Page 86 of Fourth Wall

I reached out and grabbed his hands in mine.

“You already are a parent, Christian. As much as Stephen is also a parent to the girls, you are, too. Regardless of what Tyler says about you or who you are. You’re an amazing human being.”

“I don't know how to braid hair like you. What if it’s a girl, and I suck at the things I’m supposed to do?”

I gave his hands a squeeze at the sound of his confession.

“Christian,” I asked, and his blue eyes looked down, locking with my own. Here we were again, dancing in the shadows of the moonlight with the sound of waves behind us. It was everything that I could have wanted and more. “I love you so much. I think it’s simply love that we need in order to be good parents, and we have so much love between us. I don't doubt that you will be an amazing dad. Plus, look at how you are with the girls.”

“I’m still upset you didn't tell me earlier and threw it out in front of everyone,” he offered a small turn of his lips, but I could see the hurt.

“I know.” The cold air whipped through us. “Can we go home? I’m nervous about tomorrow.”

When we got home, we briefed my mom, who also seemed very hesitant about the situation. The court case was going forward tomorrow, whether we liked it or not. We had to go and show our faces, at least.

I said goodbye to my mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek before heading upstairs to check on the girls.

I heard faint sounds in Kelsie’s room, so I assumed she had awakened from a bad dream.

Instead, I saw Christian on his knees, leaning by her bed and gently giving her back scratches, which was her favorite request of him.

“Sometimes I have scary nightmares too, but we have to remember it's just what we imagine in our head,” Christian murmured while tucking her hair back.

“Christian?”

“Yeah, my little Poppy?”

“Will we get to live with you forever and ever?” My heart could have exploded hearing this, and I wanted to go in and hug both of them so tightly. It had to be the hormones…right?

“And ever and ever and ever,” Christian responded and pressed a little kiss to her forehead. “You, your sister, and your mommy mean so much to me. It would bemyhonor if I get to live with you, but only if it’s okay with you.”

The little girl nodded eagerly.

“Okay, good, then it’s settled.”

“Forever and ever,” Kelsie responded.

“It’s time to go to bed, though, okay?” She turned around and closed her eyes, and Christian got up. When he turned to see me in the room, he offered me a small smile, but little did he know what that conversation meant to me.

“Let’s get you to bed too, firecracker,” he whispered. Grabbing my hand, he guided me to our room. He paused right before his door and looked at what was originally intended to be my room.

“I guess that is where we can make a nursery because you sure as fuck aren’t going back in there.” I looked over at him and giggled at his statement. He was right. There was nowhere else I belonged except in his arms.

I pulled on one of his shirts before pulling the sheets back on the bed.

“I noticed that you haven’t had any more nightmares in a while,” I said quietly, not wanting to test or hurt him any more than I had today.

He paused for a second as he was throwing on a pair of my favorite sweats. I watched his arm muscles move while he thought about what I said.

He ran his hands through his hair and murmured, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

I looked over at him before I whispered back, “I’m proud of you.”

The following morning, after Christian and I dropped the girls off at their school, we went straight to the courthouse in downtown San Diego.

It was a beautiful courthouse made of old red brick and right in front of the harbor where all the boats came in and out of. I wore a mid-length red burnt-orange dress, and Christian was in his typical all-black ensemble. I told my mom she could stay home this time and we would call her immediately with any updates.

“Are you ready?” Christian asked me, patting my stomach once more. Last night, he slept the entire night, forcing me to have a pillow between us so that his abs didn’t harm the baby. Irolled my eyes and laughed hysterically before obliging because he insisted.

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