We took turns opening the rest of her gifts that I brought her: a musical toy, a couple of textured toys, a stacking toy, four dresses, a pair of shoes for each dress, and a hand-knit blanket with her name stitched on it, and the words “Daddy’s Girl” underneath.
“What does that mean?”
“I told you. I want to be her father. I love her as much as I love you, and if you’ll let me, that’s who I want to be in her life. Even if you and I don’t work out, I want to be here for her.”
Angel’s mouth worked back and forth, but she didn’t say anything for several agonizingly long seconds. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Say yes, baby.”
“Okay, Chris. As long as you don’t hurt her.” She sobbed and pressed her fingertips to her lips.
I pulled Angel close to me and kissed the top of her head. “I promise that Belle will always be the center of my world.”
“I can tell by the way you’ve spoiled her with these gifts,” she replied with a sniffle and laughter.
I chuckled. “This is just a start. I put a limit on it since you told me she was too young. But one day, you’re gonna have to take the limits off. Now open your gifts.”
She reached for her presents with a shy smile. She opened the first box and removed a necklace.
“Aww, Chris. The pearl is Belle’s birthstone.” She sighed as she fingered the necklace. She opened the second box and removed a smaller necklace for Belle. “You didn’t have to do this, Chris.” Her eyes were filled with joy and tears as she looked at me.
“Come here and let me put yours on.” I moved Belle to the floor beside me and fastened the necklace around Angel. Then I took the smaller one and placed it around Belle’s neck.
“And that one has my birthstone, . . . a garnet.” Angel sighed in delight as she fingered the birthstone on the baby’s necklace, as Belle bounced her arms up and down and squealed.
“I’ve got two more gifts for you.”
“Okay.”
“Close your eyes.”
“Okay,” she agreed happily as I grabbed another gift bag. I removed the box from inside and spoke. “I know we’ve only been dating for one month, but I’ve known you forever. I saw how you bent over backward to make your house a home and please your man. Everyone saw that. And while the others wanted a woman like that, I wanted the woman that no one else saw. You always had a quiet confidence, not caring what others thought as long as your family was happy. You love to sing when you cook and clean, and you’re so independent almost to the point of making others think you’re standoffish. You’re not though. It’s because you don’t want to be a burden to others, but you want someone to take the load off without you asking them to.
“I love how you swing your ponytail a lot when you’re excited or bite the tip of your nail when you’re curious. I love how you converse with Belle and how you giggle loudly atBaddiesand holler at the people onLove Island. I think it’s funny that you love ratchet music and how you can’t dance to save your life. But what I love most is the way you love and care for Belle.”
“You see me,” she whispers.
“You bring sunshine and magic to my life every day. Open your eyes, beautiful angel.”
She slowly opened them, and the tears that her closed lids were holding back fell down her face.
“Angel Snow, will you marry me?”
“I would be a fool not to, Christian Holly. Baby, yes, I’ll marry you.”
“I have one more gift,” I stated, sliding an envelope from my coat pocket that was on the couch.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
She took the envelope hesitantly and stared at it. She looked back at me, and I nodded. “Open the envelope, baby.”
“Chris, I don’t . . . I can’t.”
“Open it,” I encouraged.
She sighed, bit her bottom lip, and nodded. With trembling fingers, she unsealed the envelope and pulled the paper from within. Her eyes raced over the words on the paper, and she pressed her hand against her mouth. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she seemed to have difficulty breathing.
