Noah
“Tired?” I ask, rubbing my hands up and down Tilly’s legs once everyone has left and it’s just us. Father’s Day has always been a big deal in our house, and it was just as boisterous and full of love as ever. I raised a couple of good kids, and I’m looking forward to doing it all over again with this little tyke baking inside my angel’s belly.
“Deliciously,” she says, giving me a sleepy smile as she reaches an arm out and brushes her fingers down my beard. I kiss her palm. “Not too tired though.”
“That’s asking for it,” I say, moving so I’m leaning over her, kissing her soft and slow as she makes tiny noises into my mouth. She’s so wonderful, and she fills my life with a huge amount of joy.
When we first got together, she was struggling in life, but over the years, she’s bloomed into a confident woman who isn’t bogged down by the care of a reckless parent. After she accepted that her mother was never going to be the person she needed in her life, Tilly was keen to leave town and start fresh with me. It was the only way she was ever going to stop enabling her mother’s toxic behavior, and the only way she felt she’d be able to heal. I had to agree.
We left the Stomp & Swill in Elijah’s capable hands, and moved the next state over, opening the second Stomp & Swill location and establishing the beginning of a chain. We’re still only small, but business is booming, and my baby angel is happy—which is the only thing that truly matters here. We bought a house with a yard, and she’s studying psychology, on top of becoming a mother, so she’s on track to having all of her long-held dreams realized. I’m honored to be the man who could make those things happen for her.
My life wouldn’t be worth a dime without Tilly in it. The day she asked me to be her daddy was the best day of my life, the day I married her the close second that cemented our bond for eternity. Not everyone understands our relationship, and really, I’m not expecting them to. Unless you’ve met your true soulmate, you couldn’t possibly understand what it’s like to feel a connection so perfect you’re willing to break through barriers and test every aspect of your life just to keep them. What Tilly and I share is rare, and I’ll spend the rest of my life worshiping my angel because I consider her a gift. My gift. There isn’t a single thing in this world that could force me away from her. Till death do we part. And in life, well, we get to enjoy each other. Each and every day.
