“I’m almost six now. You can tell me stuff now, too.”
Owen stood from his seat and ruffled Frankie’s hair. “Okay, Fluff. Maybe I should call you Madame from now on?”
“Don’t you dare. I’m still Fluff,” she said as she raised her chin.
“Okay, Fluff. Go wash your hands, your grandmother has made us a feast in honor of you and your mother,” Frank said.
Tara glanced over at Frank who gave her a wink. She gave him a smile in return before another pair of tears slipped from her eyes. She guessed those tears wouldn’t be the last she shed. But this family was worth every damn tear.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Owen sat down on the swinging bench and watched Tara and Frankie play soccer in the backyard. Frankie had been scoring goal after goal while Tara did try but failed miserably to even kick the ball to Frankie’s side.
Owen had woken up with Tara in his arms this morning when Frankie had knocked on their locked bedroom door. After their talk with his family two days ago, things had been really good between him and Tara.
Tara had been a bit anxious to leave Frankie in her room since they apparently always had slept together since the day Frankie was born. Owen had made sure she quickly forgot her worries, though. He’d made her come three times at night and woken her up with his head in between her thighs in the morning.
Frankie hadn’t said anything when they all had breakfast that first morning she had woken up alone. She just asked them if they had slept all right. His daughter was something else.
Of course, he still had his moments where he’d discovered something from Frankie he’d missed out on over the years. He tried to let things slide as much as possible since bringing up the past wouldn’t help them move forward.
Owen had made the decision to try to make as many new memories as possible. He made it his goal to make as much new memories as a family as possible. Slowly but surely, those new memories would outweigh his hurt for missing out in the past.
Tara let herself fall down to the grass overly dramatic, making Frankie burst into laughter. Her sweet sound traveled the air, making Owen even happier. Today had been a good day.
“We’re heading out to Jenny’s for a milkshake,” Tara said before she hastily kissed his lips.
“Hey, not so fast!” He pulled her back in for another kiss, and this time he made her moan against his lips.
“Ew….” Frankie said from beside them.
“You’d better get used to it, Fluff. Your mother and I are in love.”
Maybe it was in the water, maybe he took after Adam, but Owen couldn’t contain the love he felt for his girls and just had to say it out loud.
“Aw, I love you, too,” Tara said.
“What about me?”
Tara and Owen laughed, making Frankie stomp her feet. “I mean it!”
He pulled his daughter next to him on the swinging bench and said, “I love you, too, Fluff.”
“You do?” she asked with her eyes rounded.
“Of course! You are the sweetest, funniest and toughest girl I ever met.”
“Don’t forget the prettiest!”
“That too. You’ve got that from your mother.” He winked at Tara who rolled her eyes.
“Okay. I guess I love you, too,” Frankie said after a moment of silence.
“You do?” he asked.
“Yeah. You’re my dad.”
His eyes watered as she told him she loved him in her own way.