She just stares at me, wide-eyed, and then she places her tiny hand to my cheek. And I swear… nothing has ever undone me the way that tiny touch does.
I stay frozen in this moment, soaking in every inch of my daughter, her every breath, her every heartbeat, until Anna clears her throat, shattering the fragile spell.
“Are we spending the night at the door?”
I step aside. “Please, come in.”
Anna steps inside, and we head into the living room. Her eyes sweep across the space, taking in every detail, and suddenly I’m nervous, wondering if she’ll like it.
She exhales, almost scoffing. “You’ve really gone all out.”
“I wanted it to be perfect for my princess. Her room upstairs is ready too. If there’s anything that needs changing, just tell me.”
She narrows her eyes at me. “I suppose I should thank you for at least asking me this time, considering this is the first choice you’ve actually given me.”
I ignore her sarcasm, not wanting to start an argument, especially with my daughter in my arms for the first time. “Her nanny will be here in a few minutes. You can tell her if there’s anything she needs to know.”
“Nanny? You hired a nanny? For my daughter? Without checking if I needed one?”
“Ourdaughter,” I correct her. “And yes, a nanny makes sense for convenience. I don’t see anything wrong with it.”
“Of course you wouldn’t. You were brought up that way. You don’t understand what it means to actually raise your child without an army of people doing it for you.”
My jaw locks. “Careful, Anna.”
Her shoulders rise, but then, maybe remembering and realizing how those words have always stung and left me with ahollow ache, she reluctantly sighs. “I don’t need a nanny. Mick and I handled everything just fine.”
“Well, Mick isn’t here,” My eyes burn into hers. “And given that we both have jobs, we’ll need extra help. I won’t risk Liala missing out on anything just because we’re both stretched too thin.”
She folds her arms. “This isn’t about her. This is about you taking control.”
“Control?” I laugh, humorless. “If this were about control, Anna, I wouldn’t be standing here trying to make this work. I’d take her from you without caring about what you say. And you know damn well I could.”
Her mouth twists, like she wants to spit fire, but instead she says, “Where’s my room? I need to rest.”
“The first room when you go up, next to our daughter’s,” I reply. “My room is right opposite.” I let my eyes linger on hers. “I wanted you in my bed. But I know you wouldn’t be comfortable. So for now, I settled for that.”
“Good,” she snaps. “And let’s be clear, there will be no sex.”
I take a step closer, Liala still resting against my chest. “We’re under the same roof, sweetheart. You really think that’s possible?”
She tilts her chin defiantly. “Yes. It is.”
I simply smirk. “We’ll see.”
Her nostrils flare, and she steps forward, reaching for Liala, but I shake my head. “I’ve got her. You go rest.”
Knowing this is yet another battle she won’t win, she huffs, spins on her heel, and storms up the stairs, leaving Liala and me alone.
Liala stirs, her tiny hand clutching at my shirt. I smile and sink onto the couch, settling her in my lap. Her eyes lock onto mine, curious, studying me as if she’s trying to figure out who I’m.
“I’m your Daddy, princess. You don’t know me yet, but you will soon,” I whisper, brushing a kiss over her soft hair.
She gurgles softly, and my chest tightens with a mix of awe and pain.
I grab one of the little toys from the coffee table and wiggle it in front of her. She reaches for it with her tiny fingers, her laughter bubbling out, and I can’t help but laugh with her. Leaning back, I hold her close as my mind spirals, the vow embedding itself deep into my bones.
“Princess, I’m going to win Mommy back. She can fight me all she wants, but I’ll break through her defenses. For you. For us. For this family.”
