Page 207 of Sinning for Santa

Devon agreed, but I know as soon as we hit the sheets tonight, all bets are off. I’ll be his cumdumpster once again, and I’m not even a little mad about it.

“Daddy, do you like my dress?” Izzy’s voice draws my eyes back to the screen to see her walking towards him, her pale pink dress like a little Cinderella gown, just the way she wanted.

She stops and does a twirl in the centre of the balcony as Devon falls quiet.

He nods quickly, before spinning to face away from our four year old daughter, and I can see the side of his face, and the way he brushes away a tear.

“Oh my god, that’s it. I’m now pregnant with twins.” Presley groans and we all laugh.

Turning back to face his daughter, Devon holds his hand out to her as Harry continues to dance off to the side in his own little world.

Rushing forward, Izzy takes his hand, smiling up at him as he lowers to one knee again.

“My beautiful Isabelle. You look like the most beautiful princess of all the lands.”

She beams.

“Thank you, Daddy, but you are wrong.”

“Oh?” Devon asks while she nods.

“Mummy is the most beautiful princess of all the lands.”

“Nawwww,” my bridesmaids coo as my eyes turn glassy.

Don’t cry. Don’t ruin your makeup before you’ve even walked down the aisle, Jaxcen.

“Oh I bet she is,” Devon agrees. “But Mummy is about to become the queen, which means you are the princess of all princesses.”

Izzy nods, like she’s accepting that responsibility with pride. “Until I have a little sister, and then we will share being the most beautiful princesses of the land.”

Devon cups her little cheek. “You have your mother’s heart. So big. So sweet.”

“Are you going to cry, Daddy?” she asks, and damn it, there goes a tear from my eye.

I hear sniffing next to me, and Marilda swipes at her eyes. “Crap.”

I smile and wrap her in a hug as we continue watching the screen.

“Today, I just might, princess.” Devon admits, not too masculine to show his feelings.

“That’s okay, Daddy. I have tissues. My dress has pockets.”

Laughing, he pulls her in for a hug, and she squeezes her little arms around his neck the way she does to me when she thinks I need an Izzy hug.

Devon’s sister Jen comes onto the screen then, ushering my children out and ordering Devon to get his arse to the altar, so I drag my gaze from the screen to face my sister.

“Have I ruined my makeup?”

“No. It’s still perfect.” She smiles.

My attempt to catch the tears must have worked.

“Are you sure you’re okay about our parents not being here?” Presley asks, her eyes kind as she stares at me.

I nod. “They aren’t my parents, Pres. You know this. Nothing about the way they raised us was parental as far as I’m concerned. All I need is you.”

The words are bitter on my tongue, because even though part of me means them, there’s still a part of me that wishes things were different. That wishes they were here today to celebrate with us. To accept the life I’ve chosen and simply be proud.

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