Page 20 of A New Era

He envelopes his hand around mine and I no longer have any worries. My trust in him to fix anything and everything is infinite.

“We should’ve expected this at some point,” he says as we walk from the bar to the house.

“I thought she just saw me as Holly. That she knew what I was.”

“I reckon she knows who you are, that’s why she’s questioning you now. She loves you, anyone can see it. She sees how kind and loving you are, and she wants a piece of it. She was so little when you came to stay with us, she doesn’t know life without you.”

I bonded with Rayna quite quickly when I met her. She never saw me as anything but the woman who looked after her. I never thought there’d be a day where she could call me mommy. It would be a privilege to be seen as her mother. And by God, I’ll do right by her for as long as I live.

Chapter Six

Leo

Ihear Mom reading to Rayna as Holly and I climb the stairs. I’d be a liar if I said I hadn’t given thought to how Rayna and Holly’s relationship would change after the wedding. I expected as Rayna grew older, she’d question the family dynamics. It’s a failure in my eyes that I wasn’t here to answer her question the second she asked it. Holly follows closely behind me as I step into Rayna’s bedroom. Mom smiles and closes the book she was reading from and kisses Rayna on the top of her head.

“Goodnight, sweetheart,” Mom coos and leaves.

“Daddy!”

“She was yawning a half hour ago, now you’re here she’s wide awake,” Holly points out as I climb on the bed and settle Rayna down. Drawing the sheets up to her neck, she’s snuggled up how she likes. Inhaling deeply, I say, “Holly told me you want to know if she’s your mommy?”

She remains quiet but looks up at me with her big brown eyes. She wants me to answer the question for her. And because I know my daughter, I carry on, “You know your mommy is with the angels.” She nods and listens. “She was the first mommy to hold you and love you and she loves you still, and so very much. Even with the angels, she misses you every day. But… she’s not with us anymore and Holly loves you and is going to love you forever and look after you. If you feel like Holly is your mommy, there’s nothing wrong with that. It would make us all happy. It’ll be you, me, and Holly, always.” I kiss the top of her head, and add, “Do you want Holly to be your mommy?”

She nods her small head. “Yes.”

Smiling so she knows I speak only the truth, I tell her, “Then you can call her mommy and that’s what she’ll be. You’ll have two mommies to love and protect you, Holly here and mommy and her angels.”

Leaning forward, I place another kiss on the top of her head and stand, leaning over to smooth out the sheets.

“Mommy in heaven will always be with us and so will Holly. Okay?”

“Okay,” she chirps.

“You go to sleep and in the morning, we’ll make pancakes.”

Her smile grows and Holly’s hand runs down my back as I stand, she moves in front of me to kiss Rayna goodnight.

“Night, night, Ray-Ray.”

“Night, night… Mommy.”

It warms my heart to hear it but at the same time, it pinches that it’s not India hearing her. It’s Rayna’s giggle that dissipates the pinch and I take Holly’s hand and turn off the lamp, leaving the nightlight to glow from the corner of the room.

Once Rayna’s door is closed, Holly spins into me and slams her lips onto mine. Winding my hand into her hair, I share the kiss with as much passion as she’s pouring into me. I’m about to push her up against the wall when she pulls away and asks, “Are you sure about this?”

“I wouldn’t say so if I weren’t. Besides, when we have children, she won’t feel left out.”

“I would never let that happen,” she vows with a frown.

My smile relaxes her. I run the backs of my fingers down her cheek and say, “I know.”

“What about Kristen and Slade? They’ve been great about us so far, but this might be too much for them to take on.”

I shrug. “It’s not like we’re making out you’re her only mom. If they can’t see that, I’ll deal with them.”

I can’t see Slade having much of a problem, but Kristen, I’m not so sure. With nothing I can do tonight, I pull her flush against me and hold her tight.

“Anyway, enough about them. You’ve got my dick hard, and we need to do something about it.”

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