Page 166 of Fielder's Choice

“You’re welcome, sweet girl,” Liv smiles, giving Sage a kiss on the cheek. “I told my mom how much you love them.”

“Thank you, Mommy.”

Sage jumps now into Liv’s arms as Harvey and Violet smile while Michelle and Luna stare at Olive, mouths hanging open.

“Did she just call you Mommy?!” Michelle asks.

“Liv!” Luna says happily.

Olive just smiles at them in response while Sage looks at her quizzically. “Who are they?”

“Oh, this is my brother Harvey and his girlfriend Michelle, and my sister Violet and her wife Luna.”

“More family, Lovebug,” I smile, mussing up her hair. “A new uncle and three new aunts.”

Olive gazes at me with nothing but love in her eyes, and I practically melt on the spot.

If she doesn’t realize it yet, Oliveismy family.

Her family ismyfamily.Sage’sfamily.

And we’re surrounded by the best family around.

“Thank you so much for having us tonight,” I say to Eileen and Oscar as I stand by them in the kitchen. Sage is enjoying some time with her mom and new uncle and aunts in the living room. “Sage and I are happy to be included.”

“You’re dating our daughter,” Oscar says, and while I’m usually very confident, I will admit that meeting my girlfriend’s father for the first time is extremely intimidating. “You’re always going to be welcome here. You and Sage.”

I can’t help but smile. “Thank you, sir.”

“Please just call me Oscar,” he chuckles.

“Oscar then.”

“Is Sage excited for Sunday’s recital?” Eileen asks as she clears some dishes off the counter.

“She can’t wait,” I admit. “She’s so excited to dance with Olive. Sage absolutely adores her.”

“We know she does,” Eileen smiles knowingly. “We heard her call Liv her mother earlier.”

I let out a breath and rub the back of my neck. “That’s something Sage came to on her own. Neither of us encouraged her one way or another.”

“How do you feel about that?” Oscar questions.

“Man, I really want to make sure I give you the right answer here,” I laugh uneasily, and Oscar’s face softens, taking some of my tension with it. “I know we haven’t been together long, but I think it’s the greatest thing. We’re both in love with your daughter. And Olive is just so happy about it.”

“She always wanted to be a mom,” Eileen says, voice choking. “She wasn’t sure she’d ever get the chance.”

Oscar wraps his arm around his wife and kisses the top of her head. “Our baby girl is finally getting what she wants.”

“I like to think she is,” I state. “But she’s giving me everything I want, too. I’ve wanted somebody who would love both me and my daughter, knowing that we’re a package deal. I wanted Sage to have a family, not just be raised by a single dad her entire life. I want her to have everything, and my God, we finally found it.”

Emotions quell within me, and I have to fight back the tears pricking the corners of my eyes. I’m not an overly emotional man, but when it comes to my daughter, I’m as soft as they come. I love her to pieces, and all I want is for her to be happy in life and get everything she deserves.

“Lane…” Eileen says softly before throwing her arms around me, quickly joined by Oscar. “Thank you for taking care of our daughter.”

“I love her,” I say with a smile. “I’ll always take care of her. She’s been through so much more than anyone ever deserves to go through, and I’ll do everything I can to protect her.”

We break apart with smiles on our faces and tears in our eyes. I may not show emotions often, but I’ll proudly show off how in love I am with both of my girls.

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