Chapter 16
Spring came to Austin.
The tulips I'd planted for Eleanor bloomed.
Red and yellow and pink, just like she'd loved.
The children would sit in the garden and look at them, talking to Grandma like she was right there.
Daniel kept his promise.
He didn't contact us.
He didn't try to see the children.
Sarah told me he'd sold his house in Denver and moved to California.
He was trying to start over.
I hoped he found what he was looking for.
For his sake.
And for the children's.
Marcus and I took things slow.
We went for drives.
We had dinner together after the children were asleep.
We talked about everything and nothing.
He was patient.
Kind.
Everything Daniel had never been.
The children noticed, of course.
Children notice everything.
One night at dinner, Noah looked at me, then at Marcus, and smiled.
"Marcus, do you love Mama?"
The table went silent.
I felt my face turn red.
Marcus looked at Noah, then at me.
He smiled.
"I do, Noah. Very much."
"And do you love us too?" Ethan asked.
"More than anything in the world."
Sophia clapped her hands.
"Does that mean you're going to be our new daddy?"
I opened my mouth to answer, but Marcus spoke first.
"That's up to your mama. And to all of you. Whatever happens, I'm always going to be here for you. Always."
The children seemed satisfied with that answer.
They went back to eating, chattering about school and friends and soccer practice.
I looked at Marcus.
He looked back at me.
And in that moment, I knew.
I loved him too.
That weekend, we told the children we were together.
They cheered.
Noah high-fived Marcus.
Sophia hugged us both.
Ethan asked if this meant Marcus would move into the house.
Olivia just smiled, like she'd known all along.
It felt natural.
Right.
Like Marcus had always been part of our family.
He moved into the guest wing first.
Then, slowly, into my room.
The children adjusted immediately.
They'd always loved Marcus.
Now they just got to love him more openly.
Life settled into a new routine.
A happy routine.
I went to work.
Marcus took care of the house and the children.
We had dinner together every night.
We went to soccer games and piano recitals and school plays.
We were a family.
A real family.
Not perfect.
But ours.
One evening, as we sat in the garden watching the children play, Marcus took my hand.
"I've been thinking," he said.
"About what?"
"About the children. About us. I want to adopt them. If that's what you want. If that's what they want."
I stared at him.
Adoption.
It was something I'd thought about.
Something I'd wanted for the children.
A father who would choose them.
Who would love them unconditionally.
Who would never leave.
"Are you sure?" I asked. "It's a big commitment. Four children. A lot of responsibility."
"I've never been more sure of anything in my life. Those children are mine. In every way that matters. I want to make it official."
Tears filled my eyes.
"They'd love that. I'd love that."
Marcus smiled.
"Then let's do it."
We talked to the children that night.
They were overjoyed.
"Really?" Noah said, his eyes wide. "You really want to be our dad?"
"More than anything," Marcus said.
One by one, the children hugged him.
Told him they loved him.
Welcomed him officially into the family.
I watched them, my heart full.
Eleanor was right.
Family wasn't about blood.
It was about showing up.
About loving.
About choosing each other, every single day.
May you like
And Marcus had chosen us.
Just like we'd chosen him.
