"I am," Miranda replied with an eye roll.
"Don't think this is the end of it," she warned her daughter.
The sudden chuckle startled her and Trinity's gaze travelled up to see Michael Senior. She scrambled to her feet quickly, but the older man waved her words away before she told them.
"I believe the two of you have a lot to talk about." He gestured between her and Michael before walking to take Miranda's hand. "I'm just going to take this little hellion here for cookies and milk. If that is alright with you."
"Yay!" Miranda called out, gleefully.
"Yes, but no cookies," Trinity insisted. "She's on punishment."
"Aww, Mommy," Miranda groused.
"I have half a mind to ground you, little girl," Trinity replied evenly and that quieted Miranda.
"Sure." Michael Senior smiled, but as they turned away, everyone caught the little wink he gave the little girl who brightened considerably.
Trinity sighed in defeat and in the same breath remembered she was left with Michael… All alone.
?MICHAEL?
It was the two of them in the foyer now and the silence grew into oppressive proportions
"I'm sorry," he finally spoke.
"Don't be, she has a mind of her own," Trinity replied, feeling tense herself.
"A beautiful one," he replied, smiling at the happenings of the day.
"It could have—" Suddenly she was choked and scared.
"It didn't," he finished quickly, shaking his head to dissuade the thoughts.
"Thank you.”
"No, I should thank you," he answered.
"I've done nothing.”
"You've at least shown me that every woman is not my mother,” he confessed. “Here I was too afraid to trust women and you came and changed that. Everything about you is different and for that I am grateful, forever.”
She started to interrupt, but he pushed on.
He needed to get it all off his chest. "I trusted you from the moment I met you, and it didn't occur to me until now, though. The way you were so protective of Miranda, willing to put aside your health to ask about her. How you were willing to drop your misgivings to give her a home and do right by her." He took a deep breath and continued, "I just want you to know that I have admired you for that, for your charity work, and no woman on Earth means more to me than you and no one else ever will."
Trinity smiled up at him, eyes tinged with tears that she tried to blink away in a flurry of lashes.
"Michael, I'm tired of being strong and trying to do it by myself," she started hesitantly.
"Let me take care of you — the both of you — do you trust me?" Michael asked, looking for the answer in her eyes.
"Yes — I trust you because you don't lie, everything you've ever said you've done and much more," she replied.
"So you'll stay?"
"Yes."
"Oh, thank God…" he exclaimed, pulling her into a hug. As she went to embrace him, he pulled away for a second, confusing her. “One moment, please.”
