“Same.” Danforth let out a big laugh as his eyes lit up with glee. “Feels like just yesterday I watched my beautiful bride walk down the aisle,” he said as his eyes locked in with my mom’s and they both softened up like two old people who had known each other their entire lives. It was rather sweet to witness, and it made me look around the room at the guys and realize how much they meant to me.
“You’re so cheesy,” my mom teased.
“Oh, speaking of cheese.” Dax reached across the table and grabbed a piece of the cheese-soaked garlic bread that was laid out in the center. It was one of my homemade recipes that I learned as a teenager from my dad. “Oh, this is like heaven,” Dax mumbled as he tried to talk through a mouthful.
“Well, thank you,” I said to him. “Grab a plate and a chair and help yourself.”
Danforth glanced over to the box Damien had brought. “What is all that about?”
Damien grinned. “Ready?” he asked Daniel, who then gave a nod. He retrieved the box and put it on the table where we were sitting, pulling back the lid to reveal a small replica of my mom and Danforth’s wedding cake.
“Oh my,” my mom whispered as she clasped her hands together in awe. “This is so lovely.”
“Absolutely perfect,” Danforth added.
Dax was busy eating up a helping of pasta, and Damien had begun to search the kitchen for the right knife to cut into the cake. Daniel leaned back and put his arm around me at the table, and so I nestled in at his side and just enjoyed the view of everything that was going on around me.
Only a year ago I had felt a little alone and like the only thing in my life that held any meaning was my work. Now with the guys at my side, and little Makana to keep me busy, I truly felt fulfilled. The bistro was absolutely perfect for my style of cooking, and after renaming it Barclay’s, everything in my world felt complete.
“Okay, who wants cake?” Damien came back into the dining room with the right utensils and a ridiculous grin plastered on his face. We all started to laugh, and it woke up the baby. For a moment I was worried that she’d be fussy, but Daniel went over and held her, and she immediately calmed down. He cradled her in his arms, talking to her like only a father could. It brought tears to my eyes to remember how good it felt to be in my dad’s arms, and that’s when I knew I’d made the right choice to pick all three of them to be in my life.
My daughter was going to have three times the joy, and a lot more attention than I did. And that was perfectly fine.
- THE END -