Page 91 of She's perfect for Daddy

“Can I leave it here?” I put the bouquet on the seat when I opened the car door.

“Yes.” He turned around and held out his hand to me.

“What a beautiful house!” It was impossible not to exclaim when I saw the building from the outside.

It was made of light brick, with tall columns at the entrance and a staircase leading up to the main door. It had three floors, with white windows and a light gray roof that gave the place a modern, sophisticated look.

“Yes, it is.” Thomas agreed.

“Did you grow up here?” I was curious.

“No.”

“Ah!”

“When I was a child, my father ran the firm, and we lived in an apartment similar to mine. It was only when he decided to retire that my mother convinced him to move to a bigger, quieter place, away from the hustle and bustle of Manhattan.”

“Are you thinking of living somewhere like this one day?”

“Maybe...” He bit his lower lip, looking more thoughtful. “The twins like it here, but I don't know if it will stay that way when they're fifteen or twenty. It may be that when I get to my father's age, the need for peace will speak louder. Why do you see yourself in a place like this?”

“Well... It wasn't a perspective I had.”

“But do you like Manhattan?”

“Yes.”

“Why didn't you move there?”

“Rent is very expensive, and so is my grandmother's medication. I had to make a choice.”

“I understand.” He stared at me and pulled my hand, kissing the back of it.

We didn't have time to say anything more because the front door opened, and the twins came running.

“Daddy! Helena!”

“Be careful not to get hurt, girls.”

I knelt down to hug them, and they both came to me, vying for space to wrap their arms around my neck. I kissed each of them on the forehead, and they snuggled up to me like two sly kittens.

“How are my princesses?”

“Good,” replied Mary.

“Setting up a block with Grandma.”

“Oh, you were playing with a building block?”

They said yes.

“What fun.”

“Yes, of course,” agreed Mary.

I stood up, holding each of their hands, and stared at the couple of gentlemen in the doorway, together with Thomas's younger sister. I took a step towards them, and they took another three towards me.

“Hello, Helena.”

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