Page 94 of Worth the Fall

"I picked it out all by myself," Felicity says proudly.

"You did?" I feign shock. "But I thought we were going to go with the biker jacket and tutu combo."

She giggles, climbing up on the bed to sit beside me. "Daddy, that's not fancy enough."

"Ah, my mistake." I tap her on the nose, making her laugh again.

Mia joins us, perching on the edge of the bed. She reaches out to smooth Felicity's hair, her engagement ring catching the morning light. It's a simple gesture, but it makes my heart clench. This is my family. My girls.

"Did you thank Mia for taking you dress shopping?" I ask Felicity.

She nods vigorously. "I did. And I thanked her for being the best bonus mommy ever."

Mia's eyes widen, her hand stilling on Felicity's head. For a moment, I'm worried it was too much, too soon. But then Mia smiles, and it's like the sun coming out.

"That's right, sweet pea," she says softly. "I'm your bonus mommy. And I'm so lucky to have you."

Felicity beams, throwing her arms around Mia's neck. Mia hugs her back tightly, her eyes meeting mine over the top of Felicity's head.

"Bonus daddy and bonus mommy," Felicity singsongs. "Now all we need is a puppy!"

We laugh, the tension breaking.

"Nice try, kiddo," I say, ruffling her hair. "But I think we've got enough excitement going on right now, don't you?"

She sighs dramatically. "I guess." But then she brightens, bouncing off the bed. "Can I go show Abuela my dress?"

"Of course," Mia says. "She's in the kitchen."

Felicity takes off like a shot, her dress billowing behind her.

Mia turns to me, her eyes soft. "How're you feeling, champ?"

I groan, flopping back against the pillows. "Like I got hit by a truck."

She laughs, stretching out beside me. "I told you to pace yourself."

"Hector's fault," I mumble.

"Of course it was." She props herself up on one elbow, looking down at me. "But you had fun, right?"

I think about it—the bad singing, the laughter, the feeling of being surrounded by my best friends on the cusp of this new chapter.

"Yeah," I say, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. "I did."

She leans into my touch, her eyes fluttering closed for a moment. "Good. Because you deserve it."

I pull her down for a kiss, morning breath be damned. She sighs against my lips, her hand coming up to rest on my chest.

It's a moment of peace in the midst of the chaos, a quiet promise of everything to come.

Later that evening, after Felicity is tucked into bed and the house is quiet, Mia and I sit on the back porch, a bottle of wine between us. The sun has long since set, and the backyard is illuminated by strings of fairy lights we put up on a whim one weekend.

Mia takes a sip of her wine, her head resting on my shoulder. "I can't believe it's only a week away."

"Having second thoughts?" I tease, though my heart stutters in my chest.

She sits up, her eyes finding mine in the soft light. "Never. You?"

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