Page 55 of Fighting Happily Ever After

“What? How could that possibly be your fault? I think the registry just had an—”

“I lied about your birthday.”

Something in her mother’s voice froze her to the spot. “You what?”

“You have every right to be mad. We never did it to be hurtful or to cause any issues for you.” Her mother’s words came hot and fast. “It was a spur-of-the-moment decision because I always felt like the day they put you in my arms for the first time, that was your birthday. That was the day that I came alive, that we became a family. That was the day that started everything. So it should be your birthday.”

“But it wasn’t my birthday?” Nothing made sense. Slowly, Stephanie regained the feeling in her feet and she turned around slowly to face the group, who were all still watching her. All but Dax, who was now talking on his phone and completely oblivious to the earth-shattering news that was just delivered to her. “What’s my birthday, Mom?” She locked eyes with Hope. The smile on the other woman’s face was unmistakable. And that’s when she knew. “Mom?” she asked again, needing the clarification. “What day was I born?”

Her mother took a sharp intake of breath and then she said what Stephanie already knew in her heart. “September 2, 1991. You were born in Calgary. We adopted you a few weeks later and brought you home.”

Hope nodded in response to her unasked question.

“So that means…”

“It could be true,” her mother said. “I was talking to Hope. She’s very lovely, by the way. And the information she has matches up with the very limited information that I have. It was a closed adoption, but we were always open to your birth mother reaching out. Apparently the flood years ago destroyed everything, so there wouldn’t be much information for your birth mother by the time you turned eighteen and she could access it. But yes,” she said slowly. “Everything else looks like it adds up. I would say…”

“Mom? Are you crying?” To Steph’s surprise, tears fell down her own cheeks as well. “Mom. You’re always going to be my mom. You know that.”

“I do,” she said after a moment. “I’ve always been so scared that we weren’t enough for you. That’s why, I always…oh, Stephanie. Do you think you could come home for a visit?”

She didn’t even hesitate. “As soon as I can.”

Steph promised her mother she’d call and make plans as soon as was reasonable, and disconnected the call. For the first time in a long time, she was looking forward to visiting her parents. But first, she had a few other things to deal with.

She walked straight to Dax, who put his phone down as she approached. For everything he was, and everything he may have pretended to be, he was still her fiancé and despite it all, she knew he cared about her. “Dax?” She reached for his hand.

“This isn’t happening, is it?”

Instead of saying no, she shrugged. “I don’t even know who I am,” she said softly. “How could I possibly get married?”

She couldn’t be sure how much he’d overheard of her conversation, or even how much he’d even been paying attention, but he nodded. “I get that.”

When she looked into his eyes, she could once again see the man she’d fallen in love with. The vulnerable, kind-hearted man who didn’t put fame ahead of his heart. Somewhere along the line, things had changed a little. But not entirely. He was still in there.

“You know how much I care about you, don’t you?”

“And I, you.” She stood on her tippy-toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Sometimes things just don’t work out the way you planned.”

He nodded and she knew he was trying not to look affected by what was happening. “Not right now, but maybe one day?”

Her smile was kind. “Maybe one day.”

It surprised her that she wasn’t as upset as she thought she might be as Dax turned and walked away. It would probably hit her later that he hadn’t been the man she’d thought he was, but for the moment, she had the best consolation prize she could have imagined.

Stephanie turned to see Faith standing next to Hope in her wheelchair. Everyone else had disappeared. There was a lot they needed to talk about and those conversations weren’t all going to be easy, that was for sure. But no matter how difficult it was going to be to wrap her head around where it was she came from, and the new family she had suddenly thrust upon her, it would be worth it. With so many unknowns, that was one constant. With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, Stephanie picked up her skirts and went to give her sisters a big hug.

ChapterTwenty-One

Three weeks later…

“This is crazy.” Faith looked at her reflection in the mirror and then back at her sisters.

It still felt strange to think that she had more than one sister. A bigger family than she’d ever known and definitely one she’d never expected. Their relationship was still new, and it was going to take some work as they navigated this new normal. But now that Stephanie was back in town and taking a hiatus from work for a bit, they had time.

Hope and Stephanie wore matching grins that stretched across their faces as they spoke at the same time.

“Not crazy at all.”

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