign this book for me?" she asks, holding it out with a hopeful smile.

"My secret's out," I say with a grin, glancing over at Loren.

"Are you kidding?!" she exclaims. "The moment you told Mom and Dad, they called us."

I open the book to the inside cover, the pages soft and worn from love. With a smile, I write:To my wonderful great-niece—I'm so lucky to have you in my life. With love, Noah.

I return the book to her, and she immediately flips it open to read what I wrote. A rosy blush spreads across her cheeks as she beams and rushes over to Loren. "Look, Mommy!" she says excitedly, then heads to Aaron. "Look, Daddy!"

"I still can't believe we have an author in the family!" Loren says, her smile wide, pride shining in her eyes.

Looking at Loren, I realize just how much she resembles my mother. "You look so much like Mom," I say softly. "You have Sharon's eyes, but your features and smile are all Mom's."

Loren smiles warmly. "Whenever Dad tells the story of my birth," she begins, "he always says the first thing he thought when he held me was how tiny I was, like a peanut. And the second was how much I looked like Grandma, so they named me Loren Elizabeth after one of their best friends and Grandma."

"I always wanted a daughter," I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them. I feel Lily’s hand stiffen in mine, and regret tightens in my chest. But no one seems to notice as Loren continues, focusing now on the twins she's carrying.

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