Noah glares straight ahead, the lines on his forehead becoming more and more visible the longer he stares and I follow his line of sight to where my sister slow dances with Justin.
Now, let me just be clear, if I had it my way, that fucker wouldn’t be here tonight. He’s a slimy asshole and I don’t believe for one second that he has good intentions when it comes to my sister. But unfortunately, she loves him and my wife loves her, so I didn’t stand a chance when it came to making the decision on whether he deserved an invite or not.
“Will you stop glaring at my sister, man?” I snap at Noah, nudging my shoulder against his.
He doesn’t spare me a glance. “I’m not glaring at your sister. I’m glaring at the prick attached to her like a fucking blood-sucking leech.”
I thought as much but still, it irks me. I know whyIdon’t like Bella dating that asshat. What I don’t understand is why it bothers Noah so much. Him and Bella have always been close, sure. They kind of didn’t have a choice once I started dating Daisy and the four of us hung out all the time. But in all the years we’ve known each other, he has never had a problem with someone my sister was dating.
Until last year.
“Something isn’t right about him, man. I don’t like it.” Noah takes a swig of his beer before finally looking at me.
“I don’t like him, either. But they’ve been together for a year now. She loves him.”
His jaw clenches and he looks away briefly. “Did she tell you that?”
“No, but she told my wife,” I say, my eyes finding Daisy on the dancefloor. She laughs at something Jaxon says before her eyes find mine over his shoulder. Juliet holds one of Jax’s hands and one of Daisy’s as the three of them dance together in a circle.
It brings a smile to my lips, despite the anger radiating from the man next to me.
The song changes, the opening notes ofLove You AnywaybyLuke Combsbeginning to play and I turn to Noah.
“As much as I’d love to stand here all evening and listen to your theory about my sister’s dickhead boyfriend, I have somewhere else I need to be.” I point my beer in the direction of my family as the three of them move across the dancefloor to the slow song.
“Yeah. Go ahead, man,” Noah says and I clap him on the back before placing my bottle on the nearest table and making my way across the room to them.
Daisy beams at me, her eyes alight with happiness as she watches me approach and I swear my love for her grows even stronger in that moment.
We’ve had to overcome a lot in the past year. There were still some trust issues on my part at the beginning. Every day I was afraid I’d wake up and she’d be gone again. Every night I’d reach for her and if she wasn’t beside me, I’d be wild with panic until I found her again.
Daisy’s had her moments, too. The moments where her insecurities have gotten the better of her and she’s been afraid that I will resent her in years to come for not giving me children of my own.
We’ve both worked hard at reassuring one another. Every day we put the work in to make this marriage work and every day I love this woman more.
The family we’ve created in the six months since adopting Jax and Juliet is everything I could have dreamed of.
Taking those two children into our home and showing them the kind of love and affection they should have been experiencing their entire lives has been good for me as much as it has been for them.
We’re healing their trauma one day at a time, and if I’m totally honest, healing the trauma I’ve been carrying within me all these years, too.
A year ago, my life was meek. I was trying to mend a heart that had been broken for a long time. I moved through day-to-day life like a zombie, each day blending into another while time passed in slow motion.
And now, I have the love of my life by my side every morning. Our daughter is in the bedroom next door, our son down the hall.
All three of them watch me as I approach, their arms stretched wide and waiting for me to join them.
Juliet bounces on the balls of her feet, her face flushed and excited. “Daddy, come dance,” she calls out and my feet freeze in the middle of the dancefloor.
My eyes shoot to Daisy, who is watching me with tears glistening along her lower lashes and then to Jax who is staring down at his sister in surprise.
I never thought I’d hear anyone call me by that name. I made peace with that knowledge a year ago, so to hear it now takes me completely by surprise. It renders me speechless, a knot of emotion forming in my throat as I look down at the little girl waiting on me.
I blink back the burn in my eyes, swallow down the sob threatening to tear from my chest and continue towards them.
And when they pull me into their circle and begin to sway to the music, I know I’ve got everything I’ve ever needed.
Finally.
THE END
