Andrew: 5min
Me:??
“Girls, we need to pack up. Alex is on her way.”
I thought they’d put up more of a fight, but they eagerly shoved their things back into their bags and ran over to me on their little legs. Early this morning, I dressed them in matching outfits. The rompers were both covered in cupcakes, but Eloise wore yellow, and Molly wore green. They allowed me to braid their hair, something I’d been trying to master alone on every flight back and forth from Tokyo. I’d been practicing with some electronic charging cables, but a flight attendant took some pity on me and brought me three long strips of cloth he cut up and tied together on one end. He was a dad of three and helped me with the basics. I was getting better at it every day.
The girls and I ducked into Alex’s office, which was still more of a storage closet than it was a space for a business owner. I was definitely going to have to tackle this space for her before the grand opening. If she’d let me.
The bell above the shop’s door jingled, and the girls and I exchanged glances. Their eyes brimmed with excitement I was certain mine mirrored.
Her voice carried across the mostly empty space, and my heart launched into my throat at the sound. It was sweet and feminine and everything I’d been missing. Hearing it on the phone was nowhere close to listening to the sweet melody in person.
“I have the best idea for the cake I could make Tatiana. I cannot believe she wants me to design something for her charity event. And I got to dance with her. Oh my gosh, it’s just all so surreal. Hey, why are those chairs pulled out?”
The twins reached up and gripped my hands.
Whoops.
In our excitement, we must have forgotten to put those chairs back under the table.
“Mom, why are you looking at me like that? Is Dad here? I know he was going to help with the vendor deliveries today.”
“He did say he was on his way.”
Thank you, Marisol.
Andrew must have clued her in on my scheme to surprise her daughter.
“Okay, let me go grab the vendor order sheet so I can check it off when they arrive. I think they said they’d be here around four.”
With each step that sounded on the vinyl planks, the louder my heart pounded in my chest. The girls were already giggling when Alex stepped through the office entrance.
“What the—”
“Surprise!” they shouted as they sprung toward Alex, who stared at them wide-eyed.
“Nate?” Alex’s eyes glued to me as if she were seeing a ghost. I guess to her I sort of was.
“Miss Alex, we missed you.” Eloise tugged on Alex’s oversized peach-colored shirt to get her attention.
She kneeled down and held out her arms for both of them. “I missed you both so much.”
I looked on as the woman I loved wrapped her arms around my daughters’ shoulders, squeezing them tightly and pressing her lips to the top of their heads. Her arms flexed, and I knew she didn’t want to let them go.
“Nathaniel,” Marisol greeted from the door as if she’d been expecting me.
“Andrew tell you?”
“Pssh,” she said, her eyes rolling with the sound. “I keep telling y’all that my children can’t hide anything from me. That includes you, dear.”
“I should have known.”
“Well, you’ll know for next time. Now, come give Grandma Marisol a big hug. I’ve missed you.”
The twins moved out of Alex’s embrace, though the forlorn expression Alex wore left me thinking it was the last thing she wanted them to do. Marisol enfolded them the same way Alex had, then ushered them off for a piece of cake from the kitchen.
“I… I can’t believe you’re really back.” The last word died on her lips as she choked back a sob.
