“Olivia is through the gate,” he said.
Unbuckling our son, I lifted him into my arms and followed Van to the front of the house. Though I saw his hesitation, I refused to mention it. What was about to transpire had to be on my husband’s terms. I knew that as much as I knew he loved me.
With a scan of Van’s palm, he opened the front door. Appearing through the trees was a white SUV. Liv brought the car to the driveway and stopped as we went down the steps. Both front doors of the car opened as Liv stepped from the driver’s seat and Brooklyn came from the other side. Taller than I expected, Brooklyn was slender like her mother. Her hair was long and dark, the shade of her father’s.
“Hello,” Liv called.
“Welcome,” I said.
Liv laid her hand on Brooklyn’s shoulder. “This is Brooklyn.”
“Hi,” Van and I said in unison.
“This is your cousin Henri,” I said, lowering myself to my knees.
“He’s beautiful,” Liv said as she gazed down at him.
Brooklyn’s gaze was fixed on Van. “You look like my dad.”
My breath caught as I stood.
“Brooke,” Liv said, “I told you about your Uncle Van and Aunt Julia. Remember, your dad, me, and Van are triplets.”
Brooklyn nodded.
Van leaned down and met Brooklyn’s gaze. “Your dad is my brother.”
She looked him in the eye and tilted her head from side to side. A smile spread across her face. “No, you don’t. I was wrong.”
“I don’t?” Van asked.
“You don’t lookjustlike him. Your eyes are different.” She turned to me. “Can I see my cousin?”
I let out a breath. “You sure can. Why don’t we go inside?”
Brooklyn looked up at the house. “It’s so big.”
As Liv and Brooklyn walked ahead of us, Van held back.
When I turned, I saw the smile I loved. “See.”
“There have only been a few people who could tell us apart.”
“Your parents?”
Van shook his head as his green gaze glistened in the sunlight. “No, but Brooklyn can.”
I squeezed Van’s hand. “I love you.”
Brooklyn appeared at the doorway. “Hurry up, Uncle Van and Aunt Julia. I want to hold Henri.”
Van held tight to my hand as we climbed the steps to our home, our family, and our forever.
And they lived happily ever after