After making sure it was safe for me to be on my own, Malena left.Too giddy to sit still, I made my way to the kitchen.This called for cake.
I startled Rita, who had been getting a dish out of the oven.“Can I help with anything, Ms.Porter?”
“I want to bake a cake.Do you have an easy recipe?”
I swear I saw her wince, but she recovered too quickly for me to tell for sure.“I’ll help.”She pulled out a thick folder.“How about apple pie?”
“Can we do something with chocolate?I’m not sure the kids will eat apple pie.”
She searched through the pages.“Ah, yes, I have flourless chocolate cake.It’s delicious.”
“Perfect.”
We gathered all the ingredients—or rather Rita gathered them and I watched—and then she measured everything and I was allowed to turn on the mixer and lick the bowl.
The girls and Vance returned while I was licking batter off my finger.Addy rushed up to us, taking the bowl out of my hands.“Are you making cake?”
She didn’t wait for an answer, just put her head in the bowl and licked the sides.
Elana grabbed hold of the bowl, pulling it off her sister’s head.“I want some too.”
Leaving the girls to fight it out, I rushed up to Vance, a huge smile on my face.Leaning in so they wouldn’t hear, I told him my news.“I get to keep my babies.”
He pressed his lips to mine, then enfolded me in a tight hug.“That’s great news,ipo.”
“Thank you so much for everything you’ve done.Malena told me that this was all your doing.I don’t know how I can ever repay you.”
“This does not require any repayment.I love you, and I would do anything to make you happy.”
“I love you too.”
He rested his cheek against mine.“I do have an idea how you can repay me, though.”
I laughed, liking where this was going.“Do tell.”
Elana shoved between us, her face and hands coated in cake batter.“Can we go in the pool?”
Chuckling, Vance ruffled her hair.“Sure.”
The girls ran off to get their swimsuits, and Vance left to get changed.
I sighed.Another perfect day.Something that seemed to happen a lot when I was with Vance.
I finally got my happily ever after, the deluxe version.
Epilogue
Vance
Sixmonthslater
This was it.All my careful planning over the last few weeks was finally coming together.
Looking at my girls, I couldn’t help the smile spreading over my face.I had never laughed more than in the last six months.Mae had burst into my life, rearranging it and showing me what it meant to truly live.There was no way I’d ever let them leave.Call me obsessed, but Mae was the other half of my soul.We connected in a way that I never had with anyone else.
And now I was about to ask the most important question of my life.But first, I was taking them to meet my family.We were in Hawaii, driving to my mom’s place, and Mae was twirling the bracelet on her wrist so much that I was worried she’d hurt herself.
I put my hand over hers, intertwining our fingers.I couldn’t seem to keep myself from touching her whenever she was within reach.Even when we were sleeping, we were always connected.
